A Word About Faith
In this world of constant turmoil, we need faith. If you listen to the news reports of high crime, drug abuse, sex abuse, gender confusion, political hatred and international wars you can become depressed real easy. But as Christians, we are to be a people of faith, not fear. Faith is more than belief, it is dependence and trust in God’s word of promise.
The Hebrew writer says in 11:1, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” He goes on to say in Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
As I started to write this article, I found out that a close friend of mine lost his wife and, suddenly in grief, faith became raw and real. He and his wife have a strong faith and now he is experiencing hurt and hope at the same time. I need more than a definition of faith, I need a witness.
Hebrews 11 gives me just that, a great cloud of witnesses. This hall of faith made up of individuals young and old, men and women, prophets, judges, kings, slaves, harlots and many others who lived by faith, are now my encouragers to keep me living for God regardless of my circumstance because we all long for a better country—a heavenly one. “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).
Like Abraham, we trust in a God who gives life to the dead and call things that are not as though they already were. Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac because he knew that God could raise him from the dead and fulfill his word of promise. I need an Abraham kind of faith as described in Romans 4:17-21, “As it is written: I have made you a father of many nations.”
He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not. Against all hope, Abraham—in hope—believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Here is an Abraham kind of faith:
1. He believed God’s word of promise.
2. He believed in spite of the circumstances.
3. He believed without wavering.
4. He acted on it.
5. He gave God the glory.
How would my decisions be different if I practiced an Abraham kind of faith?
My faith is much more than theological, academic, or emotional. It is real and raw. Faith offers me hope when I am hurting, encouragement when I am down, love when I am lonely and the confidence that we are all together longing for a better country.
As you wake up each day, remember that you have a great cloud of witnesses cheering you on in your walk of faith. For me that cloud of witnesses increased recently, and now my sister cheers me on as well.