Faith...

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

I've gotten out of the boat... I'm standing in the middle of the water with the waves crashing around me and a steady eye on my Savior... but I'm out. Faith is a beautiful thing. The very essence of the word makes me smile. Listen to what the NLT version of Hebrews 11:1 says:
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. " I love this translation. It doesn't say that I have confidence in something that might happen or something guess could happen... it says the confidence that what we hope for WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN. I don't know about you, but that makes me want to shout.

I am praying through a situation right now and I'm just having to put the faith in God. I'm having to trust him to handle the situation because the fact of the matter is that I'm 1200 miles away... there's not much I can do and even though I'd like to think otherwise... if I were right in the middle of the situation I couldn't do much either. God is teaching me to not only rely on him but rely on him with faith. I can't just lean on him and wish for the best... he desires for me to have faith that what I want and hope to happen is going to because he can make it. He wants me to live in assurance of what I can't see instead of only trusting what I can. The truth is that sometimes it's not easy to have the faith. I'm not trusting just a situation I'm entrusting a person to him... someone I love SO much and that's one of the most important people in my life. I have to know that God is in control and as much as I think I love this person... it's not a fraction of how his heavenly father feels about him. If there's anyone better to entrust him to... who better than his Savior and Lord... the one who fashioned him and knows the number of every hair on his head. I'm believing God for big things with a faith that screams 'gonna happen'.

I'm trusting and believing and I'm out of the boat. No matter how big those waves get I want to stay out of that boat and keep my eyes fixed on the Savior. I give this to him with the knowledge that I can do nothing on my own, but all things through him. I know and believe that he is the author of all things good and he has a perfect plan for us... one for good and a future and not for harm. Regardless of the outcome of this situation... may God simply be glorified and may I continue living in bold, radical, life-changing faith.