The Scriptures have much to say about faith. Faith is necessary, not only in our spiritual lives, but in life in general. For example: When I get into my car to drive to work, I have a simple faith, or trust, that the engine will start when I turn the ignition. When I sit down in a chair, I have a simple faith, or trust, that it will hold me and not break and dump me on the floor. Yet, faith in these earthly material things is not spiritual, but a blind trust which often brings surprise or disappointment.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said: “For we walk by faith, and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). The Christian life is a journey in which we encounter many different things. Some experiences are pleasant and bring us great joy and a strong sense of satisfaction. Other experiences are adverse, unpleasant and cause us pain. Still, other experiences fill us with doubts and fear because we cannot see what lies ahead of us, even in the not-too-distant future. Truthfully, not one of can see beyond the end of our nose. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring; joy or suffering.
It is because of the uncertainties of life that Paul reminded the Corinthians of the importance of faith; yet, not a blind faith in the world, but a deep, abiding faith in the Person of God. It takes a great measure of faith to believe that God can and will save us. It takes great faith to believe that God will receive us into His heaven when we die, and that we shall live with Him eternally in His heavenly home. But, as the writer of Hebrews wrote, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…” and “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:1; 6).
Faith makes the seemingly impossible to become reality. The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 has been called the “Hall of Faith,” and rightly so because many of the patriarchs and prophets plunged ahead in areas the unknown at the direction of God, and they found that God is faithful to keep His promises.
Where is God leading you? Oh, He may not be leading you to do things such as lead an entire nation to a new land, but He may be leading you to change the course of your life with a new job. God may not be leading you to witness “…the parting of the Red Sea…,” but He may be leading you to trust Him in the face of great opposition. When you do, the seemingly impossible, or the highly improbable will become a reality because you “walk by faith, and not by sight.”
-Jerry L. Dunn, Oak Street Baptist Church
