A few thoughts on the subject of faith, an excerpt from my Keeping Company With God prayer journal.
It seems to me that faith is a long term deal more than a short term solution. Less “I’m praying for a good deal on a house,” and more “I’m confident that God is in control of the universe, regardless of what happens to me.”
It is obvious that there is a “day-to-day” faith that sees us through decision making, relationships and storms. This seems to be the kind of faith that pervades our prayer times-“Lord, make my child well.” Our longer term faith is less expressed in prayer than it is lived out over the course of years. It becomes a disposition of our existence-not fate-but trust in the all seeing, knowing and caring God of the Bible.
In this life, the long-term faith must always inform the short term faith and not vice-versa. When long term faith is experienced as contentment in the actions of the sovereign God, then short term faith is encouraged. When the struggle of short term faith becomes the foundation of long term faith, then both waver and may collapse. We cannot, nor are we expected to go day-to-day without the assurance that God is for us in the end. In the end we are helped when we view our short term trials and persecutions in the light of a yonder star, not the flashlight in hand.
Paul wrote, “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8). God’s view is always the long term view and that should be ours as well.
