Faith is Believing, not Seeing!

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going."
Hebrews 11:8

There is a common assumption among Christians today that we need to have all the answers before we can interact properly with skeptics of faith.  Many will intentionally avoid discussing their faith because of their lack of knowledge.  The fact remains that if you have Christ you can share Christ.  We live in a day when education and knowledge are glorified like never before.  The trouble is, the Christian walk is does not hinge upon knowledge, but faith.  Our faith is according to knowledge, but true faith trumps facts every time.

Abraham is a case in point:  by faith he obeyed God.  The scriptures say in Genesis 12:1, "Now the Lord had said to Abram:  "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you."  Abraham didn't know all of the facts.  He didn't know where he was going or how the pieces of his life would fall into place.  He didn't know how he would water his flocks or if there were unseen dangers in the wilderness.  But all the things Abraham did not know was overshadowed by what he did know:  He knew God, and he heard God's command.  Based on his faith in God he obeyed Him.

In my current situation, this is a great encouragement to me.  Since I made the call upon my life in Australia known to people, I have been asked all kinds of questions I still have no answers for.  People desire dates, particulars, a schedule, how I will afford the move, how I will obtain a proper visa, if I have considered homeschooling, will I sell my house, on and on and on!  I have been faced with well-meaning comments like, "If you want people to support you with prayer and finances, you need to give them more information."  I have no idea how anything will be worked out in the end, even today.  But I know the One whom Abraham trusted and obeyed:  I know God, and I have heard the call to Australia.  God is worthy of all glory, honor, trust, and obedience.

I do not see it as any less than a divine miracle by God's grace that man can know God.  His ways "are past finding out," but He has revealed Himself to us through the beauty and order in nature, the testimony of our conscience, His infallible Word, the Law and the Prophets, Jesus Christ and His fulfillment of scripture, His love, teachings, sinless life, crucifixion, resurrection from the dead, and ascension, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit.  Because our God supplies all our needs, Jesus says in Matthew 6:25:  "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"  Life is more than food and clothing, but often we reduce it to that level:  physical needs and physical comfort.

God supplied the needs of the apostle Paul through his trade as a tent-maker and the contributions of the saints.  But to say that Paul received physical comfort in this life would be a bold-faced lie, seeing he was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead, falsely accused, and his life was often threatened.  He ended up dying for his faith in Christ.  He writes to Timothy and us in 2 Tim. 1:8-12:  "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, [9] who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, [10] but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, [11] to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. [12] For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day."  Paul entreats us to share in suffering for the sake of the Gospel according to the life God has graciously granted us.  Paul knew whom he believed (God), and was persuaded that God had redeemed him from death and would keep him.  Paul didn't know all the facts.  But he knew God and that what God promises He is able to perform.

My temptation is to be in a hurry to have details concerning a visa or employment worked out and in so doing step out of the will of God.  Did you know Moses knew God had called him to deliver the children of Israel before the burning bush?  Acts 7:23-25 tells us, "Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. [24] And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. [25] For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand."  Moses would flee from Egypt and spend 40 years tending his father-in-law's sheep.  Then the Lord spoke to him through the burning bush and called him to return to Egypt for the purpose of delivering God's people.  Moses tried to help out in his own way by killing the Egyptian.  He tried to force things.  God needed to get the glory for the deliverance of the Israelites as a testimony for all nations of His power and might, not Moses.  God humbled Moses and granted him meekness for the task He had appointed for Him.

Joseph was another that God visited at a young age with dreams of being a great ruler.  He was hated by his brothers and sold into slavery.  He went from being the most loved of his father to being a slave in the house of Potiphar.  He was accused of rape and sent to prison.  During that time by God's wisdom he made known the dreams of two men which both came true.  Though Joseph asked the butler to remember him and help him be delivered from prison, he was forgotten entirely for two years.  A day came when Pharaoh had a dream and it occurred to the butler that Joseph could interpret dreams through the power of God.  Joseph was whisked out of prison, washed, dressed in proper clothes, and made his appearance before the ruler of all Egypt.  After interpreting Pharaoh's dream, he was promoted to second in command in all Egypt.  I'm sure this was not the way Joseph would have figured the dreams God gave him in his childhood would be worked out.  He knew God was faithful and that His plan was perfect.

Whether because of your life right now or the uncertain days in which we live, now is the time to place our faith in God and His plan.  It is not about my life, but about God receiving the glory, honor, and praise He deserves from this breath.  Only God could make such a conversion!  I still do not know the times or seasons which God has in His own power, but I want to be obedient.  I know God, and I know what He has said.  He will never leave me or forsake me.  Don't be deceived to think you must have all the facts in order before you proceed.  Trust God, for His is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask or think that His name would be lifted up throughout the earth.  Where you are going is not as important as who you follow, for God will lead the way.