Faith

By Peter Lundell –

God chooses to connect with us. Great! Who wouldn’t want to connect with God? But there’s a catch: He is the Supreme Creator and Master of the Universe.

God is loving and forgiving. But if we fully connect with Him, He wants it on His terms. That may seem like a bummer at first, but it’s like when we were kids and mom or dad made us brush our teeth. Those of us who still have teeth are thankful we brushed. In the same way, we eventually find that God has good reasons for why and how He does things.

He gives us tons of evidence to verify His existence. Sift through ancient documents or dig in Israel’s dirt or look through a telescope or a microscope and you’ll find good reasons for faith. That’s good, but agreeing with doctrines or being nice to the Supreme Being won’t make Him say, “Hey, let’s spend eternity together.”

I’ve noticed that God refuses to relate to anyone except on the basis of faith. He’s adamant about this, and no one’s ever been able to change His mind. In the past I tried to relate to God as one intellectual to another—debate our ideas, see what I could get away with. Guess how far that got? As far as the thick line of faith that God demanded I cross.

Faith, by definition, steps beyond rationality. Whether we call that step a “leap of faith” or a logical progression beyond reason into relationship, faith steps past the mind and into childlike trust. God insists and will have it no other way.

If you think about it, it makes sense. God is not negotiating business deals or debating in academic symposiums. He wants our lives. And in return, He gives us His.

PRAYER: Lord, Master of the Universe, You have given me countless reasons to believe, and I thank You for all You’ve shown me. I also affirm my pure and simple faith that goes beyond all the good reasons and into trusting you for who you are and how you love me.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).