Unwavering Faith

We're going through Romans at church. This week we heard about Abraham's example to us of UNWAVERING faith (Romans 4). Really looking at Abraham's life and the trust he put in God of the promise to be made a father to many nations, we see several times where he WAVERED (Genesis 12-25). But as his faith fully matured, he was ready to believe, obey, and ultimately honor God whatever the cost. This is our example of unwavering faith. What I took away from this sermon, is the fact that we as Christians go through cycles of times where everything is stripped away, in order for us to look directly to God. Those good blessings that he gives us are hidden for a time, so that we may look to his face and his heart, and not at what his hands can give us. This becomes the maturing of our faith. Even though during those times, we ourselves insist that our faith is failing and decreasing.

If Abraham is considered by the greatest scriptural scholar of all time (Paul) to be our example of unwavering faith, that must mean that the maturing of our faith is a process, and that when I find my faith lacking, I must look to the heart of God and know that he is doing a good work.
I'm in a time of abundant "daylight" blessing right now. And I can see the good work that God was doing in me during the dark night. It is my challenge now, to remember and meditate on God's promises. His heart and his face.
Be encouraged if you're in a time where the promises of God seem impossible, that our certainty in the will of God is less important to him than our trust in him. That our "sight" is not a part of our faith right now. That the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of this faith. And that like Abraham's life, our lives exist for the glory and honor of God for generations to come, not just for ourselves.

So here's 1 Peter 3:1-8
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.