I was just thinking as I’ve pondered a number of subjects this past weekend ,that we humans take so much for granted. Let’s consider the subject of faith.
I preached my first sermon 59 years ago at Central Baptist Church in Ashdown, and the subject was “Faith Without Works is Dead.”The text was James 2:17-18. However, in attempting to make the sermon long enough, I preached from Genesis to Revelation twice — in just over seven minutes! Many of those who hear me now wish I would revert to that time allotment!
Defining Faith
Dictionaries vary in defining this small word. The consensus though is “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.”
I learned so much from my dad, Jesse Mitchell. When I was seven years old, I climbed on the roof of our house by way of a Chinaberry tree. That was easy, but getting down posed a big problem. So, I hollered for my dad, who came running to the back of the house.
I thought he would get a ladder for me. Instead, he held his arms out and said, “Jump. I’ll catch you!” To a seven-year-old, a 10-foot jump is quite a distance. More than that was, could I depend on, could I trust, my dad to catch me? What if I didn’t jump out far enough? What if I slipped? I said, “Daddy, I can’t do it!” To which he said, “All you have to do is jump — I’ll do all the rest. I promise I’ll catch you.” That day I placed my faith in my dad. I jumped, but it was he who did all the work. He caught me!
When Seeing is Believing
I could see my dad. I could see his open arms and hear his confident voice. I trusted him. That day on the roof seeing was believing. That is fine in physical situations, but it has its hindrances in the spiritual. Those today who need to make a spiritual decision to place their faith in Christ have great difficulty. They are troubled by the fact that they have to trust in Someone they cannot see.
Faith in God is Different
The apostle Thomas was unsure of the resurrection of Jesus. That is, until he saw Him and touched His scars. “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’” (John 20:29 NIV).
The physical eye sees what is visible; the faith eye sees what is invisible. Even those who are physically blind can come to that place where they can see by faith. That becomes a victory of victories for anyone who believes.
Here is a spiritual truth: God is pleased when we humans place our faith in Him. The writer of Hebrews wrote: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Heb. 11:6).
Taking a Spiritual Leap
God doesn’t ask us to leap from a roof. But He does want us to take leaps of faith… trusting Him to rescue us from life’s most difficult situations that often seem impossible to escape.
I am spiritually strengthened when I see the faith of missionaries. They are some of my greatest earthly heroes. Why? Because they “leap” into the unknown because of their faith that Christ has promised never to leave them nor forsake them. They can’t see Him, but they know He is there — even to the end of the age!
The day any of us place our trust, confidence and faith in God’s Son, we leap into His never-failing grip — safe in the arms of Jesus. That faith pleases the unseen God. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more that we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!” (Eph. 3:20-21). Friends, that is something to rejoice about!
