Now faith is confidence in what we hope for an assurance about what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1
Faith is a word we often throw around, but when we really examine the word, it holds a weight that we often do not carry. Faith is not just an acceptance of information; faith is a conviction that one is persuaded. When we have faith, we are persuaded at our core that something is true.
There are three young men in the Bible that exemplify this kind of faith. In a time where the king of the land decreed that all men must bow before a golden idol, three young Jewish men; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; refused to bow down and declared their faith, “The God we serve is able to save us from it… But even if He does not, we will not bow”.
This is true Kingdom faith, a conviction persuaded at the core that something is true. These young men had faith in God. Faith not just in the rescue, but faith in God no matter the outcome.
For we live by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7
When these three young men denied bowing to the idol, they made a decision on their faith and not on what their eyes could see. Our eyes are dangerous interpreters of life. We don’t always see the complete picture and our eyes often see through the eyes of fear and doubt. But Kingdom faith means being willing to live with uncertainties and unknowns – the mysteries of life – trusting in the one who holds the whole earth in the palm of His hands.
When we look at the world with our own eyes, it can look scary. But when we look with our eyes of faith; being persuaded at our core that God’s ways our greater than our ways and God’s thoughts greater than our thoughts, then we can live knowing that no matter what we see in front of us, God is still in control.
Increase our faith has not been about us becoming better Christians, it has always been about God revealing a little bit more of how great He truly is.