“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 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)

Last week, our home in the Virginia foothills was enclosed in a cloud. Through the white swirling mist, I could only see a little way into the forest. The trees beyond that distance were undetectable; the ridge to the east was not visible at all! From my window my eyes could only see cloud and a very small portion of the normal view. But I had “faith” that the ridge was still there, that the trees further out were still there and that the silhouettes of Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock were still where they always were!

This is a very simplistic illustration of Christian faith; where we believe that God is with us, even when we do not “see” Him or the evidence of Him in our lives. Our faith in God is sometimes strong and sometimes weaker, we are after all human. Like the cloud that surrounded our house, the world and its troubles can interfere with our vision of God and His role in our lives. The worries of everyday life can fade our faith. One of the easiest things I regularly do is to ask God to keep my children safe and to give them guidance. One of the hardest things I do is to not worry over my children after I have asked God to care for them! This is faith in action.

I have to work very hard to have the faith that God will answer my prayers. I continually thank God for all the blessings that He has already accomplished in the lives of my children, all the times He has kept them safe! Faith is not just a feeling that God is with us, it is an action. We must exercise our faith regularly to keep it strong, just as we exercise our bodies.

Today, try to choose just one area of your life where you would like to increase your faith.

“God help us to demonstrate our faith in You, by allowing You to work in our lives without worry or anxiety.”

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me today!