Part One: Being confident in what we hope for.
Lately, I have been thinking about what faith is and how I can become more faithful in my journey.
No matter what we believe in we have/put our faith in something and have hope of something or someone. We have faith in ourselves, others and God. We will say "Dont worry I have faith in you." or "I faith that I can do this." and "God I have faith in you."
We say these so often but what does it even mean to say we have faith...
The bible's definiton of faith and the dictionary's definition is very simiular.
Bible's: Hebrews 11:1 (NIV). "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Dictionary's: strong or unshakeable belief in something, esp without proof or evidence
Having faith is, in my mind, the main key to our relationship with God but, if your like me, having faith can be forgetten with lack of patience, hope and strength.
First off, having faith is being sure of what we hope for. In most cases people would use this to describe a wish or desire. The ultimate hope is faith. I find myself hoping for things and then forgetting the main part of hope. And when I lack hope I lose faith. In myself, what i am doing, others, or in God. This crashes my whole focus on what God is doing.
With faith we need hope and in hope we need faith. We cant have one or the other. Considering they are pretty much the same.
“Hope” in Scripture means “a strong and confident expectation.”
We hope for a lot of things, good grades, loving friends, graduation, marraige, childern, steady and fun job, good health, high salary, and much more. I think that we need to tie faith into what we hope for because, naturally, God has everything planned out and for our good. Now we just need that faith in God to recieve. We need to "be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." (Psalms 31:24)
I was reminded of this last week. I was at school in Quebec and I have been having a crappy morning, nothing had seem to go right. It was a bad and embrassing moring. I didnt know what to do but I did know that I did not want to be there anymore. I wanted to go home and forget about the rest of the time I had on this exchange. The main reason for my feelings was the fact that it has been 2 weeks and Im still lonely in my classes and I can barely talk to anyone. Innitimanitaion rises in me and my classmates because of the strong communication barrier. I was sitting in Modern World, and was ready to crash, when I prayed "God please, I am almost done with this and I know that your not. Please send someone to talk to me." Two minutes a girl turns around and talks with me. Prayer answered or what. If that wasnt cool, I ended up having a great afternoon and a even better evening. I attended bible study with Carolanne and a friend. I was refreshed in the knowing that this is why I was in Quebec. I was doing God's work and not my own. When I got home I recieved a Facebook message saying
"God's plans are never delayed, his works are already done with the verse;
"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord 'plans to propser you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
I was so awh struck with the fact that I gained strength and reassurance that since I was here not only to learn french but to learn more about myself, God, others and shinning God's light, all my worries had left me.
I had to put my faith in God, hope he'll bless and then just wait.
When we are so confident in what we hope for that we lay things on the line for it, that is what faith is. Being confident in the hope of God and his plans for us, putting our lives are the line for him, is the ULTIMATE FAITH and main key to healthy relationship with him, the one who's plans that arent pre-viewed but yet we put our hope in them....
