Lessons on Faith
What is faith? Joni Eareckson Tada has put it this way: “Faith isn’t the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It’s simply taking God at His Word and taking the next step.” Author and speaker, Elisabeth Elliot, echoed this in her challenge to “just do the next thing.” Until lately, I had connected faith more with a feeling and the sense of at least some measure of sight. As long as I possessed even an inkling of hope, possibility, or hint of where a particularly difficult or “impossible” situation might be headed I could have faith that God was at work and some good would come. But lately, I have not had such a luxury.
I continue to find myself in situations that present either little or no natural hope – no promising signs of change, help, satisfaction, or resolution. It is not a pleasant feeling. I like being able to see. Having no assurance of what may come next is not what I would choose. When it comes to our future or what may happen down the road, many of us have wrestled with this, but I am learning that this is not just a lesson for the distant future but for my literal next moment, my very next breath.
How I long to be in control! To be assured that if I just do something right then I will begin to see the clouds lift sooner than later. But I am NOT in control of anything. My next breath comes only from the Giver of life. Facing this reality lately has been one of the most difficult lessons yet. It brings me face-to-face with my limitations but it also does something of great value. It reveals just how dependent I am upon my Creator. He gives me life and breath and everything. Not knowing if I will come through my sickness an hour from now, have the ability to accomplish a task or two, or even eat a bite of food is not pleasant (at times it is downright awful), but my not knowing drives me to rely on faith as biblically defined – “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
It is true that I cannot see the way through this day. My body isn’t working and all my knowledge and efforts cannot save me, but that reality is a precious gift – a precious gift if it drives me to lean hard on the One who DOES know, CAN save, and has PROMISED to be with me in trouble. Regardless of what I see or don’t see, feel or don’t feel, HE is working, and I CAN trust Him. Yes, it is much easier to trust when I can catch even just a glimpse of good ahead. But when I can’t? When all is dark, THEN will I still trust? He IS trustworthy. I am learning that faith is not sight or feeling but rather a leaning hard on the Faithful One. He has given me unshakable promises, and He will never let me fall beyond His reach (Psalm 37:24). When I cannot trace His hand I must trust His heart. Father, help me to do that now, in this dark moment, in this day. You are worthy of my COMPLETE trust for You gave your very life for me.
“God is too good to be unkind. He is too wise to be confused. If I cannot trace His hand, I can always trust His heart.” – C. H. Spurgeon
Treasures of Darkness 