Even more thoughts on faith

I am on the road and on vacation, so I am not sure how coherent this will be, but my blog is one thing that I like to continue even while I am resting. I want to write at least one more entry on faith. I am going to review a bit before I talk about “faith and hearing,” so bear with me, please.

First, remember that faith is meant to be a trusting response, not a reaction to a crisis that leads to our frantic attempts to “build our faith.” Because increasing trust is the soil in which relationships prosper, we will find that God is always desiring to reveal Himself to us in new ways. Some of these ways look like major obstacles when they first arrive on the scene, of course, but our deepening trust in Father’s love and goodness prepare us for each new opportunity to know Him. And because these new opportunities have not been faced before, it is not surprising that we feel inadequate to face them when they arrive. This is why it’s never productive to berate oneself for lack of faith. Rather we can collapse into God’s kindness with anticipation that the needed trust will develop as we walk through our fears into Father’s love.

Because biblical faith is relational in nature, it requires us to hear God, Spirit to spirit, and also to know that He (really) hears us. Relationships are built on communication, so hearing God is absolutely foundational to any growing relationship with Him. The better we hear Him, Spirit to spirit, the greater potential there is for growth in our relationship. John 11:41-42 comes to mind here, where Jesus says to Father, “I know that you always hear me,” because it reveals the depth of intimacy that Jesus knew was possible with His Father. When we couple this passage with John 5:19 and 12:49, we see both sides of the ongoing communication between Father and Son that is a model for us. Yes, it is just as important, friends, to realize that Father is listening to you very intently as it is to learn to listen to Him.

When we talk about faith and hearing, some people will think of Romans 10:17 which is often quoted to encourage people to “read their Bibles” to build their faith. The KJV and NKJV versions make possible this misunderstanding. The NKJV reads, “So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” But this verse is not talking about reading or hearing God’s written word in a way that somehow automatically builds your faith. The context of this verse is the proclamation of the Good News about Jesus, so the “hearing” in the context really is “hearing,” hearing of the message about Jesus. Second, the proclamation of the Gospel in Paul’s day was not merely the sharing of information, rather the message came with demonstrations of supernatural power and the deep convicting work of the Holy Spirit. Faith, therefore, was not a decision to believe an idea but a heart response to a God who showed up in power and invited the hearers to respond to an invitation into a relationship with Him through Jesus.

Why is it important to understand this passage properly? Because it is often misused in a way that actually hinders faith rather than helps it. Yes, God’s written word deposited into our hearts through memorization, meditation and obedience does help to increase our trust in God as a loving Father, but it does so because it reveals His nature and character, which He then certifies in our experience again and again. Also, hearing God’s words to our spirit, although it is (must be) built upon His written word, the latter cannot substitute for the former. God’s written word may increase our “vocabulary” for hearing God and give depth to His voice (and will keep us from error), but it cannot replace the Spirit-to-spirit communication that nourishes our personal relationship with God.

I have written much in earlier blogs about hearing God, so I won’t repeat myself. I just wanted to underscore the place of hearing God in our spirit as a primary means for growing in our trust in Him.

Let me close with some of the words that I sensed God saying to me last December 12, 2008 as I was praying. Maybe you will hear Him speaking to you as well.

Asking apart from a deeper and deeper understanding of and confidence in me, my nature and character, simply cannot bear fruit. But if you will let me lead you into ‘God-confidence’ as you have asked and as I continue to endeavor to do, you will be utterly amazed! But you are just beginning to see, child, and just beginning to live loved, and you have barely started tasting of my goodness and barely gotten your feet wet in my River! Child, I know you want to hurry, because of your love and compassion for others, but you can trust me with them while you learn, and your feeble faith at present, expressed on your initiative independently of me, will gain nothing. Trust me, little one, and take time to savor the revelation of Who I AM. It is more important than any activity that you could possibly engage in. Fly! My Wind won’t let you down, nor will my Wind lead you astray! Enjoy the ride, child, and trust that as you do, I AM changing you! Fly, beloved, fly! Dance, child, dance with me. Feel my embrace as you lean into me! Feel the cool freshness even as you breathe in my goodness!”

Learning to listen to the One who listens most carefully to us,

Tom, one of Abba's little boys