"Certain of What We Do Not See:" Hebrews 11:1

Faith: a precious, undeserved, and completely free gift, yet it is something I struggle with, a LOT.  Especially these last few days, for reasons that don't need to be shared publicly.  Suffice it to say that I have been worrying about the future, doubting in God's providence, struggling to understand how he will take care of me, of us, and in short: I have been focused on myself and my little struggles and worries instead of on GOD and how big, powerful, all-knowing and compassionate he is.

He has been sending messages my way a lot lately, through my mom and some other women I don't even know yesterday, and today in church and again through my amazing mother.

The hymns we sang in church today were "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" (he hears my prayers, I can go to him and he is always there for me, no matter what), "Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us" (God cares for my every need, I am his, and he will guide my life), "Children of the Heavenly Father" (I am his child, he protects me from all harm, nothing will separate me from his love), and most encouraging of all, "We Walk By Faith and Not By Sight."  God is always near us, we can rejoice in his promise that he is always there, and we have nothing to fear in this life because we will spend eternity with him.

Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  My mom sent me an email this morning that also included 2 Corinthians 4:18: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Today's epistle spoke to me, too, from 1 Corinthians: "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong...He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption." (1:25-26, 30)

I am very often foolish, weak in faith and body. But God is wiser and stronger in his foolishness and weakness than I am ever wise or strong. He gives me strength to have faith- to be sure of what I hope for, certain of what I do not, what I cannot, see. He knows my future. And he holds it in his hands. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'" (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

God has good plans for my future, plans to give me hope! He is there when I seek him, there when I don't, always hearing my prayers, even if I can't feel him.

Faith isn't about feeling. Faith is resting in the knowledge that God is God and I am not, and that is how it is supposed to be. God is there, God is real, God is in control, even when I can't see where my life is going. God loves me and forgives me and blesses me even when I fall away from him and struggle to trust in him. This is grace!

So. Today, I am going to be sure of what I hope for, and certain of what I cannot see.