On Faith

By M. J. Corrales

When we sit down on a chair, we have faith that it will support us. When we drive our car across a bridge, we have faith that those bridge-builders knew what they were doing. This is the simplest form of faith, the hundred-times-a-day confidence we have in the world around us. Yes, it will work. Yes, it won't break. Yes, my drive-through burger bag really does contain what I ordered and is not filled with shredded newspaper.

But then there's the deeper faith, the faith in Someone greater than ourselves. When the Lord said, I will never leave you nor forsake you - we believe it. When Jesus said He will return - we believe it.

A wise Sunday School teacher once said that faith was taking God at His
word. This can convey the meaning of believing that the Scriptures, the Word of God, are true. It could also mean that the words of God are true. There's the old saying about even believing the leather is genuine, referring to the "Genuine Leather" stamped on most leather-bound Bibles.

But in this critical, skeptical world of ours, the concept of inner faith seems to be a pick-and-choose type of belief system, a "one from column A, one from column B" frame of reference. "Well, I'm sure this is true but I'm not too sure about that." When it comes to the Bible, it's all or nothing. Take it all by faith or let it go.

Several years ago, there was a Hollywood producer (or director) whose television movies were based on stories from the Bible (although much of the films' content had little to do with Bible). This particular moviemaker was also quoted at that time as saying he believed in the sanctity of the Bible, except for Genesis and Revelation (!) as "everyone knows" those two books are just full of "fables" and "made-up stuff" so he didn't have a problem with fooling around with any of that.

There never has been nor will there ever be a "disclaimer" on the Bible about reading at our own risk as some parts are true and some aren't - and we're not telling which is which. No, faith in an absolute, supreme, sovereign Being is wonderful indeed. And faith in His words and in His works is equally assuring.

Faith can move mountains. Or it can just help us get through our day.
 

M. J. Corrales is Director of The Glory Foundation, a philanthropic organization funded by business and private donations. Ms. Corrales has been writing for quite some time with concentration on Bible Studies, devotionals, and mono-dramas of various women of the Bible. She can be contacted by emailing director@TheGloryFoundation.com.