Thinking About Faith

“Do not anxiously look about you …”  (Isaiah 41:10, NASB)

 
Let’s take a few minutes to think about faith. The Bible says that without faith we can’t please God, that it has accompanying action, and that it is what gives substance to and evidence of what we believe. For instance in James 2:17, we find scripture saying:

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

From this verse we can see that true faith has accompanying action that proves its existence. Also, Hebrews 11:1, KJV says:

“ …  faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

True faith gives substance to what we believe causing a resulting action or attitude that is a manifestation of our faith. For instance sitting down in a chair gives evidence that I believe the chair will hold me up, and not collapse when I sit down.

I know I am making faith very simplistic in this, but it really isn’t that complicated of a thing. We use it in the natural realm all the time. It works the same way in the spiritual realm. Faith evidences itself by responding to what we believe, because it gives substance to what we believe, substance that can be trusted and acted upon.

I know of a young lady who moved into a new apartment. Her first evening there she was feeling a bit scared and kept looking out the window to see if she could see anything. Then she prayed and asked God to protect her and her baby in their new home. 

She continued looking out the window and feeling a bit afraid. Then it finally hit her that if she prayed and asked for God for His protection then she needed to   believe that He would do it, and that she needed to quit anxiously looking out her window.

She settled back, quit looking out the window and enjoyed the rest of her evening as God’s peace settled over her and her new apartment