And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
There comes a time in each of our lives when we need to find our own faith. We cannot cram a belief system down our children’s throats and expect them to swallow it—at least not for long. This was one theme I weaved into Providence, and it was based loosely on my own come-to-Jesus’ experience.
This was true for Jesus’ disciples. They walked with Him for three years, took part in His miracles, and were first-hand hearers of the Word. But when Jesus was crucified, panic set in because they didn’t understand the truth He’d told them early on. Everything they had learned and believed about the Messiah dissipated like an early-morning fog. Where was their faith?
It was a roomful of frightened young men Jesus met in the upper room in Luke 24:37. Until that time, they had not experienced the resurrected Christ. They knew Jesus, but they did not know the risen Lord. It amazes me how God used these ragamuffin young men to spread the gospel throughout the world. But they were able to do nothing in their own strength. It was only through the working of the Holy Spirit, and their dependence on Him, that they could answer the call put on their lives.
When we’re raised in the church, we may have a propensity to trust in the faith of our parents without experiencing the resurrected Christ for ourselves. I met Him at the lowest point in my life at the age of 43. Although I’d spent my entire life in church, I had never opened the Bible, and the only scripture I knew were those the priest read from the pulpit on Sunday mornings. It was that bleak February night when I dropped to my knees, confessed my sins, and asked Jesus to be my Lord that everything changed.
Melissa Bainbridge meets the resurrected Christ at the lowest point in her life, too. “Where’s God in all of this? I can’t feel Him. It had been Trevor who walked in faith—and I went along for the ride. It was so easy to follow his lead, to nestle in the comfort of his protection.” (Providence) Can’t that be said of many of us?
Why does it often take the bleakest seasons to reach out to our merciful Savior? When life is easy, we tend to forget Who is at the helm—we don’t want to rock the metaphorical boat. Although I’d felt the Lord wooing me into His arms, I feared what would be required of me. Would He ask more of me than I was able to give? I felt as if I was stretched wire-thin, and relationships take effort and time. None more so than one with God.
Thirteen-year-old Emily Bainbridge was disappointed when she learned this from the wise and elderly Mr. Bantarri, a former teacher of her deceased father’s. “You can’t have someone else’s faith, young lady. Everyone has to find their own, and the first step is learning what the Bible says.” (Providence) Poor Emily. She was just looking for easy answers.
At the same time, Melissa was getting similar advice from her pastor. “You have to find your own way. You can’t depend on the faith of others to get you through. And once you find it, nurture it, build on it, then you gain the strength behind it. Philippians 4:13 says ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ True strength comes from God.” (Providence)
We are called children of the Most High God. What an honor and a responsibility. Have you seen the resurrected Christ for yourself? If not, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33
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Comments 1
Thank you. These words can never be said enough.