Got Faith?

As I have walked these past several months with Norah in her illness, people have often said things to me like this: "Your faith is an encouragement to me." or "Your faith strengthens my faith"...I must admit that I had several initial thoughts in response to that. One of my first quick thoughts was, "Oh, I am so glad that people are encouraged." and the next thoughts that I had were, "People are encouraged by watching me doing THIS?" Yeah, I was all over the place. But as I have continued to hear these same words over and over again, I have spent more time thinking about them and what faith really is.

It's cool that the Bible gives us an actual definition of faith along with so many real life examples. The definition comes from Hebrews, and most Christians would know the verse.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things unseen."
(I'll leave that there for just a few minutes)

As I was mulling over my thoughts about faith, I had many thoughts that were saying,"You don't have a faith worth lauding...you are struggling, walking in the dark and don't even really sense that the LORD is hearing you." Really, that's where I was some days. When your kid cries and begs to die and you force-feed her water while have a physical altercation, my "faith" seemed...well, less than beautiful or praise-worthy.

But the Bible further goes on to say that those who have faith, "must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him". I have come to see that I did have faith, and that was what people were encouraged by.  As I trudged through these months, (which frankly seemed eternal on the hardest days), I couldn't see what God was doing, but I BELIEVED all the things I had heard about HIM...that HE is good, that He IS working all things together for good to those who love Him, that He is in perfect control of my life, that He strengthens the weak, that He hears when I call, that he will never leave or forsake me. As I walked in belief of those things, He sustained me, strengthened me in my heart and carried me through.

So I do have a faith worth being encouraged by, not because of me at all. But because of the One in Whom my faith rests. My faith is in GOD, the Almighty Maker of heaven and Earth. And as I have walked "through the valley of the shadow of death" He has kept His promises.  My faith is in the ONE Who has the power over all things. HE is the object of my faith, the source of my faith and the fulfillment of my faith.

You have faith, whoever you are. Maybe you are a God-fearer and Bible believer, you have faith that what God says is true, that Jesus is real and that He died for your sins and He is coming again. Your faith will provoke you to live your life for Him. Your faith in Him, will be salvation to your soul. Maybe you are a God-hater or God-ignorer...you have decided that you don't need God and you choose to live your life your way with no fear of consequence. But you do have faith...that you don't need Him.  We all have faith...some in something that will ultimately satisfy, some in something that will ultimately disappoint.

I haven't seen God with my eyes, but I have many evidences that HE is real and that is what I'm banking my life on. One day, I won't need faith anymore, because my faith will be made sight. I will see Him face to face and behold Him in His glory. And I will fall down at His feet and worship and proclaim, "Worthy is the Lamb!"

Today I live in faith, knowing that He is real and a worthy object of my faith, of my praise and of my life's devotion. I will not be ashamed on the last day, because all my hope is in Him. Where do you place your faith?

C.S. Lewis best said, Jesus is either a Liar, a Lunatic, or He is LORD? You live in faith that one of those things is true. Which do you choose?