Have you flown on a plane? Check off which of the following you did before you boarded the plane:
_____ I examined the licenses of the pilot and the co-pilot.
_____ I reviewed the mechanic’s log to see that all maintenance was up to
FAA standards.
_____ I checked the fuel gauge for adequate supply to reach destination.
_____ I inspected each piece of baggage for the possibility of an explosive
device.
_____ I visually inspected the rivets which attach the wings to the body.
_____ I checked the oxygen level in the emergency tanks.
_____ I read books on the physical laws of aerodynamics to determine the
flight capability of the aircraft.
If you did not do all of the above before you boarded the plane, you have faith!!! Faith is placing your life in someone else’s hands. You have faith in people that you do not know, faith in laws that you do not understand, and faith in systems of which you are unaware. You exercise faith in the banking system for your retirement. You exercise faith in your doctor or surgeon. You exercise faith in pursuing a high school or college degree. You exercise faith in getting married. You exercise faith when you eat food that someone else has prepared. You are a believer!!! You exercise faith every day. The reality is that every person has faith, every person is a believer.
The question is not “Do you have faith?” The question is, “In whom do you have faith?” or “In whom do you trust your life?”
God wants you to place your ultimate trust and security in Him. This is how God’s word, the Bible, expresses this concept in Hebrews 11:6:
And without faith it is impossible to please Him [God], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
We cannot please God when we say to God with our lives,
I will trust myself, but I won’t trust You.
I will trust my retirement plan, but I won’t trust You.
I will trust my family members, but I won’t trust You.
I will trust money, but I won’t trust you.
I will trust strangers, but I won’t trust you.
Faith is trusting God --- that He made you. Faith is trusting God --- that He sent Jesus to be your Savior. Faith is placing your need for forgiveness and eternal life --- into the hands of Jesus.
This is not blind faith. As others have said, faith is not a leap into the dark, but a step into the light. God gives evidence for His existence and evidence for His plan of salvation. But faith is still required.
This is not unreasonable faith. God does not ask us to check our brains at the door to the church. Faith does not go against reason, but goes with reason and above reason. Here is something that is unreasonable: to have no plans for the one thing absolutely certain to happen. What is that one absolute certainty? You will die. Do you have plans for it? (I am not talking about plans with your favorite funeral director!)
This is not untried faith. Faith in the Lord Jesus has been tried by millions, and all that can be tested in this life, has been found to be true.
How can I believe in something that I cannot see? The reality is that you believe in many things that you cannot see. Some of the things that you cannot see are very important to you:
Have you ever listened to a radio? You believe even though you cannot see the radio waves.
Have you ever talked to someone on a cell phone? You believe, even though you can’t see the microwaves frying your brain!
Have you ever taken a breath? You believe in oxygen, even though you have never seen or tasted it.
Have you ever fallen in love? You believe although you can’t see love.
Have you ever been forgiven? You believe even though you can’t see forgiveness.
Have you ever hoped for something? You believe in hope, even though you can’t see it.
So we can’t see God. But we do see His work --- in creation. We do see His work for our salvation --- on the cross. We can believe. We can place our life into His hands for today and for eternity. What a wonderful gift that faith is!
(A word of caution: Do not insist on going through the flight checklist before you board your next plane. Just believe.)
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