Are you an, "I'll believe it when I see it type of person?" If so, you're not alone. In fact, the "seeing is believing" idiom has been a standard of our English vocabulary for more than 400 years. How is it that one simple, three-word phrase could last throughout the ages and engender such widespread use, you ask? As I pondered that thought, myself, I couldn't help but think about the need for "concrete evidence" that seems to under-gird the human nature of all mankind.
But, then...I thought about the vast contrast of this phrase with our Christian nature. As Believer's, it's not what we see, but rather what we believe that drives our faith and establishes our footsteps in Christ.
Just think, at the age of 75, Abraham (originally known as Abram) packed up "lock, stock and barrel" and headed to a place that he had likely heard of, but never seen. Why, because he believed the promises of God.
"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." ~Genesis 12:2-3
As a result of his faith and obedience to God, we know that, indeed, every one of these promises was fulfilled throughout Abraham's life!
And, like Abraham, the ministry of Family of Believers was birthed, not because of anything that we physically saw, but solely because of what we believed. We believed God when He said in His word "forsake not the assembly of the saints (Heb. 10:25)." We trusted Him fully when He said to us, "I will give you shepherds after my own heart (Jer. 3:15)." And as we continue to seek His face each day, He continues to "order our steps (Ps. 119:33) and "make all grace abound in our lives (II Cor. 9:8)" in every single area of this ministry.
It worked for Abraham and here, at Family of Believers, God's word is still working for us. Why? Because, as Christians, if we want our lives to be prosperous and richly blessed, we must dare to take God at His word. We must be willing to move in the direction that He guides us, even when that direction goes against our better wishes and diverges vastly from all human logic.
Is God calling you to a career move that doesn't make sense? Is He prodding you to sacrifice your gifts and talents to a venture that's not too keenly appealing? Have you found yourself in a place that feels hopeless, dry and barren, and are you looking for a way out? If you answered, "yes," to any of these questions, try answering, "yes" to this one: WILL YOU TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD?
Remember...your blessings won't come as a result of what you see, but rather what you have the faith to believe.
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