“Faith is not by chance, but by choice.” – Neil L Andersen, and he adds: “Faith never demands an answer to every question but seeks the assurance and courage to move forward.”
We ask before it is given unto us; we seek before we find; we knock before it is opened unto us.
This is a principle to remember during hard times. There is a time no matter how many scriptures we read, no matter how many prayers we pray, we feel we are not making any progress. That’s when we need to remember that building on the foundation of trust, and hanging onto faith, no matter what, is not a function of how we feel or don’t feel (which we can’t always control), but on what we decide (which we can control).
Faith is a decision.
John 20:25(NASB) So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord !” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Note that Thomas said: I WILL NOT believe.
Many think seeing miracles would cause people to have faith. But the only ones who believe because of seeing miracles are those who choose to accept the miracle as sufficient evidence for them to believe. It is still a choice.
John 12:37(NET) Although Jesus had performed so many miraculous signs before them, they still refused to believe in him.
Once we make the decision to believe, we are in faith, no matter how we may feel. At its core, faith is always a decision. No one can force you to believe in anything. The choice is yours. However, we cannot believe or have faith in anything without evidence. We must have evidence that convinces us before we can believe something. The primary evidence God has given us so that we may have faith in Him, is His Word. God is not a liar; He can be trusted. Whatever God says, always come to pass.
Romans 4:19-20(NLT) And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.
Abraham did not waiver in faith that, what God had promised He would also be able to do. In contrast, consider what was recorded in terms of what was going on in Abraham’s heart when God made this promise:
Genesis 17:17(NLT) Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”
How is it that we can say Abraham was unwavering in his faith when we read verses like this where he literally laughs and in his heart questions how God’s word was to come about, given their circumstances. He didn’t doubt that God’s word would come about, only he didn’t feel things lined up properly. Faith then, is not a feeling but rather something that can be present regardless of how we feel.