S37P11 – Spare parts: faith
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever comes to God must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.
Scripture tells us that faith is the evidence of things unseen. This does not mean that believing in something makes it true. This indicates that what fights against our faith is what we physically experience. It is the dependence on what we can take in through our senses that may cripple our ability to believe in something other than that which is naturally evident. If we think about the normal channels through which we come to decide what is real and true, there seems to be no room for faith in a God who is not visible and tangible. Although we may see evidence of him, we do not see him. Even more so, there are many man-made and seemingly logical explanations for everything that really points to God. Facts do not awaken us to the truth of his existence. Faith is what does that.
The day that God tugged on my heartstrings and caused me to relinquish my life to him, I never heard a word. Neither did I see him in the sanctuary gesturing for me to go forward and say a prayer of salvation. God did not get my attention the way any natural person would do. What He did was something supernatural, and it required faith in that which I could not see but could only feel in order for me to respond. This, however, is no accolade to me. Just like you, I did not possess the faith within myself to respond to God. It is God himself who gave me this gift of faith through his grace and mercy. [Eph. 2:8] It is God who we should pat on the back for making it possible for us to believe in the one we cannot see. It should not scare us that it is impossible to please God without faith because He makes it possible for us to have faith in him. After all, we do not cry out to ourselves when we need an increase in faith.
If we consider our spiritual separation from God that began in the garden of Eden, it should be no surprise that his intervention is necessary for us to even consider believing in him. Sometimes our issues of faith come down to the ancillary things. We may be firm in our belief in God but still waiver in our expectation of provision or of relief from the troubles in this life. This may be because faith is not a one-time impartation. It is something that grows as we continue to walk through this life and see what God is and does. That is why scripture indicates that our faith is something that must grow to maturity. The assurance is that God will answer the prayer of the humble person who sincerely desires faith to increase. Father, thank You for opening our eyes and allowing us to know You, and continue to increase our faith daily.