Winds of Faith

This past year has seen the impact of severe weather in places around the world. No one can see the wind, but its hurricanes, tornadoes, and storms are evidence of its existence. A friend recently shared with me this example of the evidence of faith. No one can see faith and yet as Christians the Scripture tells us, Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). How do we build something we cannot see? The same way we know there is wind that blows across the earth; it’s the evidence it displays.

In Mark 9 we read the moving story of a father who brought his child to Jesus for healing. Jesus told the man that if he believed then all things were possible. In response the father cries out in the honesty of his broken heart, Lord I believe; help my unbelief (Mark 9:23-24). It is a cry of the heart that you and I experience today. Often I have had to admit to myself that I know God can do anything, but I’m not sure He will. In other words, I have a plan that I want God to fulfill according to my request, but what if He says no? Fatih if trusting in what we cannot understand; faith is trusting in the answer of no or wait. Is there something we can do to build our faith; this thing that we cannot see?

Faith largely depends upon what we focus. If we focus solely on the problem at hand, then our minds are filled with fear of the unknown. If, on the other hand, we focus on Jesus, His love for us, the fact He does all things well, recalling past blessing in our lives, the fact He has never failed anyone, then that quiet peace grows and the evidence of faith, that we cannot see, brings a calm reflected in our attitudes and behavior. This calm comes as we wait before our Father, allowing the intimacy of our being in His presence to dissipate the fear of the yet unknown. He will give us what we need. He will bring about what is best for us. He will bring glory to His name through us. He will give us His own strength. He is our everything to get us through anything.

What happens then, when our focus is upon Jesus rather than upon the problem? The evidence of faith appears in our lives. We are praising. We are thanking God for all He has ever done for us. By faith we thank Him for all He will do in our future moments. Faith is the evidence of things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). How lovely it is that God chooses to show the evidence of faith through you and me.

Whatever you are asking God for today; whatever you are hoping He will do, may your thoughts dwell not in the seeming futility of a situation, but in the fact that God does all things well (Mark 7:37). By faith you came to God, trusting Jesus for your salvation. Keep your eyes stayed on Him and sense the beauty of that faith grow into a beacon of light that lets others see Jesus in you.