Our two little grandsons stood looking at me, not understanding. They were holding out their story books eagerly, but Grandma was saying that she couldn’t read. This is impossible! Grandma always reads when she comes to visit. They just couldn’t believe it, but that’s because they hadn’t learned yet that a person can lose her voice. All afternoon they kept bringing me their favorite books, but I could only shake my head “no.” Their daddy laughed and suggested I put a band-aid on my throat to help them understand.
The next afternoon when I heard them coming to our door, I ran quickly to the first aid kit and picked out a large band-aid and placed it on my neck where they could easily see it. That afternoon each time one of the boys brought me a book, I simply pointed to the band-aid. They were disappointed, but they seemed to understand and went back to their puzzles or building blocks, muttering to each other, “Grandma can’t read stories today.”
It is so much easier for us to believe in something we can see, but believing in something we cannot see is called faith. We use faith all the time. By faith we sit down on chairs, believing they will hold us and not collapse under us. By faith we bury seeds in the ground, believing tiny plants will sprout. By faith we drop an envelope in a mail box, knowing we will never see it again, but believing that it will reach the person it is addressed to. Faith is a part of everyday living. The Bible tells us that “faith is the substance [assurance] of things hoped for, the evidence [proof] of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:11Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)). God wants us to have faith in Himself. He says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that [comes] to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:66But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)).
It really doesn’t take very much faith to believe in God. We have proof all around us if we will stop to see how He designed our bodies to heal a paper cut on a finger; if we will look up in the night sky and see that beautiful moon that has been regulating the ocean tides for centuries. And when we believe that He has designed us and our planet, we can also believe that He loves us and designed a wonderful plan for us to spend eternity with Him in heaven. He has given us the Bible, something we can hold and read and understand. He carefully explains in the Bible that because of our sins He sent His beloved Son Jesus down here to die for us. Each one who will by faith believe that “Jesus died for my sins” is rewarded with a place in heaven for eternity. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)).
It doesn’t take very much faith to believe in God. Will you believe what He says? “Though now ye see Him [Jesus] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-98Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8‑9)).
ML-08/22/1999