Saying “Just believe” is kinda like saying, “Just do
it.” A simple concept that can be a challenge to live out.
Paul clearly states in Romans that it is with our hearts
that we believe (10:10). And if we are
to have believing hearts, our hearts must be in good shape. I don’t mean we need to be able to run a
marathon, at least not in the physical sense.
No, instead we must be prepared to run the race to which the Lord calls
us, the race toward a believing heart, a life of faith and abundance lived for
and toward Him.
“But one thing I do forgetting what
lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the
goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward”
(Philippians 3:13-14).
When our hearts are attacked, as is bound to happen in this
fallen world, our belief can wane. Who
can we trust? In whom can we
believe? Where do we go from here? Where do we find God when He seems so
distant, when He seems so hidden? The
answer is in Him, that is, in His Presence and His Word. And sometimes I have found that I simply need
to turn around to be able to see Him.
Can we believe when we cannot see?
Will we just believe?
“If God is for us who can ever be
against us? He who did not spare His own
Son, but delivered Him up for us all. How shall He not with Him also freely
give all things?” (Romans 8:31-32).
Like when little Virginia’s friends told her there was no
Santa Claus, so often we are told that there is no beauty in this world, no
need for fantasy or dreams, no room for faith.
A crushing, it seems, of the spirit, the soul and a heart to
believe. This is more than sad; it is
devastating.
When Billy Graham was a young man, he, too, had a crisis of
faith. It came on the verge of the
conference that launched his ministry into what it is today. He questioned God and spent weeks examining
himself and God’s Word. Finally, in a
back alley, Bible in hand, he declared to God that he believed every word in
that book was true. He just
believed. It was a decision based on
faith, not emotion.
Emotions are shifting sands.
And if we give them sway, they will toss us about like a limp rag. They distract our eyes from the goal. Like when Peter saw Jesus walking on the
water. He had asked the Lord to call him
to Himself. That’s faith. And when the Lord called, Peter stepped out
of the boat, onto crashing waves – bold, brash and confident in God. Peter went out to meet Jesus, actually
walking on water himself. How cool would
that be! Great stuff. But he was sidetracked by the wind and the
waves. Now not to belittle Peter or his
concerns. This particular body of water
was known for sudden squalls that claimed boats and the lives of many a sailor. This was no spritz of rain; this was a
storm. And being a fisherman, Peter knew
the dangers. So here he had been
faith-filled, was walking on water straight toward the Savior Himself, then, he
crashed, so to speak. Focusing on the
wind, fear crept in and began to take over.
Peter took his eyes off Christ, and he began to sink into the
waves. Yikes!
Marilyn Meberg from Women of Faith says that “emotions don’t
have brains.” That’s for certain. There is no clear thinking, only panic. And with panic comes foolishness. As we see here with Peter, no focus on Christ
equals zero stability. It is only when
we remain squarely focused on Christ, firmly anchored in Him as our foundation
that we can stand firm. Sometimes our
emotions don’t sway us toward Christ or believing what He and His Word say to
be true. When they bend toward the
destructive, we must say no to the emotions like fear, anger, insecurity,
feelings of worthlessness, etc. It is in
these moments that we must choose
faith, that we must believe.
So what happened? At
the end of this episode on the water, Peter calls to Jesus to save him, and He
does. So yes, for a moment, Peter took
his eyes off the goal. But he chose to
call out to the only One who could save him.
Thankfully, our God is still in the business of saving us when we call,
whether it is to cross the street, drive the kids across town or embark on a
missionary journey to Africa. He is
there. Christ is in our midst, and He is
ready. Christ is the foundation, and our
faith is in Him. Then, we can just
believe because His Word says so, not because we feel it.
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand.
