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DESPERATE FAITH - PART 1 - WHAT IS FAITH?

by Jerry Ousley  
8/02/2013 / Christian Living

That's a good question isn't it? I mean, we hear a lot about faith. Some claim that if we have enough faith that nothing is impossible for us. I agree with that to a certain extent because Jesus said it. But to really have faith and to understand faith is a subject of which many have simply scratched the surface.

I've wrestled with faith all my life. I've related several stories over the last few years of how I have tried to have faith for one thing or another, only to fail in my attempts. Did God let me down? It may have felt that way at the time but in reality the solid rock-truth answer to this question is "NO."

For instance, when I did my hitch in the U.S. Army, after half of my commitment of three years was over, Debbie and our young son Jeremy, had to come back home. It meant eighteen months without them. My heart yearned for their company. I wanted to be with them, but I couldn't. I got the bright idea of requesting a transfer to Fort Knox, Kentucky which was only about an hour from home. It would most certainly get me closer to them and would allow us time together. I could be home at least every weekend. It sounded like a good plan.

So I put in for the transfer. I prayed earnestly that God would allow me this change in order to be with my family. I had a lot of friends where I was stationed, including several officers with whom God had given me favor. They pulled and I pushed. I just knew that God was going to grant me this. As I mentioned above, Jesus Himself had said that if we have enough faith that nothing is impossible to us.

But that request got denied. I was told that I would have to finish my tour where I was at. I felt that God had jerked the rug right out from underneath my feet. Why would He let me down like this? I was nearly mad at God over it.

The fact is that it taught me a lot of things about myself that I didn't know. I had to learn that faith isn't just about expecting to get what we want from God, but it is much more. God knows what is best for us and what we can and cannot handle, and He does answer all our prayers; it's just that sometimes His answer is "NO."

In Hebrews 11:6 we are told, "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." We must have faith. But what is faith?

Faith is, in a way, simply believing in God. It is taking Him at His word. It is knowing that even when things seem impossible, that He will grant what we need when we need it. It is trusting Him even when we don't get our way.

We have to have faith when we come to the Lord in salvation. We must believe that He has provided for our salvation in the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we believe this then God pours out His saving grace upon us and we are forever changed.

But faith doesn't stop there. We are required to continue growing in faith until we finish our lives and step onto the holy ground of Heaven. We are always growing in our faith, strengthening our belief. It does get easier as we go. But because we are always students of the gospel and never really graduate, more than likely we will always find ourselves in situations that require us to believe when there is no reason to believe. We can and must believe in God's plan even when our situation demands that we fail in our belief.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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