Am I Still A Woman Of Faith?

And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.  Genesis 15:6  ESV

Abraham believed God for what he didn’t have (an heir and descendants), and for what he could never have without God making it happen.  That was called faith. God was so overjoyed by Abram’s faith that he declared him righteous on the spot.  God made it as though Abram lived on the other side of the cross, already wearing Christ’s righteousness.  Only Abram in all of history, prior to the death of Christ, was justified and declared righteous.  The rest of God’s followers made continual sacrifices to cover their sins, but their sins weren’t taken away for another thousand years.

This tells me, through story form, how much God prizes faith.  Am I believing God today for something I don’t have, for something I could never have without a gift from God’s hand?  Have I put everything on the line – waiting for God to move?  That is how faith looks. 

When I embraced Jesus as my Savior, I believed that He would forgive me and adopt me as His own.  These were things I couldn’t earn nor accomplish in any way for myself.  I laid everything on the line for what God promised to do for me.  That was my first great act of faith.  But my life is to be marked by daily acts of faith.  It’s tragic when I enter the kingdom by faith only to live the rest of my life attempting to control things.  I miss out on the miracles and the amazement!

In the mid-90s, I put everything on the line.  Many things crumbled all around me.  I could have shut down, curled up in a ball, decided to live with a deadened heart, or I could decide to cast my life upon Jesus and cry out for what I would never have without His intervention.  I’m so glad I made the third choice.

I look again at my life this morning.  I examine what appears hopeless, where I believe nothing can ever change.  This is where faith can be born.  I take my unbelief, speak God’s words over my dark thoughts, and cast all my hopes on Christ. 

Faith is not rational.  It appears ludicrous to anyone watching.  That’s okay, Jesus.  Faith is a supernatural thing, fed on the diet of Your Word and the breath of Your Spirit.  Amen