Have faith in God. Mark 11:22
He alone is my rock and my salvation. Psalm 62:2
Faith. It’s what you trust, believe in, put your full confidence in, and your hope. But it’s not enough to say to someone, “Have faith,” as if it were a ‘good luck’ wish. Faith can be misplaced in a lot of things. We could have faith in cramming for a test, but it is an unlikely strategy for success. We can put our faith in healthy living but it alone does not prevent cancer. We can put our faith in fetishes, statues, and icons, but with what tongues would they speak to us? We can put faith in karma, that what goes around also comes around. That reminds me of the man and wife and went to heaven. Standing before the Pearly Gates she says to him, “George, whatever you do, don’t insist on getting everything you deserve!”
But wait. Jesus said that if we had even a tiny amount of faith we could move mountains. Because of the centurion’s faith a child was healed. By faith a blind man’s sight was restored. By faith we are saved, not by works. There is a difference between putting our faith in people, things, or empty ‘religions’ and putting our faith in God. Jesus said, “Have faith in God.”
Doesn’t having faith in God mean you get what you want, like that verse that says He will give you the desires of your heart? Can’t we just gather 2 or 3 people together, add “in the name of Jesus” at the end of our prayer with confidence we will get exactly what we asked for? Not quite. Even a child learns that saying ‘please and thank you’ are not always the ‘magic’ words.
Having faith in God means having confidence in who He is, that He will always be true to His character. It means trusting Him completely. (It’s not saying, “God I trust you, but in case things don’t work out the way I like, I’m keeping my back-up plan.”) It means agreeing with the psalmist who wrote, “(God) alone is my rock and my salvation.” In the movie The Mummy, the weasel-like character Beni tries to placate the resurrected Egyptian Imhotep with all kinds of talismans, hoping one might work. It’s like the actress who described her faith as, “A bit from Christianity, a little from Buddhism, and some New Age thinking,” as if faith works like a buffet line at the local restaurant. We scoff at such foolishness but I wonder, don’t we often put the ‘gods’ of wealth, work, family, and our natural abilities to succeed above the One and only true God?
By faith in God we understand, persevere, overcome, and rejoice. By faith all things are possible, not easy, but possible. Have faith in God. Even a small faith, when nurtured grows to maturity.
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Mark 9:23