Now Faith (Liz Morris)

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Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see…By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11:1-3

I love the above picture because our faith can often feel like we are in that little boat in that big storm. We are in circumstances that threaten to overwhelm us yet there is always hope - the light on the boat, the clouds beginning to part with the light coming through and despite the storm, a small flock of birds are soaring in the sky above.
Faith is a gift of the spirit (listed in 1 Corinthians 12) and I find it very reassuring that we can ask for faith and the spirit will give it to us. We can increase this gift and I find even just by reading today’s verses from Hebrews 11 helps to increase my faith. Reading on through the chapter, gives us a powerful list of testimonies of faithful acts within the stories of the bible to be encouraged by.
Jesus often talked about people’s faith, he would tell people by their faith they have been healed or he would ask his disciples where is your faith? And he says in Matthew 17:20 that if we had faith as small as a mustard seed we could move mountains! When the disciples found themselves in a boat in the middle of a storm Jesus was asleep! He was not afraid of the storm and when they reached out fearfully to wake Him, His response in Matthew 8:26 was ‘Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!’
Although Jesus had a perfect faith and did not fear, I think He knew exactly why his disciples were afraid, but during his time with them on earth, he used circumstances to teach them to find their faith. He knew He wouldn’t always be with them in physical form and that they would one day have to exercise their faith through the unseen just as we must learn to do in our life time.   
Let’s pray - Thank you Jesus that you are the author and perfecter of our faith. Thank you that if we ask for the gift of faith you will give it. Please use our faith as a testimony of your power to others and we ask that you give us a faith that will move mountains! Amen.
Liz Morris

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