faith

now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.

faith is confidence, borne out by experience.

experience is essential for faith. but faith is a gift? how can we have confidence in something we have no experience in? how can i be confident in God's goodness if i have no experience of his goodness to me? maybe that's where the gift part comes in.

if most of us come to confidence in God because we hear the kingdom being preached, and we hope for the experiences of the kingdom to be true in our lives - that is 'faith'. and sometimes the kingdom is beyond our sight - the heavens are closed to us for the time being - but our certainty in their reality is never in doubt - that too is 'faith'.

experience plays a large part in our confidence in God, and building confidence in God. he calls us to do that which is impossible - to stretch out our withered hand, to raise our paralysed body up from our bed, to wake from the sleep of death and come forth from our tomb. we may hope for it, but if we are not sure that our hope can be realised, we do not attempt the impossible. our healing may lie beyond our powers of sight, but if we are not certain that it lies there, we do not reach for it. but our imaginations are not adequate substitutes for confidence.

what have we experienced of God? what experiences have given birth to solid confidence in his reality? have you the confidence of your past hopes being realised, or that which you have not yet seen being truly there?

for it is from this confidence that you now act. if your actions are not 'good fruit', don't beat yourself up for your sin, nor blame God for hiding. look for your confidence - where have you put it? is it in your abilities, your appearance, or your standing before men? you will surely know from your actions where you put your confidence. and as for God - why, his address is at 'the end of your rope'. when you get there, with no more tricks up your sleeve to pull, no more confidence in anything of the world or your natural abilities, you will find him... waiting for, and worthy of, the mustard seed of confidence that you offer him.