Tag: Faith

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Trusting in the Unseen Hands

When I was a boy, my older half-brother Gregg would occasionally become gymnastics apparatus for us younger neighborhood children. As he lay on his back with his bent knees pointing skyward, we would take turns running toward him like a gymnast approaching the vault, place both hands on his knees and hurl our feet up and over our heads, our momentum carrying us forward. Then at the right fraction of a second, Gregg would catch our oncoming shoulders in his hands and propel us the rest of the way forward over his head. Completing our flip, our feet would descend back to earth and we’d stick the landing. I must confess that, though convinced of Gregg’s ability and reliability, for quite some time I watched others entrust themselves to the safety of his hands before I dared to do the same. Therein lay the difference between belief and faith.

We can acknowledge God to be everything He claims to be—this would be belief. Yet faith goes farther than mere intellectual assent: faith acts on belief. In faith, we entrust ourselves entirely to God, His character, and His promises, for in the Biblical meaning of the word, “faith” is inseparable from entrustment. Only in faith do we place ourselves entirely in the hands of the capable and reliable God, believing His promises, doing what He inspires us to do and venturing where He leads us to go. In fact, the Bible often commends what Paul calls “the obedience that comes from faith”1—free and secure in the reality of who God is, we eagerly join Him as He works through us to love the people around us. In this way, “faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”2

So what might God call you to do today in faith? Beckon you to rest in the assurance of His love for you? Grace you to extend to another the forgiveness you have received from Him? Will God urge you to share a story of His work in your life, or to give of your time and/or funds to someone who needs either or both? Will the Spirit inspire you to pray with someone who needs hope? You may already know His call for you today, or you may recognize it as it unfolds before you. Regardless of His call, may we respond in faith, throwing ourselves into the reliable hands of the unseen God.

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Father, help me to leave doubt behind and to cast myself upon You in faith today. Strengthen me to trust and obey You. In Christ I pray. Amen.

1 Romans 1:5
2 Hebrews 11:1 NLT

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Trusting in His Character

The elderly woman recalled the time when she was a little girl and the circus was coming to town. Her father promised to take her, and when the big day of the big top arrived, she waited in eager anticipation for him to come for her. And she waited. And waited. He never came. More than 75 years later, she cried as she told the story, for the pain of a father’s promise broken and a child’s hope dashed still ran deep. I wondered how that one single letdown—seemingly small in the scope of life, but then again not in the life of one so small—affected her ability to trust others or her willingness to hope for good things in life.

Letdowns naturally lead to shutdowns. The world is filled with imperfect people, and in their imperfection, they hurt us, just as we with our flaws harm them. Then rather than risk more pain, we close off part of ourselves; trust itself—perhaps even our faith in God—becomes a casualty. Yet the character of God is different than our own: He is the One who pursues us, like a father eagerly scanning the horizon for his wayward child. He doesn’t forget us or break His promises, for faithful is His character. Hear His appeal through the prophet Isaiah: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”1 How encouraging this promise! How flawless the integrity of Him who utters it!

Sometimes it may feel as though God lets us down. I remember as a young boy, for instance, praying for my father to survive a heart attack, but he didn’t. Crushed, I became distrustful of God and eventually very angry with Him. Yet over time God has opened my eyes to see His incessant presence in my life, even when I failed Him or blamed Him for failing me. I’ve come to realize He is constantly preparing His people for life in His presence—steadily burning away our earthly desires and shifting our focus toward the marvels of a new heaven and a new earth. And when this “big top” comes to town, Jesus will be there to take us with Him, just as He promised: “After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am.”2 He will be there for us, for He is faithful. We can trust Him.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Father, though people let us down, You will not. Forgive us for ever doubting Your goodness, faithfulness and love. We trust You with our lives. In Christ we pray. Amen.

1 Isaiah 49:5
2 John 14:3

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What Matters Most

During my freshman year of college, the January temperatures in central Ohio dropped low enough and long enough for a nearby pond to freeze over. Someone in the dorm came around recruiting for an afternoon of hockey. Let’s go! It felt so good to be back out on the ice, though skating and puck control on a pond were trickier than when playing on the smoother rink surfaces to which I was accustomed, for pond ice is almost always bumpier. It was also less reliable, I found, for at some point in the afternoon my right skate broke through the ice and plunged into the water beneath. I quickly pulled it out and continued to play a while longer, but not with the same level of confidence, for the ice had proved itself unworthy of my trust.

Sometimes we hear people say it doesn’t matter what we believe, as long as we believe in “something.” Some decree all religions lead to God, that they all believe in essentially the same things. But this is simply not compatible with Biblical teaching. Early in His earthly ministry, Jesus explained, “Whoever believes in [the Son of God] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”1 And the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus assured His disciples with this exclusive truth-claim: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”2 Where we place our faith truly matters.

It was a different winter, this time near my hometown in northern Michigan. Lake Huron was ice covered, and I decided to walk out on it. The further I ventured out, the darker the ice appeared—the lake was getting deeper and the ice becoming thinner. I was somewhat wary, yet adventuresome, so I continued until at some point I thought I had gone farther than I should and it would be best to turn around and head back toward land. Though by now I had become anxious of my situation, the ice proved itself strong enough to hold me above the depths below and return me safely to shore.

Which matters more—the size of our faith, or the object of our faith? It is the latter. Misplaced confidence, no matter how bold, will always let us down; but even shaky faith in the unshakable Savior is faith well placed. In Him we are safe.

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:11-12)

Father, thank You for loving us enough to save us. Grace us not to doubt, but to place our faith in Your Son, for life is found in Him alone. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 John 3:18
2 John 14:6