Faith is....

Lately I have been really leaning on my faith and trust in my Almighty God and Father. I wanted to share what Faith to me is. Then also follow up with what the Bible says about Faith.

Faith to me is many things. As a child faith can be real simple. Children by nature are really trusting. That is until they feel uncertain or let down by their trust in something or someone. I believe our Faith matures and we grow in Faith towards God and Jesus due to our situations, trials and struggles we face.

By God's design Faith is suppose to increase and lead us to a stronger more developed relationship with HIM. Often though situations, trials and struggles may do the opposite. I have known and seen how trials and struggles have lead people away from God and decreased their Faith. More often they have allowed their Faith to be stolen or lost among the troubles of this life.

Sadly this is a common response to the trials we face. Instead of building up our Faith the trials tear our faith and families apart. We allow our trials to become bigger than our God. Especially in today's uncertain economic crisis we focus on our problems or solutions to our problems than focusing on our God who by Faith in HIM gives us all the hope we need in dealing with our problems.

I personally believe that our struggles are meant to get us off of our selves and problems and on the only one solution to them, God. I know that our human minds believe that we are in control of our lives. Not so. In fact, that thought could not be any further from the truth. What needs to be our reaction, or my reaction to my latest trial? It is to raise my head, raise my hands focus on God and praise and Thank him for his ever constant care and watchfulness.

God is so wonderful. In our sorrow we need to recognize how his merciful hand reaches down toward us and protects us in many ways we can not see. I am trying to focus on God and not on my own sadness. Something I have to remember is, that in my sadness God is here with me.

Faith is :
Believing with out seeing.
Hopeful.
Trusting in God.
Not having all the answers, but believing God is more than able.
Knowing the one who gives Peace eternal.
Not fearful.
Calming.
Everything pertaining to Eternal Life.

Here are just a few scriptures to encourage your Faith in Jesus.

HABAKKUK 2:4
See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright- but the righteous will live by his faith.

MATHEW 9:22
Jesus turned and saw her, "Take heart, daughter," he said " your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.

MATHEW 17:20
He replied, " Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard see, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.
2 CORINTHIANS 1:24b
because it is by faith you stand firm.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:7
We live by faith, not by sight.

GALATIANS 3:11
Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, b/c "The righteous will live by faith."

HEBREWS 10:38
But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.

HEBREWS 11:1 (The whole chapter is great)
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

HEBREWS 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, b/c anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that be rewards those who earnestly seek him.

2 TIMOTHY 4;7
I have fought the goon fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

JAMES 2:26
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

May be you have a favorite Faith verse. I would love to hear it. May be you could share that verse with someone who you know is struggling with a difficult problem. What they need is Faith in God and not in themselves that will provide them with eternal peace. See that it is eternal peace, not an instant peace. Through time and Faith peace can come instantly. All due to our Faith and walk with Jesus.