“See, the enemy is puffed up;
    his desires are not upright—
    but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness—

• Habakkuk 2:4

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

• Hebrews 11:1

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

• John 4:24

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

• Revelation 1:8

“Faith is not some vague and hazy quality which one is supposed to have in times of stress, acquired by some sudden means, in an unknown manner, – a thing which is abstract, formless, remote. Faith is, instead, the working of God’s Spirit within us…
“Faith is that quality within us which enables us to reach out into the unknown and grasp the unseen hand of God…
“It is essential to every man’s happiness that he know the true God of the Bible, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To many millions of persons, God is unreal, mystical and vague, whom they feel they cannot know intimately.
“Yet it is in this God that every human being lives, moves and has his being. God holds the world in the palm of His hands. God is eternal.”

• Roy Z. Kemp, Measure for Living

Boilerplate

In this new mini-series, I found an old book of mine in my wife’s things.  I did not know that she had it, but she loved collecting inspirational poems.  She had a knack for skimming over the subject matter that the Sunday school class would discuss.  Then she would thumb through the poetry and devotional books on the shelf and seemingly pick one at random.  Then she would open the book to a seemingly random page and read a prayer or two.  Then she would nod her head and place a bookmark at what she had found.  Then after the Sunday school class had wandered around the subject, going down various rabbit holes along the way, she would end the class with the poem and a short prayer.  And the poem seemed to summarize what we had talked about, even the side trails down rabbit holes.  It fit so perfectly every time.

I do not think she ever quoted this book, but it was a keepsake.  I had never read it.  The inscription in the front of the book states, “It has been a joy to have had you this year.  It has been a friendship I will cherish.”  It was signed by the woman who lived next door to my mother’s mother.  She taught piano and organ.  I took organ lessons.

Do not ask me to play anything on the piano.  I learned by gently gliding over the keys, not by striking them.  And after 55+ years of not practicing, I would be lost after a few bars of Swingin’ Shepherd Blues.

Discussion

The first Scripture is a comparison of arrogance and faith, to some extent.  The person who is puffed up, relying upon their own strength, has nothing to back up their hot air.  But the righteous can be confident, but confident in God within them, not their own strength.  This does not mean we should not have confidence in our ability, but when we forget the gifts God has given us, all the ability in the world will do us no good.

In considering this, I always knew that I could do the job whenever I went in for an interview, but my introverted temperament and my hesitation in answering questions may have made it difficult for me to convince someone else of my abilities.  After all, I was always taught not to brag.  It is an odd question to ponder, but God knows our abilities and our worth; do we?

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith.  Hebrews 11 is the chapter that is often called the “Hall of Fame of Faith.”  Odd, giving the chapter a HoF label when each of the people on the list would be too humble to think of themselves in such a manner.  But faith is a combination of what we hope for and assurance of the unseen.  I have heard that the opposite of belief was not disbelief, but certainty.  In a way that is right, if we have the assurance of what is seen, can that be “faith”?  Not according to Hebrews 11:1.

Blind faith is a disliked term among some circles these days.  They feel we should have concrete answers to anyone who has an argument against the Christian Faith.  But there is only so far that we can go, and not all people are equipped to answer technical questions.  Some scientists that present arguments against evolution and millions of years suggest that you redirect these argumentative folks toward the science reports instead of trying to explain the complexity of the arguments.  But we should be willing to give our testimony to illustrate why we hope for God’s promises and assurance in what we do not see.

And Jesus promises us that the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say.  And we should worship in Spirit and in truth.

And who do we have faith in?  God is eternal and God never changes.

Closing Prayer

“A Christian’s faith enables him
To take each day in stride,
To have the courage to accept
The loss of face and pride,
Good health or sickness, life or death,
Or happiness or sorrow,
Success or failure, – any thing
Brought by a new tomorrow.

A Christian has the stamina
That makes for deep belief,
It strengthens him in hours of doubt
And comforts him in grief;
It stands with him in hours of trial,
It clears the path he’ll trod,
It gives him courage for the fight,
It brings him close to God.”

• Roy Z. Kemp, Measure for Living (A Christian’s Faith)

“Father, guide me.  Help me feel the poetry.  Thank You for the gift of faith.  Thank You for transcending over us, being near us and within us.  And Thank You for never changing.  You are our Rock.  And forgive us when we lose our focus on those things that we know in our hearts.  In Thy Name I pray.
“Amen”

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.