faith2Do you only believe what you see? What you hear? Touch? Smell? God gave us our senses to enjoy our physical world, but do we trust in them so exclusively that we lose our faith?

In Hebrews 11:1 Paul writes “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” If you can see it, control it, shape it, manipulate it, where is faith? Is that not working in your own strength? Great faith just believes! The woman with the bleeding disorder knew that Jesus could heal her – “only if she could just touch the hem of His robe.” (Matt 9:20) Her faith was so strong it drew power from Christ upon her touch. (Mark 5:30) Moreover, Jesus praises a Roman centurion’s faith for “just believing.” He didn’t need Jesus’ touch, or Jesus’ physical presence to know that Christ could heal. He just needed Jesus’ word. (Matt 8:8) Is His word enough for you?

I believe faith is best exercised and tested through the “Waiting Room.” There, we lift up our praises and petitions and wait for God to respond. It may be through a time of suffering or a time of rejoicing, but it is in the Waiting Room where we have no strength of our own, no control over our circumstances, no way of knowing the outcome good or bad. We just believe God is in control and He will handle it. The woman needed healing for herself, the centurion desired it for someone else, both were immediately healed by the measure of their faith in Christ.

Praise God for answered prayer! His way, timing and will are perfect. We are selfish by nature. We want to control the outcome of our prayers, based on what we know of good, not Who is “good.” Nothing this side of God’s glory is perfect. Down here the grass dies on both sides of the fence. (Warren Barfield) If you want to have great faith, pray for it and enjoy the wait.