Daily Light - January 1, 2011

Daily Light from the Lighthouse
40 Days of Faith

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen."

Hebrews 11:1

It is often said that seeing is believing, but in the realm of faith it is just the opposite: believing is seeing. The word "faith" has come to mean many things over time. We often use the word to describe someone's religion. In fact, it does take faith to believe the teachings of any religion, especially when it comes to the deity of that religion. Faith is often defined as a simple trust that is placed in someone or something. It is a little different than this though, because we often place trust in someone based on their skills, talents, or past performances. To define faith we must come to the root of faith.
Faith is only as good as what you place your faith in. If you place your faith completely in man, you may succeed for a while but eventually disappointment will come because man is flawed by nature. Perhaps you choose to place your faith in religion. Religion in its basic sense is a man-made set of regulation, rules, and traditions whereby you can draw closer to God. Once again, our faith has been placed in the opinions and teachings of man, and man has no divinity which can help you rise above earthly and moral righteousness.
It is clear from Scripture that our faith must be placed in God and Him alone. We must be clear what we mean by God. Our faith is in the God of the Bible that has ruled and reigned over principalities, powers, and humanism for all of eternity. Our faith is given the tangible source of hope through Jesus Christ. He said in His Word: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." This is the well of faith whereby we draw water that springs up into us everlasting life. You cannot be moral enough or perform enough religious rituals in order to be right with a holy God. You must come to Him by faith in the fact that what He says is true and that what He offers is all you need.
Faith is not getting what you are looking for. It is instead the realization that what you have placed your faith in will supply what you are looking for. It is a confidence that is placed not in what is supplied but in the Supplier. Faith does not wait to see; instead faith sees while it waits.
May you live by faith in the Almighty today!