Gift of Faith – August 10, 2022

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

Gift of Faith

You have to see it to believe it. Maybe you’ve been on vacation and seen something like that. An ocean sunset or mountain sunrise. A majestic animal or awe-inspiring display of athletic or artistic skill. The descriptions, pictures, or videos just don’t do justice. Those we tell must take our word for it.

The Bible tells us some amazing and awe-inspiring things. It describes a God who transcends space and time, who came in time as a human being to rescue those who rebelled against him. It describes a love without limit, forgiveness without condition, and an eternal reward freely given to those who could never earn it.

I wasn’t there to witness Jesus’ birth or to watch his death. I didn’t see the empty tomb when he rose from the dead or stand on the mountain when he ascended into heaven. God hasn’t given me the visions of heaven that he gave the apostle John in the book of Revelation. And even if I had seen all those things, I wouldn’t have seen the full truth. I wouldn’t have understood the full significance.

But we don’t live based on what we see. Instead, God asks us to take him at his word. God made the universe and then put a plan in motion to save humanity from the death and destruction we brought on ourselves. God prepared for humanity a heavenly city for us to dwell in his presence. God promises that we enter that city through his Son, Jesus, who came to save us.

God reveals all of that to us in the Bible. And as we hear it and read it, the same God leads us to believe it is true. That’s faith. It is confidence about things I don’t see.

I don’t have to see it. I don’t have to fully understand it. God says it. I believe it. Someday, I’ll see it with my own eyes. Until then, I thank God for the confidence he gives me through his gift of faith.

Prayer:
Lord, through your Word, give me confidence in what I hope for and assurance about what I do not yet see. Amen.