HEBREWS 11 -- By Faith

Hebrews 11:1
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

I look at faith like this. When I was younger, I never had to worry about my clothes, about my food, or about my shelter... My parents had provided all of that stuff for me. I just had to go home, eat, and crawl into my warm and cozy bed at night.
I had faith.
Did I have doubt? No. I trusted that my parents would be there to provide for me.
So what's different? I am older--yes. I don't expect my parents to provide for me anymore. So... does that mean I simply become self-reliant? No! My faith is in the Lord. I know that by trusting in Him, all I need will be provided. I know that the Lord is nourishing me, much like my parents did when I was growing up.

So why is life complicated?

Why do I over-complicate God? Why do I assume God is not quite big enough to deal with my baggage? When I am hanging out with close friends, I never doubt that God can work in their lives. But on the other side of the fence, God completely forgiving me? ...No way!
So.. instinctively, I surround myself in His word, read thousands of books, go to church 13 times a week, and practice my kneeling meditative prayer (on one knee, of course). Doing all of this in some savage attempt to create some spiritual high I can ride until the next fall that resembles a doubt-stricken, self-loathing drought that leads to an attempt to recreate the same story all over again.
What good does this disheartening cyclical story do? ...None!!!

God makes it easy for us... faith in Jesus. Faith that Jesus is Lord, that He is bigger than our problems, that He is greater than religion, that he is the answer to our disheartening cynical routine.

We fill ourselves, and our time with what we think will bring us closer to God and forget what God tells us will bring us closer to Him: Obedience that leads to faith in Jesus as our Lord.