Faith is one of those things that challenges so many in their relationship with God. On more than one occasion my faith has been tested. My faith has been a challenge at times, and I am sure that is true for so many. But in all honesty what is faith really? The dictionary defines faith as complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Complete trust, isn’t that asking a lot? Well, isn’t that what we as Christians are called to do, to have faith? Place our complete trust in God? After all, hasn’t God shown us through His Word that we can trust Him completely.
God has supported us from the very beginning. Adam and Eve wanted for nothing before the fall from the Garden. We see God save Noah and his family because Noah had faith. Noah’s faith was so strong that he built a boat in the middle of a landlocked area. He trusted God completely. We see God bless Abraham on many occasions. The more faith, trust, Abraham put in God the more He blessed Abraham. These are just a few times God has shown that we can trust Him. He is consistent in blessing when we stand on our faith in Him.
The thing is we must take the first step. We must take the step into the unknown. Step out on faith and then wait. Wait. This is where most of us waver. Waiting is one of the challenges I spoke of earlier. I do not know about you but waiting has not always been one of my strengths. I remember one particularly challenging time I had waiting. Believing, trusting, that God would answer a prayer I had prayed with faith. I stepped out on faith and asked the same prayer Hannah prayed; God send me a child. I waited, I cried, I wavered, and I prayed some more. As time passed, I wondered if my faith not strong enough or maybe He had more pressing prayers to answer. I continued to wait but the waiting got harder and when I felt that just maybe this was a prayer that was not going to be answered, it happened.
After eight years of waiting, crying, doubting, then trusting He answered my prayer. In that moment I remembered how long Hannah waited and wanted year after year and her cries to God did not go unheard. And like Hannah, I had a beautiful healthy child I turned around and dedicated to God. Sometimes one of the hardest things to do is to have faith and then wait for God to move. God does not fail. That is the one thing we can always rely on, God’s faithfulness. His Word says He will never leave nor forsake us.
The question then is if He can be faithful to us why can we not be faithful to Him? I know that waiting is not easy but if you step back and stop focusing on what you have asked for and look at what has already been given the waiting does get easier. It gets easier because when you are looking at the blessing that have already been bestowed upon you, you know more blessing will come if you take a deep breath and just have faith. Remember with each blessing your faith grows and as your faith grows it gets easier to trust that what we ask for will come. If I have learned anything at all about my faith it is that if I stop and look at who God is in my life, I can trust He is there always watching over me and that the blessings He has showered me with are just a stepping stone to the next step I will take as I trust in His hand in my life. And each day my faith grows as I thank Him daily for the little blessing I see in my life.
Stay the course as that is what faith is all about. Stay trusting that God will always be there. Sometimes you will see His hand in things and other times you will have to wait for Him to reveal what He has for you. What He has for you will come, and at times when you least expect it. All you need is faith the size of a mustard seed, let it stay planted in God and watch it grow.
Yvette Asplund gave her life to God and was Baptized in April of 1999 and strives to continue to grow in her relationship with Him.