Time Out! Devotions

What Is Faith?

Hebrews 11:1-2 (NCV)

¹ Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it. ² Faith is the reason we remember great people who lived in the past.

Romans 10:17 (NCV)

¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing the Good News, and people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.

Galatians 5:6 (NCV)

⁶ The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love.

1 John 5:4 (NCV)

⁴ Everyone who is a child of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world—our faith.

John 6:28-29 (NCV)

²⁸ The people asked Jesus, “What are the things God wants us to do?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work God wants you to do is this: Believe the One he sent.”

Psalm 118:8 (NCV)

⁸ It is better to trust the Lord than to trust people.

Hebrews 11:6 (NCV)

⁶ Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who truly want to find him.

Luke 17:5 (NCV)

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Give us more faith!”

Hebrews 6:12 (NCV)

¹² We do not want you to become lazy. Be like those who through faith and patience will receive what God has promised.

James 1:5-6 (NCV)

⁵ But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom without criticizing you. ⁶ But when you ask God, you must believe and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea, blown up and down by the wind.

Psalm 37:3, 5, 7 (NCV)

³ Trust the Lord and do good. Live in the land and feed on truth. ⁵ Depend on the Lord; trust him, and he will take care of you. ⁷ Wait and trust the Lord. Don’t be upset when others get rich or when someone else’s plans succeed.

Psalm 55:22 (NCV)

²² Give your worries to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will never let good people down.

Psalm 62:8 (NCV)

⁸ People, trust God all the time. Tell him all your problems, because God is our protection.

Isaiah 43:1-2 (NCV)

¹ Now this is what the Lord says. He created you, people of Jacob; he formed you, people of Israel. He says, “Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine. ² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you.

Isaiah 41:13 (NCV)

¹³ I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, and I tell you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I will help you.’

Proverbs 3:5 (NCV)

⁵ Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don’t depend on your own understanding.

Isaiah 50:10 (NCV)

¹⁰ Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? That person may walk in the dark and have no light. Then let him trust in the Lord and yet depend on his God.

For the longest time I didn’t understand the new-car industry. I had always thought it worked like this. When a guy wanted a car, he dropped by the local dealership, kicked a few tires, slammed some doors, and fiddled around with radios, hoods, and trunk lids. Then he would rap with the salesman, dicker over prices, choose his favorite color, and place the order. I figured that when headquarters got the specs, they’d scurry around the shop finding the right steering wheel, engine, chrome strips, and hubcaps, then make sure all that stuff got stuck on correctly before it was shipped. You know, kind of like whipping up a last-minute meal with grub from the kitchen.

But that’s not the way it is at all. To my amazement, I discovered that a computer card puts into motion dozens of contacts all over the country. One spot makes only engines. Another, the glass and plastic parts. Some other outfit does the steering wheels, and yet another the carpet and vinyl. As the order is placed, it triggers action in all these related areas. And—hopefully—at just the right time the special things arrive at the assembly plant where it all comes together—everything from bumper bolts to windshield wipers. And within a relatively short period of time, a shiny new car is punched out, rolled onto a transport truck, and sent to its proper destination.

What a remarkable arrangement ingenious Americans have devised! And none of it was even thought of two hundred years ago.

Now then—if man can come up with an organizational plan as complex as all that, think of how much more efficient God’s arrangement was . . . over two thousand years ago. I’m referring to the perfectly synchronized events surrounding the Savior’s birth. For sure, it was no afterthought. Scripture assures us that “when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son” (Galatians 4:4).

Fantastic statement!

At just the right moment, precisely as God arranged it, in keeping with a plan we might dub “Operation Arrival,” enter Messiah.

Micah said it would be in Bethlehem, Judah. It was. But I thought Joseph and Mary were of Nazareth, Galilee. They were. Aren’t those places miles apart? Yes, in those times days apart. Then . . . how? Well, you see, that’s just a small part of the plan, nevertheless amazing. Especially when you consider Mary was almost “term” in her pregnancy. To get them down south in time required fairly good roads—unheard of prior to the Roman takeover. And they certainly needed to be forced to travel . . . hence a required census from Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1) that forced Joseph to register in person in the city of his family roots, Bethlehem (Luke 2:4).

But before a Savior could be born, there also needed to be some natural means of common communication—a familiar tongue that would quickly spread the news. No problem. Thanks to Alexander the Great, the father of koine Greek, that language was ripe and ready for rapid dissemination of the gospel message through the pen of the evangelists and apostles from then on.

Thanks to good roads, a decision in Rome, and a bothersome census, it happened at just the right place. At just the right time . . . with an articulate language as the perfect verbal vehicle. A little baby that the world hardly noticed arrived. Rome was too busy building and conquering. Augustus thought he was hot stuff prancing about the palace demanding that census. In reality he was little more than a wisp of lint on the prophetic page . . . a pawn in the hand of the Commander of “Operation Arrival.”

The things God pulled off to get His Son delivered on time twenty-one centuries ago would make the pride of American ingenuity look like an organizational afterthought by comparison.

Excerpted from Come Before Winter and Share My Hope, Copyright © 1985, 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.

(from Insight for Living Library)

Isaiah 41:10-14 (NIV)

¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

¹¹ “All who rage against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
will be as nothing and perish.

¹² Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing at all.

¹³ For I am the LORD, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.

¹⁴ Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob,
O little Israel,
for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Fear is a powerful emotion. It shows up without warning, tends to dominate our thoughts, and does not depart quickly. But as Christians, we have an even more powerful weapon to stop anxiety from overcoming us – the Word of God.

When anxiety strikes, key truths can help us stand firm. First, remember that God is sovereign over all circumstances and people (1 Chronicles 29:11). When He decides to act, no leader, army, or nation can stand against Him. We may not understand why certain things happen, but we can know for sure that our Lord is still in control.

Next, keep in mind the promise that He causes all things to work for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Just as the Father orchestrated the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to accomplish our salvation, He also works circumstances for our good and His glory. The disciples didn’t comprehend what Jesus was telling them about the future; nor could they initially see how His dying was beneficial. But in the end, they understood that God had carried out His plan of redemption through the crucifixion and resurrection.

We may be in the midst of hard times and wondering where the good is. Do not lose hope. God is sovereign and true to every one of His promises (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Verses that proclaim God’s sovereignty can help us overcome fear (Psalm 22:27-28). Studying the lives of saints like Abraham, Joseph, and the apostle Paul will remind us that God is mighty and He can use difficulties to bring about gain. As we believe His Word, our anxiety will be replaced by His divine peace (Galatians 5:22).

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley,

please visit www.intouch.org
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