Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faith is believing God for what seems impossible. It is a stretch of the heart against a background of reason. We do have reason. We have God’s Word as the revelation of Himself and we have our own testimonies of God’s faithfulness proven in our lives. We have Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We have Christmas to remind us about God’s powerful entrance into our lives on earth in the form of a baby in a manger.

Granted, human limitations mix up our otherwise steady eyes of faith and make us doubt what is not yet visible. We can only imagine what Mary must have thought when first visited by God. Yet she says, in Luke 1:46-48, “…My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant…” Faith embraces the world as one that is sustained and directed by El Shaddai, God Almighty, the One Who has and uses His unlimited power to orchestrate life and to build depth into our faith. Believe El Shaddai – the same One who stooped to earth in a miraculous incarnation at Christmas time – the One who came to save us from our alienation from God through Jesus Christ.

Sometimes there are years of God’s silence. They can be excruciating. They can steal our energies and joys. They can crush our faith. There were 13 silent years between the birth of Ishmael and God’s voice speaking directly to Abram about the reminded promise of a son that Sarai would bear (Genesis 17:1-3). Those long years in between… The waiting… God’s silence… The temptation to assume that God’s silence meant that their self-determined solution to childlessness must have had God’s stamp of approval. That Ishmael must have been God’s design for fulfilling His promise…

Don’t we all try to take matters into our own hands? Give God some help? Question His timing? Doubt His faithfulness? Come up with our own solutions? Yet God tells us in Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

The times of testing, although painful, are not without purpose. James 1:3-4 says, “… you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” El Shaddai, God Almighty, is faithful to His plan for the world and for you. That plan may not match yours. But, as your faith matures and is less hampered by doubt, you will reach the conclusion that, whatever may come, you can be sure that God’s purposes are better than our presumptions.

God is mindful of the humble state of his servants. Earnestly seek Him. Be ready for a visit from God.