The Meaning of Faith
“Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.” – Hebrews 11:1
It is easy to believe in things that we can see or touch. But having faith means believing in what God promises to do even when we cannot see it or when we are called by God to do something and do not see any results of what we did. Verse 1 in Hebrews 11 is not a formal definition of faith, but rather a description of what faith does in our life. It is how a Christian is supposed to live life in faith. We are supposed to have total confidence and trust in God who is all-powerful, infinitely wise, eternally trustworthy and who has revealed Himself in His word and in the person of Jesus Christ.
Those who believe without seeing have faith and are blessed. One of Jesus’ disciples, Thomas, needed to see Jesus and His hands before believing Jesus had risen from the dead (John 20:24, 27). Jesus told him that he needed to see Him to believe but those who believe in Him without seeing Him in person are blessed (John 20:27). Seeing without believing takes a lot of faith. The only evidence a Christian should need is what the Word of God says about God. If He promises to do what is said in the Bible, a believer needs to believe it and believe it since God will not lie or mislead anyone.
Faith is having total trust in God. If someone struggles to believe in what God says in His word, then they should evaluate why they have doubts and pray to God for help or turn to someone they trust to pray for and with them. Jesus did not get angry at Thomas for his lack of faith but instead reminded him that it is a blessing to believe when there is no evidence but what the Bible says about God, His promises and His commands.
Prayer for the day:
Dear heavenly Father,
Having faith is not easy sometimes. Someone might have doubts and wonder about Your promises and wonder if will You really be with us when life seems like it is falling apart. If that happens, please give us the wisdom to know Your truth since You are trustworthy, and we can believe what You promise. Thank you for having patience with us when we struggle to believe Your truths and promises. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!
