The three sisters: Faith

What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see”. Faith is a verb by that definition. If faith shows something, it means that faith requires us to do something or not to do something. I once heard Bishop TD Jakes say that, “Show me where your feet are pointing and I will tell you what you are believing for”. Our feet show the direction in which we are moving, so likewise our faith is the “thing” that shows which direction we are moving. It shows those around us what we are believing. Noah believed God that there would be a terrible flood and for almost 100 years he was building an ark preparing for an event that had never occurred before that time. 100 years of building. 100 years of hammering away and getting wood and measuring and being mocked by people. 100 years of not giving up. Faith. He was hoping that by building the ark, him and his family would be saved in the flood that was to follow and saved he was. 

I have another example of faith from my own personal life. Last year my friends were planning a trip to America. I did not want to miss this opportunity to go touring around America, church hopping with my favourite people so I said I would go. I went home and prayed and I asked God if it was ok and He ok’d it. I have never felt so peaceful my entire life. Now you may think, “Dramatic much, it’s just a trip to the USA”. You would be right and wrong both at the same time. Yes, it was just a trip to the USA but also I was in the middle of a complex visa application which had taken 2 years at the time to be resolved. This meant, I was on a bridging visa and could not leave Australia willy nilly. If I left Australia on a bridging visa, I would lose my right of re-entry into the country. I could apply for a travel visa but they only give those under the most extraordinary circumstances, like if a family member passes away overseas.

Regardless, I paid for my ticket to America in November 2016. The trip was scheduled for July 2017. I paid for my accommodation and all the other things I had to pay for through the first part of the year in 2017. Did I have a visa that allowed me to travel out of Australia? No. But I had faith that God would work it all out for me and I did not once hesitate in making steps towards my USA trip. I applied for my US Visa and had everything in place and very very long story short, God resolved my visa situation and I can now travel with no drama. 2 and a half years later, God turned it around in such a way that I did not expect. My actions showed what I was hoping for- crazy as it may have seemed to anyone watching, I knew what I had heard from God and I believed He could get me to America, Australian visa or no visa. 

What are your actions saying right now about the thing you are believing for? Is your faith giving evidence that you are hoping to receive from God or will it be a little confusing if we are to look at it? Is one foot is facing forward the other to the right? Let us pray that God gives us faith that is steadfast. 

Romans 10:17 tells us that, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. Listen to teaching that activates your faith so that when you hear God speak to you about your situation, you latch onto His word and you believe it like your life depends on it and you run with it. I pray that your faith shows the reality of what you hope for so that it stands as the evidence of that which you do not yet see.