I Can't Believe That!

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Have you ever read Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll? You may know of it or the characters as Alice in Wonderland. Here is an excerpt from it that piqued my thoughts for today’s devotion. It involves a conversation between Alice and the Queen:

"How old are you?" asked the queen.

"I'm seven and a half, exactly."

"You needn't say ‘exactly'; I can believe it without that. Now I'll give you something to believe: I'm just one hundred and one, five months, and a day."

Alice protested, "I can't believe that!”

"Can't you? Try again—draw a long breath, and shut your eyes," the queen urged.

Alice roared, "There's no use trying; one can't believe impossible things!"

To this the queen responded, "I daresay you haven't had much practice. When I was your age, I always did it half-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

I’m of the opinion that many Christ followers look at faith like that… “Try again—draw a long breath, and shut your eyes…" then, just try to believe. If that is a description of you today, perhaps a fresh look at faith will help you.

Biblical faith is more about the object of our faith than the results of our faith. In other words, you can have a lot of faith in the wrong thing and accomplish little, or conversely, you can have a little faith in the right thing and accomplish a lot!

The Psalmist agrees, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).

The author of Hebrews points out that the fruit of faith is substance and evidence—that which shows (substance) in our lives and proves (evidence) what we believe. For a Christ follower, his or her faith will give evidence to:

• Complete trust in the character and motives of God

• Complete certainty in what God can do

• Complete confidence in the work of Christ for our salvation

• Complete surety in God’s care of our soul—eternal destiny

Here are some Scriptures intended to bolster your faith.

Psalm 9:10 - And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 18:30 - As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

Psalm 31:19 - Oh how great is your goodness, which you have stored up for them that fear you; which you have worked for them that trust you before the sons of men!

Psalm 37:5 - Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

If we walk by faith and not by sight, we are probably praying the same as the disciples, “Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:5).