The Reality of Faith

 I have been so preoccupied with lately, that I have neglected important things, like writing my meditations on the Word.  That is shameful and I pray the Holy Spirit will put me back on my path to rectify my detours.  This morning, He led me to these electronic pages first before starting my hectic day, and He prompted me to type my musings on what I read about faith in today´s post of My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.  Here's the part that spoke to me most in today's entry:

For every detail of common sense in life, there is a truth God has revealed by which we can prove in our practical experience what we believe God to be. Faith is a tremendously active principle that always puts Jesus Christ first. The life of faith says, “Lord, You have said it, it appears to be irrational, but I’m going to step out boldly, trusting in Your Word” (for example, see Matthew 6:33). Turning intellectual faith into our personal possession is always a fight, not just sometimes. God brings us into particular circumstances to educate our faith, because the nature of faith is to make the object of our faith very real to us. Until we know Jesus, God is merely a concept, and we can’t have faith in Him. But once we hear Jesus say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9) we immediately have something that is real, and our faith is limitless. Faith is the entire person in the right relationship with God through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

"The nature of faith is to make the object of our faith very real to us." I love this statement.  It articulates our situation perfectly!  That is exactly what Hebrews 11:1 is all about: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

We hope to see the reality of the Almighty.  We want to be convinced and convince others of the truth even when it is not seen.  And faith is what allows us to do that.  And Jesus is at the center of this process.  "Until we know Jesus, God is merely a concept..." God is too abstract...not tangible.  He becomes "real" in the person of Jesus, and it is not until we know Him...until He calls us and we hear His voice that our faith explodes.  

Very recently I tried to share this ideas with someone who is looking for answers in all the wrong places, but I don't think I did a good job.  I think I fell short.  I was trying to "make it real" for her by explaining some of my life experiences and how the only way I have been able to get through them is because of my faith...but I didn't get all the way to Jesus.  I stopped at God...

It's funny how we think that "God" is not as offensive as Jesus.  Often, at least it happens to me often, I tend to believe that people won't reject what I'm saying if I leave it at the generic "God" level without going deeper and bringing Jesus in.  And it is because Jesus makes it too real and people can't handle it.  Jesus is a person who walked on this earth, ate, drank, slept, spoke, touched...He is way too on our face.  He is too much inside our realm.  God is up there...distant...caught up between fantasy land and a dream-like state.  Jesus can slap you on your face and you'd feel it.  Jesus overturned tables, and cried and yelled.  God is more like this ethereal, shapeless being that is easier to dismiss.  Jesus' words and actions are all too "real" and can't be easily dismissed.

I feel bad I did not take the one step further to say that the reason for my faith is Jesus.  But I also trust His wisdom and His guidance.  I have faith that He directs my path and that He is My Lord and as such, He leads me to where He wants me.  

I pray that I can be bolder when the time comes to share the object of my faith, and that I communicate how My God is Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  In the precious name of Jesus.  Amen!