Faith Shembull

Day 6 – Faith, eyes fixed on the invisible

Faith is having our eyes fixed on the invisible in order to make things become a reality...

REFLECTIONS:

Read Hebrew 11:1 and 13 and take a moment to answer the following questions:

➤ Give your own definition of what faith is.

➤ In your opinion, what difference is there between faith and hope? What does verse 13 of Hebrews 11 inspire in you?

CONTENT:

To have faith is to know how to keep your head in heaven whilst keeping your feet solidly planted on Earth. It is the partnership to which we are called to live with God, knowing how to recognise what God is in the process of doing in order to make it visible and real in our world. It is what Jesus did all throughout His ministry on Earth. He clearly affirmed it when He said in John 5:19, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” For us today, having faith is keeping our eyes fixed upon Jesus in order to do what He does…

Faith is often compared to belief or hope, which isn’t the case. And the definition that Hebrews 11:1 gives us is very clear; faith is the demonstration of things that we cannot see. Hope leaves a door open to uncertainty while faith is an assurance and never fails. Faith knows who God is, what He does, and this allows us to put everything into action so that all can see Him… You see, we live in a world that relies heavily upon what people can see. You have surely heard this kind of phrase; “I’ll believe it when I see it”. The world needs to see and experience the power of God’s love in action. It is for this reason that Jesus’ ministry was marked by so many miracles and that we are called so that the same can be true today (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:20). Let us be these people of faith who believe in God and who are not happy to only talk about God, but also reveal His love and power to our world, to make disciples of all nations.

To do this, we need to invest time to simply seek out His presence. It’s what Jesus did during His earthly ministry. Look at the number of times where the Gospels talk about Jesus’ prayer life… There is no shortcut to seeing in the invisible what God does because it is revelations given to us by the Holy Spirit. And so it is that we will have to face up to a certain opposition and it’s normal. In fact, it isn’t a problem. Opposition doesn’t occur when we have made a mistake. On the contrary, it is often a clue that we are headed in the right direction… And so, Jesus often had to face criticism and mockery from those who didn’t believe, for example when Jesus came to bring Jairus’ daughter back to life (cf. Mark 5:40).

We cannot ask those who do not see what God does to understand. It is for this reason that faith often upsets. It comes to reveal not only unbelief, but it also generates fear, while also revealing the status quo of our lives… If you have faith, it is quite normal that you will have to face criticism, lack of comprehension, or judgement, starting sometimes with those who are closest to you. Ensure that you stay close to God and keep your eyes fixed upon Him because He is the author of your faith, and He is your support amidst adversity (cf. Hebrews 12:2). Then declare what God says and does, without letting yourself be intimidated or blocked by ambient unbelief…

God has envisaged that we are His Church, so let us be those who do not submit to history, but instead write it. We have the honour and the responsibility of bringing what is still invisible, hidden in God’s heart, to the visible, tangible for everyone. And so, the glory and the triumph of God will be manifested for all. It is about knowing how to make heaven our reference, not to wait to experience it for eternity, but so that it becomes a reality here and now, just as Jesus asked us to in Matthew 6:10. Let us, therefore, make this verse our daily prayer. Let us develop our eyes so that we can see into the invisible and be able to act in such a way that it becomes a reality in our daily lives… It’s the moment to engage or to re-engage yourself to be a man or woman who writes His story in the midst of your generation. To do this, keep your eyes fixed upon Him.

MY DECISION:

➤ What I have understood for my personal life:

➤ What I am deciding to do in my life based on what I have just learned:

➤ What you decide today determines who and what you will be tomorrow!

Adapted from "un disciple en marche" copyright 2018 by Luc Favre, published by Vie Victorieuse. All rights reserved.