THE ESSENCE OF FAITH
During a recent time of prayer, I
received a somewhat surprising revelation: Faith
is not the ABSOLUTE absence of fear.
At first glance, this seemed somewhat counterintuitive to my
understanding of the Word. However, though
the Bible teaches that “perfect love casts out fear,” in practicality, most of
us have not yet arrived. (I John 4:18) So,
for myself and the remainder of the cadre of ‘imperfect’ disciples, FAITH may
be understood as moving forward through
the shadows of apprehension and doubt.
Oftentimes, faith is stretching toward The Word, tentatively and awkwardly,
like the novice swimmer holding hopefully to a flotation device. As such, one’s faith could be compelled to
make this honest admission: “I may feel shaky and unsure, but I refuse to rely solely
on my senses. So I will not stop short
of mastering my struggles, my limitations and my challenges – by way of a PURPOSEFUL
DECISION to believe and trust whatever Heaven declares about me and mine.”
Now hear another important insight. Our momentary uncertainty is not synonymous
with “the spirit of fear.” The
scriptures reveal that the spirit of fear is a malignant malady that originates
in hell. (II Timothy 1:7) Rather, in the
faith fight of believers, we become focused on God’s mandate to wage proactive personal
combat against all doubts and fears. We
may not always readily SEE His light, but we continue to spiritually SENSE its
presence and power.
Oswald Chambers wrote, “Faith is deliberate confidence in the
character of God, whose ways you may not understand at the time.” Faith mobilizes us to deliberately hold fast
to trust in that which has been promised in the covenant, without experiential
knowledge of the future, as we remember and reflect upon the spiritual triumphs
in our past. (Philippians 4:8) According
to the Apostle Peter, we disciples are “fighting the good fight of faith,”
which enables us to “lay hold onto eternal life.” (I Timothy 6:12) As St. Augustine wisely stated, “Faith is
believing what you do not see; the reward of faith is seeing what you believe.” Think about it.
Therefore, throughout circumstantial
uncertainties, faith teaches us to trust GOD who will effectively address all unresolved
issues. For HE is the panacea, the
cure-all, the answer and the ultimate solution for every human condition. Trusting Him is key to manifesting perseverance
in the storm. Although we may not SEE
calm seas or dry land, we believe that they are indeed there, simply because
GOD says so.
Such spiritual vision requires
having a heart trust, not a head
trust, but a heart trust in GOD. It means
knowing that He loves us enough to surround us, sustain us and satisfy us with genuine
peace, unspeakable joy, transforming love and ultimate fulfillment. In the midst of every wave of crisis
experienced by Job, he testified that true faith is all about knowing that GOD KNOWS “the way that I
take.” (Job 23:10)
In 1882, Louisa Stead and William
Kirkpatrick penned the classic inspirational hymn, “Tis So Sweet to Trust in
Jesus.”
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
To truly trust HIM is to enter into
a REST that is the hope and heritage of every Kingdom Kid. (Hebrews 4:9)
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