Wow! Where do I start???
In my study of The Word, I have learned about the importance of taking risks in faith (trusting God!) and how they can lead to growth and unexpected blessings.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 (ESV)
In Exodus 2, we read about Jochebed, a Hebrew woman who gave birth to a son, Moses, during a time when Pharaoh ordered all male Hebrew babies be killed. She put her 3-month-old baby in the river in a basket; then Pharaoh’s daughter saw it and, taking compassion on the baby, raised him as her own.
Imagine, though, what Moses’ biological mother felt the moment she put the basket in the river, risking it all to save her son. The fear and anxiety that were wracking her. She had no idea what might happen to her baby. He could have tipped over and drowned, easily fallen into the many dangers of the Nile or even been discovered by an Egyptian soldier.
It was the mother’s faith, her trust in God, that assured her that her child would be OK. The basket that took Moses to a place of safety and care became a vessel of divine deliverance, God’s own hand steering it toward protection. God’s own hand leading Moses into a life He would later use mightily.
You can’t build trust without taking risks.
Many individuals in the Bible — like Moses’ biological mother, Jochebed, or Esther, or Mary — have one thing in common: They risked everything to follow God.
And God was faithful to them.
Risk-taking helps build our trust with the Lord. Even as you face the unknown, even when you can’t see the outcome, take the risk because God is surely with you. He goes before you. And He is faithful in rewarding the risks you take to follow Him.
Dear Heavenly Father, show me how to be strong and courageous as a believer in whatever role You have called me to fill today. Push me out of my comfort zone to take that risk I’ve been avoiding and help me to come alongside someone else who may need encouragement to take a risk. I know that when I open my hands to You and let go, You will not only step in as my Protector, but You’ll also hold my hand and lead me. I will trust in You, and You alone! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Trusting God – unseen, is key!
Trusting God in the unseen focuses on the concept of faith, which is defined as the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. This means trusting God even when you can’t see the evidence of His presence or the outcome of His plans. It involves recognizing that God is working behind the scenes, even in seemingly difficult or hopeless situations.
Key Points of a Trusting God in the Unseen
Bible Study:
- The Nature of Faith: Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see”. This means trusting God even when you don’t have visible proof of His work.
- God’s Unseen Work: God is actively working in the unseen realms, orchestrating events for our good and His glory, even when we can’t see it.
- Examples in Scripture: Many biblical characters, like Abraham and Sarah, trusted God in the unseen, despite facing difficult circumstances.
- Overcoming Doubt and Fear: Trusting God in the unseen requires facing doubt and fear, and recognizing that His ways are higher than ours.
- Practical Application: This study encourages believers to find comfort in God’s promises, to rely on His strength in difficult times, and to trust that He will bring about good outcomes, even when they can’t see it.
- Benefits of Trust: Trusting God in the unseen leads to increased faith, hope, and confidence in His ability to provide and guide.
Scripture References:
- Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”.
- Isaiah 55:9: “For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
- Romans 8:28-29: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who Love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
- Ephesians 1:18-19: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great Power for us who believe”.
- 2 Corinthians 4:18: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”.
In summary, trusting God – The unseen! Requires blind faith!
Blind faith refers to belief without evidence, reason, or critical evaluation. It’s often characterized as unquestioning trust in something beyond one’s own understanding, potentially rooted in tradition, authority, or personal experience.
Key characteristics of blind faith:
- Lack of evidence or reasoning: It’s not based on logic or empirical evidence.
- Unquestioning trust: It involves accepting something without critical examination or doubt.
- Potential for blind belief: It can lead to accepting beliefs or practices that are not supported by facts or reason.
- Focus on authority: It may rely on the authority of a teacher, scripture, or tradition.
- Potential for misguided paths: It can lead individuals down paths that are not beneficial or aligned with their own understanding or values.
Examples of blind faith:
- Accepting a religious dogma without questioning it: Some individuals may believe in religious teachings without examining their validity or evidence.
- Following a guru’s instructions without critical evaluation: Some people may unquestioningly follow the guidance of a spiritual leader without considering their wisdom or potential for harm.
- Believing in conspiracy theories without evidence: Individuals may hold onto beliefs about events or people without considering any contradictory evidence or logical explanations.
Critiques of blind faith:
- Lack of critical thinking: Blind faith can hinder critical thinking and the ability to evaluate information objectively.
- Potential for harm: Blind adherence to beliefs or practices can lead to negative consequences, such as social exclusion, persecution, or even violence.
- Erosion of individual agency: Blind faith can diminish an individual’s ability to make their own informed decisions based on their own understanding and values.
