What Faith Looks Like

“Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd: “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works.” When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well” Luke 7:9-10 (The Message).

I’m struggling today. And yesterday. And the day before that. However, I’m determined not to struggle (as much) tomorrow. I’ve shared with you my faith journey for the past two years and how I was stretched this past summer to reveal what true faith looks like. God has brought me and my family through quite a bit, and for that I’m incredibly grateful. However, I’m still struggling and to make matters worse, I’m disappointed in myself for those struggles

I’ll explain more about that shortly, but first I want to talk about a passage that keeps drawing my attention in Luke 7:1-10, about the Centurion. There was a centurion, who was of Roman descent, not Jewish lineage, who had a sick servant. The centurion asked for elders of the Jews to go to Jesus and ask him to come and heal this servant whom he valued very highly. Jesus listened to the elders’ request and agreed. Before Jesus reached the officer’s home, some friends were sent to intercept Jesus. “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (NIV). And you know what Jesus’ response was? Luke 7:9-10 says, “’I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.’ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well” (NIV).

I love the centurion’s statement of faith, but even more I love Jesus’ response. I’m struggling in my own life right now because I want to be the centurion. I want to have faith in God so strong that it never waivers, despite circumstances that threaten to scream louder.

As I spoke about last time, this past summer I was warned I’d be losing a significant chunk of my income within six to eight weeks. That should have given me enough time to find something to replace what I’d be losing. Even though I tried many different avenues, and even surrendered my desires completely to God and what He wanted me to do, the doors remained closed. Despite the deadline approaching closer with no real prospects, or at least no prospects that would result in immediate income, God’s peace continued to whisper I was doing what He was asking of me. He had given me Exodus 14:13-14 this past spring and I was daily clinging to the promise of that particular passage, to stand firm and let God deliver our family from these circumstances.

The day of the deadline I asked God to give me some reassurance I was truly walking in His direction, not being lazy, and not procrastinating. I needed to know I was obeying His will and pursuing the path He had chosen for our family at this particular time, even though most of what I was hearing was “wait”. Come back next time to hear how God answered.

Have you experienced times in your life when you thought you were obeying God’s voice, but circumstances don’t seem to be changing quickly?

© 2013 Cheri Swalwell