Jesus paid attention to faith. When a Roman soldier, who had only third-hand knowledge of Jesus, believed that Jesus could heal his sick servant by just saying the word, Jesus was “amazed.” Luke 7. On the other hand, when the people who knew Him from childhood were offended by his teaching, He was amazed at their unbelief. Mark 6:6
Normally natural faith is a function of our experiences. Over time, we build our faith based on the actions of our faith object. When a friend seems to always be there in a time of need, we become confident that history will be repeated. Yet sometimes, that friend isn’t there when we feel we need a friend the most. When we put our full weight on steps going into our home for years, we develop a belief, a faith, that those steps will hold firm every time we enter. That’s usually true, but there are rot and decay. It’s possible, at some time least expected, our faith will prove to be unfounded and serious injury could follow.
You would think after 70 years of God being there when I need Him, of His guiding light on treacherous paths, of His constant presence in valleys and on mountains, you would think I would have “faith” in His future faithfulness. Sadly, not necessarily. You might think that based on my unfaithfulness, God would leave me to my own devices. Gloriously, not so.
Faith is a gift from a loving God. Christians need to understand they have done nothing to earn faith, it’s only because of what Christ did on the cross that God gives anyone faith. Faith in Christ is given because of God’s grace, not based on anything the gifted has done. Faith is not the product of a preacher’s compelling presentation, his eloquence, or even his theological soundness—faith is given through the message about Jesus, not the skill of the messenger.
Faith is a gift gracefully and amazingly given. Thank you, Lord.
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