More precious than gold

Faith is a curious thing.

It is supposed to be the word that explains the believer's utter confidence in God, believing in His Word and promises despite tribulations sweeping in from all sides.

Funny then, that sometimes I have faith in my faith instead of having faith in God. Faith becomes the focus. God is out of the picture. If I just believe enough, things will turn out okay. If I am simply sufficiently confident, God will hear me. I focus on what I must do, rather than what God has done. I see my present instead of His past.

Faith doesn't look at itself. It looks at Jesus. I am weak. I doubt. I am often not at all confident. Faith means saying, "Jesus has promised me eternal salvation. He has promised that no one will snatch me out of His or the Father's hand. He has redeemed me." Faith isn't about merely being confident; it's about being confident that Jesus is mighty to save. That's why I believe faith is a gift of God. I can't muster up faith. It is given and grown in me because God keeps His promises. He has never failed me, even in all my distress. My doubts and weaknesses are not a result of His failure to accomplish His purposes, but my failure to remind myself of His consistent grace.

"'At first sight,' says Goldingay, 'the belief that God is behind the trouble that comes to us is a frightening doctrine: what kind of a God is this, whose purpose includes so much distress? But the alternative-a God whose purpose is continually being frustrated by evil-is even more frightening. Better a God whose mystery we cannot understand (but who has given us grounds for trusting when we cannot understand) than one whose adequacy we cannot rely on, or whose interest we cannot be sure of.'' (Quoted by Sam Storms in More Precious Than Gold: 50 Daily Meditations on the Psalms)