Faith Like That
By: Kristen L. McNulty
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"I have read about the days of old
About the men who followed You
And how they saw the supernatural
And became the chosen few
I want a faith like that
To see the dead rise or to see You pass by
I was a faith like that
Whatever the cost, I'll suffer the loss
I want a faith like that."
Faith Like That- Jonah33
Reading through the Bible, we see many great examples of faith. Noah, Abraham, Ester, Joseph, Moses, Paul, Peter- I could go on. These men and women had faith.
Don't you sometimes read through the Bible and think "I wish I had faith like that. I wish I could put my feet in the river and it would part. I wish I could walk on water. I wish I could see the dead rise and the sick healed." I think that sometimes we feel that faith like we read about in the Bible is not the same kind of faith that we can have today, but I don't believe that is true.
I think that the only difference between the people we read about in the Bible and you and I today is the manifestations of faith, not the faith itself.
Before we dig any deeper, let's define what exactly faith is. My favorite definition comes from Hebrews chapter eleven where the authors states that "[Faith] is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see" (NLT). The author didn't say faith is walking on water or parting the sea. Those miracles were a result of the faith God saw in His people, but they in themselves were not faith.
So what does this have to do with you and I in the year 2003? Well, as Jesus said: "Blessed are those who believe but have not seen." That's you and I that Jesus was talking about. We don't see our Pastor's throwing down a staff to have it turn into a snake or we don't go on a church picnic with one basket of food to have enough to feed the entire congregation, but you and are still required to have the same "confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen." That doesn't necessarly mean miracles, those are an added bonus, it means the basics of the Christian faith. Faith in God, heaven, salvation, Jesus, the state of mankind, the Holy Spirit, the Divine Word of God. Faith. Now, as a result of our faith, we may see great things like lives changed, miracles happening, walls torn down, but we also may not.
We must remember, above all, that true faith is not an emotion or a feeling- it is an action. For example, if you say you have faith in Jesus, but make no attempt to follow His teachings, well that's faith without actions, which the Bible said is dead (see James 2:17).
No, we don't earn our salvation by works, but rather they are a result of our faith because the truth is- if you really believe something it will both change you and the way you act.
So no, we may not have sea partings and water walkings, but if we have faith we should also have the actions that confirm it. If you are looking to wake up one morning and feel like you're full of faith, you're looking in the wrong direction. Instead, make sure your actions reflect what you believe, because truly, that is faith in action!
This devotional was aired as a part of the Making A Difference Christian Radio Show.