I frequently hear of or talk to Christians who have questions about God's faithfulness. Some are serious, angry. Others are puzzled and confused. But the question, at its core, is always the same: Why isn't God doing what I think He should be? Paul might answer, "Who are you, O man, who answers back to God?" I would try a different approach. It is, I think, not a question of God's faithfulness, but our faith.
There are two versions of "faith" out there. The best known one I don't term "faith." I call it "credulity." Credulity is believing in something without reason, and faith is believing in something for a reason. The Greek, translated "faith" in the Bible, refers to "being convinced (by argument or evidence)." "Evidence?" some might say. "Isn't faith, by definition, blind?" Not at all. My favorite illustration is the Exodus. You remember the story. Moses got a direct command to go "Set My people free." So he went to the Israelite slaves and told them. They said, "Oh, don't do that. You'll just make him mad." But Moses did it. And, in fact, he did make Pharaoh mad. But the hits just kept coming. The last, the tenth, was the pinnacle. God warned Israel to take certain measures -- pack, eat a particular meal, blood on the doorpost ... that sort of thing -- and then He sent His angel of death, and the firstborn of every household in Egypt died ... except, of course, for the Israelites'. And Pharaoh told them to leave and the Egyptians showered them with gold and God's people set out. It wasn't long before Pharaoh's advisors told him, "You know, you just released our workforce." So Pharaoh mounted up and pursued them. The Israelites found themselves standing on the shore of the Red Sea with a pillar of fire blocking Pharaoh behind. What to do? Moses prayed and God brought up a wind that pushed the sea back and cleared a dry land crossing. In the morning they were ready. So what would you do? It was impressive that the sea was standing up like that, but for how long? There is no indication that they hesitated. The people crossed. Faith. Not credulity, mind you. And not a faith they had at the beginning. A confidence in God shaped by 10 plagues that they saw but escaped. If God could do that, He could do this. Convinced by evidence.
We face difficulties here all the time. And we call out to God all the time. As we should. And we ask questions of God. Not a problem on the face of it. But there are certain things we know. We know that God works all things after the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11), and that He works all things together for good to those who love Him (Rom 8:28). We know that He will supply all our needs (Php 4:19). So if you can't hear His voice and you can't see His hand, who are you going to believe? A song I liked said, "When you can't trace His hand, trust His heart." Knowing what God says about Himself and knowing that He has, thus far, been faithful, why not trust Him to continue to be faithful? It's not credulity; it is based on prior evidence. It's faith.
6 comments:
Taking a leap of faith has become synonymous with doing something without good reason. But it should be done something based off past experience that God will accomplish His work. The other problem we have is that we lack the assurance of His goodness that Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego had.
This post is a very good reminder that “faith (in God) is not blind” but based on overwhelming evidence of God’s faithfulness throughout time—demonstrated not only to those mentioned in Hebrews 11 but to me as well. I too desire to have a “true faith” rather than a “blind hope.” The song lyrics you quoted reminded me that when I was young, I had a poster on my office wall at work that read, “All I have seen teaches me to trust God for all I have not seen.” (Yes, I was allowed to display that at Princeton University back in the 70s—not likely so now!) In hindsight, I was too young to have learned that sentiment from experience at that point, but I certainly know it now, almost 50 years later, praise God.
A favorite passage of Scripture for me is, oddly enough, in Lamentations. In the 3rd chapter Jeremiah goes for 20 verses about God has crushed him and he is without hope. Then he reminds himself. "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him." (Lam 3:22-24) No matter what my circumstances, I can hope in Him because He is faithful.
I love “His mercies are new every morning” and the reminder that God’s mercies are never abated but poured out from an infinite store. I cling to that promise quite a bit, the older I get. I was going to mention in my previous comment how God’s faithfulness can be seen even each morning as He keeps the earth rotating and brings the sun back “up” for us day after day after day.... I often consider how many, many years, decades, and centuries God has brought the four seasons around and around again, without fail (“like clockwork” but better). Something so mundane that screams faithfulness. How can people NOT see His great love, care, and mercy towards us...and be in awe?
Lorna, the worst part is, they can see it, they simply refuse to acknowledge it.
David: Except, of course, those who wear spiritual blinders (1 Cor. 2:14, 2 Cor. 4:3-4) or those who can’t see God because they were taught that everything around them came about out of nothing by random chance billions of years ago and has been sustaining itself so perfectly all this time. Either way, a large number of lost and blind people, sadly.
Post a Comment