Have Faith

 

“Faith is stepping where there is no place to step and finding yourself standing and reaching when there is nothing there and coming back with a handful.”

I just came across this beautiful little saying that I had scribbled on the back of a shopping list from 20 years ago. (Yes, I keep things for long periods of time, but you never know when you’re going to find it and be blessed all over again).

What a beautiful description of faith. Stepping where there is no place to step and finding yourself standing. Reaching where there is nothing and coming back with your hands full.

Faith requires us to trust wholly and fully, leaning upon the Lord, claiming his precious promises.

It requires that we take our eyes off our circumstances and put them on the Lord.

Faith would have us step out into what we see as an empty space, only to find that God has put something there under our feet.

Just like the priests in the Old Testament, taking that first tentative step into the waters of the flooded Jordan River, trusting that God would work a miracle.

Joshua 3:15-17 KJV - And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

Those men had to have great faith. They stepped out, possibly in fear and trepidation, and found a firm footing. One step after another, they walked down into the middle of the river, with God parting the waters as they went. What an amazing sight that must have been.

When we exercise great faith, God will make sure that we have somewhere to place our feet, even though we can’t see it.

And I love the second half of the little saying. “Reaching when there is nothing there and coming back with a handful”.

This reminds me of the story of the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings. Here we find a woman and her son. She is about to use up her meagre supply of meal and oil to make them a little cake, so that they can eat one last time before they die of hunger.

And along comes Elijah, the prophet, a hungry preacher in search of a meal and in search of someone with great faith.

1 Kings 17:13-16 KJV - And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

And we know the rest of this beautiful story. God worked a miracle and caused her pot of oil and barrel of meal to be full and never run out, until the drought broke, and the rains came.

Every time that lady of faith put her hand into her barrel, she reached in, where there should have been nothing, and came out grasping a handful. And every time she poured from her pot of oil, it never ceased to flow.

What an almighty God we serve! How can we be so faithless when he has given us so very much and proved himself to us, over and over.

God tells us that if only we had faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains.

Matthew 17:20 KJV - And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Oh, for faith like those men and women of old.

But faith like that doesn’t have to be left to men and women of years gone by. It’s ours for the taking. We can have faith like that.

The more we know about God, the more we know of his character and his faithfulness, the more we learn we can trust him. And the more our faith grows. Little by little. Trusting more. Loving more.

 God pours out his blessings upon our lives, and we see him answer our prayers, we cry out and he hears us and comforts us, he puts our feet on solid ground, he fills our hands and our cups overflow.

Don’t fear to step out in faith. God’s promises hold true. He says he won’t leave us or forsake us. He says he will direct our paths. He says he will bring peace. He says he cares for you. And it’s true!

Every promise God gives to us is good, and faithful and true!

If God calls you to something, he will give you the ability to do it. If he asks you to step out in faith, then don’t fear the emptiness ahead, he will make a way and he will fill your cup to overflowing!

Step out and find yourself standing

and reach out and come back with a handful!

 

Luke 1:37 KJV - For with God nothing shall be impossible.