The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see.
Hebrews 11:1-3 (The Message)
This is a restatement of a famous scripture and what I like about it is that it makes me pause, listen to what it says, and to think!
How do we get faith? Lots of times I think we gain faith when we try something, and it works. When I wash dishes, I stack the pieces that are similar together – the plates, the cups, the bowls, and the silverware – because they use the space more efficiently. I have faith that this system will work for me.
I have faith that my car will start when I need to go somewhere, and I have faith that my house will keep me dry when it rains. I believe that it will keep me warm in winter and cool in summer and that it will stand when the wind blows.
A lot of things that I believe in can’t be seen. I believe that electricity exists—even though I’ve only seen the results of its use. When I take my hat off and my hair stands on end or when I flip a switch and the lights come on. We can’t see the wind, but we can see the results when it blows fiercely.
God is the same way. I have called on him many times and he has always answered. I don’t always like his answers but, when I let him have his way, things tend to work out better. Not only that but he likes me just as I am. He never tells me that I talk too much or that I don’t know what I’m talking about. Instead, he’ll tell me that it may be time for me to listen and to pay attention to what’s going on around me. He’ll tell me to have patience and to watch.
God tells us to taste and see that he is good. He has come through for me when others have walked away. I’ve found him to be more trustworthy than my car or my house! God is the same as he was in the beginning, and I expect he’ll stay the same until the very end.
A more common version of the scripture is:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:1-3 (NKJV)
Becky Gillette is a former teacher, newspaper reporter, and preacher who seeks to take an original approach to life’s lessons. She has recently published her first book, Jessie’s Corner: Something To Think About, which is now available for purchase. Based on several lesser-known scriptures from the Bible, this is a collection of articles which she wrote for a weekly newspaper.
