Do you think that “living by faith” means that there is a total absence of fear or anxiety? Does it mean that you have complete and unwavering trust in God? Does it mean that you cannot allow yourself to doubt and that you must deny any questions that seem to creep into your mind unbeckoned? Is it something that God willingly gives to all His children or is it a gift that they receive in varying amounts? You could spend hours discussing these kinds of questions with others who also embrace whole-heartedly the fact that it is “by faith that we are saved” and it is “by faith we continue to experience the life that we have in Christ”. The fact remains that honesty demands that all of us admit that faith does not eradicate completely our fears, our doubts or our questions. In fact, it just might be that these are the very things that cause us to learn what it means to take a new step of faith – “the willingness to let what we believe determine our actions.”
One of the most unlikely women of faith in the Bible was not an Israelite. She was a woman with a questionable background. She lived in a very strategic place in Jericho at a very crucial time in history. She had the same fears that her family and neighbors had. She had heard about the power and intentions of the Israelites to come and destroy them completely. BUT, unlike the people in her city who refused to acknowledge the supreme God, she turned her heart and loyalties to Him. She was willing to take some big risks and trust that this God would protect her and her family. She did not let fear dominate her decisions. She did not let her past reputation limit her future or her concerns diminish her willingness to do something courageous. Little did she know, that in choosing to trust God at a time when she really had to stand alone, how He would bless her so greatly in the future.
Do you have some fears? Some doubts? Some questions? Perhaps it is time to look more at the God of history and let His Holy Spirit capture your imagination and your mind in a new way. He’s waiting and willing. Are you?
