I was reading something about faith and the author was stressing the idea of needing to trust in God and walk by faith. He cited that human nature draws us to a tendency to want to see tangible things in order to believe or take action or make big decisions. But we, as Christians, need to trust in God and be willing to have faith in things not seen. We need to believe.
The other day, I was walking Lilie around. We had stopped for a bit. When I stood her up, she stood there for awhile without me holding on to her. She balanced just fine. But then I could tell that she wanted to walk some more. Instead of taking steps, though, she looked around to find my hands, grabbed them, and then began to walk. She's still too afraid to take those first steps without holding on to something / someone. She gets along just fine grabbing on to furniture and when she's running across the room holding my fingers, I'm barely supporting her. It reminded me of the things that I had been reading about Christians needing to take the step of faith—trusting in God and letting go of other things that we want to hold on to, just because they're tangible.
Maybe Lilie doesn't know it, but God has given her, as a human, the ability to stand, walk, and run. God has offered to give us His Holy Spirit and strength to do all that He has called us to do (and say). Why is it that so often, instead of trusting in Him and taking that step of faith, we instead lean on our own understanding or something else. These things have failed us in the past, but we “know” them. They are familiar to us and we'd rather believe and trust in something that we've seen than in something that may be yet unseen. Lilie knows that holding on to my fingers will enable her to walk across the room. I may not steer quite right or go quite the right speed, but it gets the job done, for the most part. Our own understanding always seems to fall short, but we trust in it because it's what we know. It's time to let go and take that step of faith and see what our good God will do!
2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
James 1:2-8
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
James 5:13-16
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Romans 4:3
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
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