"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6
The subject of faith is very generally misunderstood; for, in reality, faith is the simplest and plainest thing in the world, and the most easy of exercise.
Your idea of faith, I suppose, has been something like this. You have looked upon it as in some way a sort of thing~either a religious exercise of soul, or an inward, gracious disposition of heart; "something tangible," in fact, which, when you have secured it, you can look at and rejoice over, and use as a passport to God's favor, or a coin with which to purchase His gifts. Now, faith, in fact, is not in the least like this. It is nothing at all tangible. It is simply believing God; and, like sight, it is nothing apart from it's object.
You might as well shut your eyes and look inside, and see whether you have faith. For as sight is only seeing, so faith is only believing. And as the only necessary thing about sight is that you see the thing as it is, so the only necessary thing about belief is that you believe the thing as it is. The virtue does not lie in your believing, but in the thing you believe. Your salvation comes, not because your faith saves you, but because it links you to the Savior who saves; and your believing is really nothing but the link.
The headlines offer little encouragement these days. Our troubled times are nothing new. God knows and understands EVERYTHING and people have continued to achieve great things despite the ups and downs.
The Lord understands exactly what we are facing and He understands the pressure of our situations. We are NEVER alone, our Father is committed to us. His personal knowledge of our lives goes far beyond the difficulty of the moment. He knows our frustrations and plans to use each one to strengthen and prepare us for His future blessings. Be encouraged! Have faith!
Paul endured many challenges by keeping his heart set on Jesus. When adversity came, he turned to God for wisdom and strength and refused to let doubt, fear or disappointment distract him. In his darkest hour, his faith was stretched beyond what many of us could bear. Despite continuous setbacks, Paul was convinced that God would see him through the turmoil to a greater end.
"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12).
Let go of fears and doubts.
Every moment, Every situation, Every issue, and Every concern has a positive side. Find it and bring it to life.
Believe it and Receive it.
