What is Faith?

Faith means to believe and trust completely. Faith is not something that happens to you, it is something that happens in you. It also means believing in something or someone you cannot see.

For we walk by faith, not by sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7.

Those who do not believe there's a God because they cannot see him, even though there's evidence of his existence, do not have faith.

So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God - Romans 10:17

But without Faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that deligently seek Him - Hebrews 11:6

Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1Peter walking on water demonstrates faith, when he asked Jesus the water. It also onstrates

And Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." - Matthew 14:28

29 - And he said, "Come". And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30 - But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, "Lord, save me."

31 - And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

Faith is totally trusting God and not doubting. Most people base their faith on the result of their prayer request. If they've had a prayer answered, the level of their faith will more than likely be higher than if they've not received an answer to their prayers. They may say, I pray before for something and never received it, how am I to believe this time that I will get my prayer answered.

Another example of demonstrated faith is Abraham, who was about to use his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to God. He had so much faith in God, that obeying God was more important that sparing his only son's life. Perhaps deep down in Abraham's heart he believed that God would never take the life of his only son. God did not need to test Abraham's faith to find out how deep his faith was because God knows everything even before it happens. But he wanted to test Abraham's faith to prove a point to Abraham himself, or as a lesson to the rest of us. Just as Abraham was about to plunge the knife into Isaac's body, the angel held back his hand.

Why did God take Abraham's faith to the brink?

Just think of how many times God has put our faith to the test, to the point where we cannot take it anymore. It's at the point when we're at the brink that he intervenes. He never gives us more than we can bear.

I am facing some very difficult times in my life right now, like a lot of other people. I ask myself, could it be that God is using this to strengthen me for even more difficult times ahead? Yet, I do believe that God will work out something for me.

I've heard that a tree is strengthened by the storms it withstands. I think especially of the palm tree and how it seem to withstand storm after storm. Some trees would be uprooted, some will break, but the palm tree will be tossed back and forth and bend to the ground, but after the storm has passed it will bounce right back up because of its flexibility.

The Bible says that "the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. (Psalm 92: 12-13).

When we go through the storms of life, we need to remember the palm tree.