Dear COA family,
What is the difference between having faith and not having faith?
A whole lot of difference as it turns out. It can be a matter of life and death!
Hebrews 11, the chapter listing the heroes of faith in the bible, writes, “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.” (Hebrews 11:25)
Two groups of people attempted the same act – yet one group drowned while the other crossed over safely. What was the difference? The Israelites possessed faith in God while the Egyptians tried to do so on their own strength.
What then is faith? It is the confidence and trust we have in God’s faithfulness and saving power which leads to a new orientation and actions in our lives. And our faith is based on God’s promises: God’s desire is that we “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Hebrews 6:12). In fact, “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
I am sharing on the importance of faith this week because I read a devotion where a member confessed to a reluctance of praying for healing for others due to a prior lack of seeing results. I can understand where this person is coming from.
Yet I am concerned because this would lead to living according to what we witness or experience instead of living by faith. This would lead to us trusting in our wisdom and understanding instead on God’s promises. And the bible clearly states that God can and does effect healing in a miraculous way.
The Apostle James writes about God’s promise: “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” (James 5:15)
So let us not be hesitant to pray for God’s healing of others, because God is faithful to his promise. Nothing is impossible with God and our response is only to pray and trust that God will act in his good time. We should not shrink back from praying because of doubt or fear.
Yet the bigger issue is this: God calls us to live by faith and not by what we see. This is the only way that we can please God. This is the only way we can be saved. And this is the only distinguishing mark between the children of God and the peoples of this earth – faith and trust in a loving and almighty God and Father!
Have a blessed week ahead,
Revd Ian