•The life of faith
Six years ago, a planetary scientist and the director of a
major astronomical observatory told his audience in University Heights, Ohio
(my summary): “Looking at the world through science – whether through astronomy
or quantum physics or biology – at bottom the universe is about relationships
and that fact scares some people.” If we turn to Holy Scripture, the Bible
portrays the creation of humanity as God’s desire to create a walking partner (explained shortly). Thus
at bottom, the spiritual life is also about relationships.
In God’s relationship with the first man and woman (whose
environment was described as a garden), they encountered God “walking in the
garden in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8). The idea of walking together implies
companionship, dialogue, mutual delight, and a shared responsibility for their
surroundings.
Despite the fact that the first human couple sinned and
strained the relationship between God and humanity, early on “people began to
call on the name of the Lord” (Gen 4:26). Enoch “walked with God” (Gen 5:22-24),
Noah “walked with God” (Gen 6:9) and Abraham “walked with God” (Gen 24:40). How
can we walk with the Invisible One? The Book of Hebrews tells us (11:6,8-9
NLT):
[v 6] It is impossible to
please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God
exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. . . .
[v 8] It was by faith that
Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that
God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was
going. [v 9] And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there
by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents.
Therefore, faith is believing in the existence of God (v
6), following the instructions from divine revelation (v 8) and trusting in the
Lord as God (v 9). We would hasten to add, in the history of God’s dealings
with humanity, God sent the eternal Word who was at his side into the world as
Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1).
What does “trust in God” and “believe in Jesus” look like
in real life? My wife and I are good friends of a couple who have three sons.
Last week we attended the wedding of their oldest son. At the rehearsal dinner
for the wedding, the mother gave this reflection. These are her exact words (used
with permission):
Proverbs 3:5,6
says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”
This was one of
the earliest passages of scripture I had committed to memory. I believed
it and knew it well. But as with most biblical truths, it’s far easier to
acknowledge truth than to actually live it. This verse, along with countless
others, teach the follower of Christ to commit or give over our fears and
worries to Him. But yet ... why do we insist on hanging on to them? Simply
put, I think it’s lack of trust, or still wanting to be in control.
What mother
doesn’t pray for God to provide a godly wife for her son? This mom
certainly did. When her son made it through four years of undergrad and
then another two years of grad school emerging still a single man, she began to
get a bit more frantic. So naturally, she prayed more earnestly. But to no
apparent success. Finally it occurred to her, why not just give the whole
thing over to God? Let Him take care of this marriage business. So she prayed,
“Lord, I trust You to find the right wife for my son. I give up being the
one to try and find her. I just pray what’s most important in my son’s
life, that he loves You with all his heart, soul and mind and that he seek
first You and Your kingdom.”
A very short time
after committing my son’s future to God, both my husband and I received a phone
call from our son. Remarkably he began the conversation ... “So ....
there’s this girl I like...” Within the next few months they were courting,
attending a sibling’s wedding and then planning their own wedding!
This mom can only
stand in awe at such a gracious God, and once again proclaim the verse she
declares so often, “Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”
Ephesians 3:20
