Few really believe. The most only believe that they believe… —John Lancaster Spalding
I love learning about faith from people like Abraham and Sarah, because sometimes words like belief and faith imply that we’re supposed to ignore the obvious and deny reality. Belief doesn’t ignore the facts; it faces the facts and then applies faith.
Belief is candid about perplexing problems.
Abraham was very objective about his problem. He assessed the situation for what it was:
Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. (Romans 4:19)
As we go through life, our hopes and dreams are often shattered, like fine china falling against cold concrete. What a difference it makes when we face those bitter realities head-on. Instead of disintegrating under the stress, we can apply accurate biblical truth to the situation. God’s Word gives us the perspective that we need to put the facts in their place so that we can respond in faith to what God says is true.
Holy Spirit, I don’t want to just say I believe something when I really don’t. And I don’t want my belief to become some sort of blind faith where I lose connection with reality. But I do want my belief in what’s true about You to be the most important factor in my life. Thank You for giving me that kind of faith! Amen.