Over time I’ve come to see faith and hope as being two sides of the same coin. Hope is the foundation that faith rests upon. Hope is the inner-seeing of a good outcome to whatever the situation may be. It puts the heart and mind on the same page and keeps all kinds of negative things at bay.
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1).
With faith, you have the answer in your heart as a present tense reality even though the outward appearance hasn’t changed.
Back in the late 1990s, I tried building a certain type of online business. The problem was, I really couldn’t see myself doing it clearly. You could say my hope level was semi-realistic to me. So I prayed and asked the Lord to help me while doing my best to make something that seemed to be “far away” a little bit closer.
All of this was motivated by Mark 11:24.
Mark 11:24
(24) Therefore I say to you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.
If you believe that you received – when you pray, Jesus said, “You will have it.”
It’s important to note that he didn’t say, “Believe you’re going to receive.” And that’s where most people (even people who understand this) miss it. They put the focus on the future, you will have it.
Another way to put it would be, you’ll get in the future what you already believe you have in the present.
When you really believe, you have assurance instead of worry. It’s as though you already have the outward thing. It’s as though you’re looking back on an event that’s already occurred. It would be a stretch to say, it’s as though you’ve already had the experience even though you haven’t.
That’s faith.
You haven’t seen God with your physical eyes or touched him with your physical hands… but it’s as though you have. That’s the kind of faith that doesn’t fall into the wavering trap of James talks about in his epistle
James 1:2-8
(2) My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations;
(3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.
(4) But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
(5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraides not; and it shall be given him.
(6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
(7) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
(8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Patience is believing that Matthew 7:8 works every time and that God can’t lie.
Always remember, the believing or the doubting that make or break you within any given situation is the belief or the doubt that resides in the heart, not the head.
Earlier in 2014, I had grows appear on my skin (twice). I was told I should have them looked at, but I decided to do what Jesus taught in Mark 11:24 instead. Not only did I do what he said in the 24th verse, I also spoke to them according the previous verse (verse 23). Because of the nature of the situation, my head presented me with arguments from one day to the next, why it “might not work.”
Instead of dwelling on those thoughts, I just told the Lord that my faith was in Him and no matter what happened next (visibly or experientially), I wasn’t going to get discouraged or start worrying. Within a week or so, these grows dried up and fell off. Underneath was new skin.
You may ask, “What would you have done if a month or two had gone by and the situation gotten worse?”
Honestly, I probably would have had to fight off doubts, concerns, etc. – just like it says to do in 1 Timothy.
1 Timothy 6:12
(12) Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Make no mistake about it, faith is a fight.
Sometime I use professional boxing as an example. A fight can end early with a single punch. Praying and believing God is like that. Some situation go down easily.
Sometimes fights go the distance and eventually, the ringside judges determine the winner. In our case, God himself will judge whether or not we put our trust in Him because He’s the only one that can see a person’s heart and knows for sure who are what they ultimately put their faith in.
James 1:12 (English Standard Version)
(12) Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
The visible results may not come overnight, but they will surely come if you continue believing and refuse to give up.
photo credit: Tony George via photopin cc