Contrast with true faith:
Some religious traditions distinguish between blind faith and true faith, which involves a deeper understanding and commitment to a belief system based on personal experience, reason, and evidence. True faith is not about blindly accepting something but about actively engaging with it, seeking knowledge, and experiencing its implications.
In a biblical context, “blind faith” generally refers to belief without evidence or understanding, which is not encouraged. The Bible emphasizes trusting God’s revelation through His creation, Word, and Son, rather than blind adherence. Blind faith is often used as a negative term, contrasting with faith rooted in understanding and evidence.
Elaboration:
- Definition of “Blind Faith”: A dictionary definition of blind faith is “belief without true understanding, perception, or discrimination,” according to GotQuestions.org.
- Biblical Perspective: The Bible portrays faith as trust in God’s faithfulness, based on His past actions and character, not as a leap into the unknown without evidence.
- Examples: The story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac, even though he understood God’s plan, is often cited as an example of faith in the face of uncertainty, not blind faith.
- God’s Revelation: The Bible emphasizes that God has given us much evidence for our faith through His creation, His Word (Scripture), and His Son, Jesus Christ.
- Blindness as a Metaphor: The Bible also uses “blindness” metaphorically to describe spiritual ignorance or inability to see the truth, as opposed to a literal lack of sight.
- Not Necessarily Negative: While “blind faith” is often used negatively, there can be situations where faith is exercised without full understanding, but it is still based on trust in God’s faithfulness.
- Jesus and Thomas: The encounter between Jesus and Thomas, where Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet come to believe,” is sometimes used to suggest that faith can exist without sight, but it’s important to consider the context, as Thomas’s doubt was eventually resolved by seeing and touching Jesus.
The phrase “blind faith” means different things to different people, and, sadly, many people use it as a negative, disparaging term to describe anyone who believes in God. A dictionary definition of blind faith is “belief without true understanding, perception, or discrimination.” But is this the kind of faith God desires us to have? More to the point, is the kind of faith God gives us a blind faith (Ephesians 2:8-9)? Is our faith really to be blind, without true understanding?
To answer this, we will start by looking at one of the greatest examples of faith found in the Old Testament. God told Abraham that Abraham would be a father of many nations and that his wife Sarah would bear him a child even though they were very old. Indeed, Sarah was 90, and Abraham was around 100 when Isaac was finally born to them. Then God told Abraham to do the unthinkable, to kill Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19). Upon receiving the order, Abraham did not question God. He “blindly” followed God’s orders and traveled quite a distance to a mountain with the intention of killing his son. In the end, God stopped him and said, “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son” (Genesis 22:12).
This account makes it seem that God was rewarding and complimenting Abraham for blind faith, and since Abraham is one of the models given to us to follow, it would seem that blind faith is the ideal. That, however, is not the whole story. If we turn to the book of Hebrews and read what it says about Abraham, we can find out a bit more.
Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the hall of fame of faith. In it we find many of the greatest people of the Bible and their accomplishments through faith. Abraham is listed more than once, but verses 18-19 tell us Abraham “reasoned” that God had promised a great nation through Isaac and that even if Isaac were killed, God could bring Isaac back from the dead, and because of that reasoning—not blind faith—Abraham followed through with the command. Abraham did not act blindly. Instead, he used his powers of reason, based on what he knew about God, to think it through. He knew God’s nature as a faithful God, and he remembered God’s promise regarding Isaac. Then he acted accordingly.
Throughout Scripture we find that reason, wisdom, and logic are lifted up as good traits. For example, Proverbs 3:13 says we are blessed when we find knowledge and understanding. Hebrews 5:12-14 reproves teachers for not learning and growing in understanding. Paul commends the church at Berea because they searched the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true (Acts 17:11). In many places throughout Acts the apostle Paul was said to “reason” with the lost, attempting to prove to them the truth of his words. James 1:5 even tells us to ask God for wisdom, which He gives “generously to all without finding fault.”
There are many other places where reason and understanding are uplifted. To state the point simply, God created humans with the ability to think and reason, and God expects us to use the gift He has given us. Remember that at its core the goal of reason and logic is to find truth, and Jesus made the bold claim that He is truth (John 14:6), so reason and logic should lead us to Jesus every time.
We are expected to act in faith on God’s promises just as Abraham did, but we do that from a position of trust based on all the knowledge we have of God. Abraham followed God’s order based on his faith that God would keep His promise to raise up a nation through Isaac. Abraham had learned that God would keep His promises through a lifetime of walking with God, so this was a reasoned and informed faith.
There will be times in our walk with God that we will act purely on faith because we do not have the whole picture, as in the case of Abraham. However, this faith is not blind; it is based on knowledge of God’s nature and character, His promises in the Scriptures, and our personal experience walking with God every day.