November 11, 2016 – 43 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or
Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.” Hebrews 11:1-3

The words “Faith” and “Belief” are words we sometimes throw around loosely and interchangeably. Faith is much stronger than belief. Faith is an active word; belief is passive. Surveys show time and time again that if you ask average Americans if they believe in G-d, they will overwhelmingly answer yes. Many people believe in G-d, but do they have faith? Belief in something is when you are stranded on the top of a burning building (almost like the scary frosty balloon in our picture) and down below are firefighters with a large net. In your mind you “believe” you will be able to jump just the right distance; the net will hold you and you will be safe. You can believe all you want, but belief alone will not save you. “Faith” is what you demonstrate when you jump. Faith saves you from the pending disaster. Faith is acting on your belief. Some of us just need to get off the “I believe in G-d” bandwagon and onto the “I have an active, alive faith in G-d” wagon.

We are now two days passed the presidential election of 2016 – and many people are questioning their faith – their faith in the electoral process, faith in humanity, and faith in G-d. They had a belief that G-d would work things out to bring about the “right result” of this election, and when it did not go the way they thought it should, then they believed that G-d was absent – if not non-existent. How they moved from G-d only loves one candidate, to G-d loves the wrong candidate, and/or G-d should only allow one outcome, to G-d allowed evil to prevail – well that is truly a mystery to me. We need to stop and reassess the situation – realizing that we cannot decide where and when and how G-d acts – we simply need to trust that G-d acts – and have the faith that G-d is active in all things.

And now is not the time to abandon G-d or our faith in G-d. Now is not the time to leave the church but to lean on our faith. In other words, we need to stay the course, trusting that G-d will lead us from despair, to doing the works of G-d. And those works that are most needed right now is prayer, and doing the works of an active faith. Let your faith take you to places you would never believe you could go – for if you do, you will find yourself alive in faith and soaring, just like frosty, above the worries and the fears of this life.

Pastor Dave