Devotions: FAITH

But without faith, it is impossible to please Him...

Hebrews 11:6

How do we have faith in something which no eyes has ever seen or no ears has ever heard?

Already in real life, we have difficulty in having faith in one another's capacity or even in our own. We judge people according to our perception about them or what we have heard about them from others. We also have a tendency to have self-limiting beliefs.

We only use faith when we run out of options. We tend to turn to prayers and to God and say 'Bahala na!' when we have done everything through our own strength but nothing has happened. We only turn to God when our worrying, procrastinating and blaming others has rendered no results. Maybe this is because faith is unnecessary when we are able to rationalize things or we have the resources. It is then true that our strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

When Job's faith was put into test when he lost everything he owned, God said to him in Job 38-41:'Job, who am I? Who flung the stars into the heavens? Who created the great monsters of the deep? You know who I am Job. Knowing me, why are you calling me into account? Trust me!'

To ave faith in something you also need to trust. Trust requires courage to believe in something greater than yourself and in turn, this gives you strength. 

There are many ways that God wants us to act in faith. And these are also the areas where God often tests us. 

The first one in our own personal GROWTH through the challenges we encounter in our daily lives. 'Rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7

Next in SOWING wherein 2 Corinthians 9:6 says, 'Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. Whoever sows generously will also reap generously.' The classic example for this is the Golden Rule where whatever we do unto others is also done to us or tithing by giving back 10% of our income to the Church. This can be a bit challenging because 10% is also a big chunk of one's income. 

Lastly, God challenges us in GOING. 'By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.' In fact, going to Iraq or here in South Sudan is an act of faith by itself because these are unknown insecure places I am going to. Even dating another person is also an act of faith as you open your heart for the possibility of heartbreak.

However, when we step out in faith, it is when miracles and breakthroughs happen. 

I always tell myself that if I am able to ride an UNHAS flight to the Upper Nile with crazy white-haired Bulgarians on a stormy day and relax, why can't I entrust the course of my life the same way to God as well?