three hundred thirty two

Faith, what is it exactly?

I have heard many descriptions and definitions of faith. The one that fits my logical brain is simple, God is faithful to his word, if he says he will do something, he will do it.

People, including me are not always faithful, we make appointments, commitments, promises, pledge our allegiance, sign contracts and swear oaths but in our weakness we don't always keep them. 

We have good intentions and even think we are being faithful but we deceive ourselves by rationalizing, redefining and creating elaborate and convincing excuses for falling short. This is the difference between us and God, God does not lie or fall short, ever.

Faithfulness is what God has looked for in man from creation. Unfortunately because of our flawed nature man cannot be consistently faithful, we need his help.

The Bible is filled with personal testimony about God's faithfulness. The covenant or deal God offers and keeps with nations, groups and individuals is proof of his faithfulness. 

No, there are no recordings, video, photographs or signed documents. Just personal testimony written in history and the Bible. In a court of law personal eye witness testimony is considered proof of innocents or guilt, physical evidence is not always required.

 

For many centuries after these testimonies were written and handed down, billions of others have had the personal experience of God's faithfulness. I am one of those people.

God has a different timeline and a much larger purpose so at times it can feel that he is not being faithful to his word. We don't see the big picture because we measure the physical world in linear time. God does not have these limitations. He calls himself "I am" for a reason, he sees all time at once. 

Many of God's promises are not fulfilled during the life span of the people he promised but he does fulfill them to the following generations. 

We live in an instant society today so it is even more difficult to grasp the larger picture. Because things do not happen on our schedule is not proof it will not happen. Some have used this as proof God does not exist. The more immature society becomes the more we look at God as being aloof, unfair and unfaithful. We do this to a point that we can deny his very existence. Many have sadly reached this point. 

This is where I draw my own limits of understanding how God works. I will not waste my time speculating the everyday details of how he works but I do know his motives. God has clearly revealed them. He simply wants to know us and he wants to be known. 

There are some things around us that I believe are here to teach us. How animals behave, how plants grow, the weather and so on. Everything teaches us something if we take the time to see it.

We grow crops, raise livestock and utilize the things God has put here to sustain us so we can see the constant recycling of life. We feel joy, sorrow, jealousy, peace, comfort, hate, loss and love. He gave us dogs to teach us to morn, children to remember how to wonder and the creation to marvel at it's intricacy and beauty.

 We live in the middle of the greatest pile of physical evidence ever imagined to prove there is a Creator, but I still hear debates and declarations of how God is irrelevant and does not exist.

We have reached a point where to say "I believe God exists" is a bold statement. This watered down statement has become socially acceptable as a declaration of faith. Many have shifted their claim of faith to the word "spirituality". This throws a wide net over every warm and fuzzy feeling.  Worshiping the creation not the one who created it allows them to remain in charge.  

Stating that you believe in some sort of  invisible being is not faith, but  trusting what that being promises is faith. It is rare today that these promises are discussed because they involve yielding our will and observing moral rights and wrongs.

It is ironic that we sometimes feel God pops in and out of existence depending on whether we believe he exists or not. The ones working the hardest to talk themselves and others out of this belief are usually well educated fools. The real question isn't if we believe God exists it is if we believe God.

The chair faith illustration is an example of how we put our trust into something as common as a chair. We plop down our full weight without a second thought. Yes it is a physical thing but it is an example of complete physical trust. 

All He asks is that we accept his covenant and do our best to keep it. In a future post I will describe how he provides everything we need to stay faithful to that covenant. 

I know this is my bicycle blog but life circumstances have brought these issues to the forefront. My reliance on my faith has me embracing life to the fullest and no longer hiding from it. I want others to know the peace I have found in the chaos of life.

I write down my thoughts for two reasons. One is for me to sort them out as I look at them in black and white, and the other is to reveal them to others so in some way they may help.

I will end with this....

Jude 24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—

P.S.

Yes, my faith is in the God of the Bible. I believe God has communicated with man through inspired individuals to write down what has happened, the history of his interaction with man and the way man can have a relationship through the offering of a covenant. I believe God lives in those who enter into that covenant. I don't do well with feelings so the nuts and bolts of his parties, terms, promises and curses agreement makes sense to me. I find security in relying on this covenant and my daily interaction with his spirit that lives in me. I just trust and get out of the way.