Faith is the basis of our spiritual journey with God. As a child we have a somewhat simple belief system. We tend to trust more easily and believe more freely. We do not have, or at least should not have, a lot of burdens as we rely on our parents to meet our needs. As we get older, we mature in life and have more responsibilities. Many of us may be parents ourselves now, so we need to provide for our family, and we can be faced with various challenges as we walk through life.
There may be times where life’s pressures want to weigh us down and worry and pain and struggle want to make us start doubting in God.
Yet our heavenly father asks us to trust in him and come to him as little children.
Jesus said in Matthew chapter 18 verse three
‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’
He wants us to place our burdens down.
Matthew chapter 11 verse eight says
‘Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest.’
This requires us to trust and believe. This requires us to have and exercise faith.
Faith: My word for 2021
Every year I choose a word for the year. This year my word is ‘faith’.
I have felt God prompting me to deepen my faith, in his promises and in his ways and in his word. Even if I cannot see it in the natural yet, I choose to believe in Him and trust that in his timing the visions and God-given dreams he has placed in my heart, will come to pass.
The well- known scripture of the definition of faith is found in Hebrews chapter 11 verse one. I have included the scripture in three different versions.
‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ NKJV
‘Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.’ TPT
‘The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.’ MSG
We need faith to bring what is hoped for into reality. It requires deep trust and child-like faith.
Further in Hebrews chapter 11 verse six we read,
‘But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.’
At times we may wrestle with our faith, with our beliefs, with believing his promises will come to pass. We may have periods of doubt and wonder if we have heard God correctly.
I have found to combat these thoughts and feelings I need to prioritise spending time alone with God and filling my mind on the truths in his word. There is a real enemy who does not want God’s children realising who they are and all they have in him.
I know I need to be careful what thoughts I am thinking and believing and what words I am speaking. Am I speaking faith-filled words, or am I only trusting in what I can see?
I pray this year brings you a greater measure of faith and hope in God.
Jo Fuller lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast with her husband, son and daughter. Jo is a teacher with an education in journalism and early childhood who loves to spend time with her family and enjoys reading and writing whenever she can.