"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1.
That's the Biblical definition of faith. Faith is believing that God will do what he promises. Days from now, or even months or years. Possibly not even in our lifetime.
So what does our faith "look like" in our lives? Our faith sustains us, and we live lives with confidence that God means what He says, though we haven't seen it happen. For example, though I haven't seen the Lord return for His church, I know He will someday. The part of me that knows operatives within the framework of what the Bible calls faith. Definitely not easy to do.
Faith plays a part when I pray, seeking God for salvation for a friend, healing for a family member, or a needed job. I pray with hope in my heart. I haven't seen the answers, but I know God hears my prayers and will act upon them, whether yes or no. That's faith.
"We live by faith, not by sight."11Corinthians 5:7. Shh. Don't tell, but honestly, I'd rather not have to wait a long time to see my prayers answered. I'd rather experience the "sight" part right away. It's tough to walk by faith.
But God lists a lot of honorable people who practiced faith—Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and more in Hebrews 11. God commends these Biblical characters for their faith. Faith is the norm for modern-day Christians, too.
If He can enable those men of old to walk by faith, He can do the same for you and me. Be encouraged if you're not seeing immediate answers to your prayers. And don't give up praying. Keep your faith strong. All you need is faith the size of a mustard seed.
An award-winning author, June Foster is also a retired teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in counseling. June enjoys writing stories about characters who overcome the circumstances in their lives by the power of God and His Word. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who find freedom to live godly lives. Find June on line at http://junefoster.com.
June's newest book just released in July! Cool down with this Christmas read.
Emily
Eason wants to distance herself from her parents' opulent lifestyle in
Birmingham, Alabama, and enjoy life in the rural village of Raccoon Creek and
her fifties-style home. But after gazing into the little snow globe she
purchased from Hardwicke's Drugs and Gifts, she finds herself transported to
another time—her grandmother's era.
Lance
Hardwicke is the pharmacist and owner of Hardwicke's Drugs. Four years of
pharmacy school didn't allow for much of a social life. Gorgeous Emily Eason,
nurse and resident of Raccoon Creek, has captured his attention. The next time
she comes in the store, he's determined to ask her out. Maybe take her to
Birmingham to see the Christmas lights in his brand new orange and white '53
Pontiac Pathfinder.
Can
love span the fifty-year gap standing between them?
Thanks for the inspiring words and for sharing about Christmas at Raccoon Creek. I hope to read it soon!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Connie
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for the inspiring post. It is hard not to see our prayers answered right away, but that is where the 'faith' comes in. I write online prayers for the Guidepost OurPrayer organization and I see a lot of requests that mention needing 'immediate' help. I know that most of those prayers won't get immediate answers from God and my heart goes out to those people. So, I need that 'faith' for my own personal prayers AND for those written prayers that I send to others.
ReplyDeleteConnie, thanks for you comment and encouragement. Thanks to Crystal and Stitches Thru Time for hosting me today.
ReplyDeleteJune, thank you for inspirational post about faith. We walk by faith and not by sight--God's timing is always on time and that's when we just hang onto our faith when we are not seeing an answer immediately. Christmas at Roccoon Creek sounds like a wonderful read this Christmas season. marilynridgway78[at]gmail[dot]com
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