Thought for Today
Psalm 116:10 I kept my faith, even when I said, "I am greatly afflicted";
Isaiah 7:9 If you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all.
Matthew 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-- you of little faith?
Luke 17:6 "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Shutdown – Day 4
I checked again this morning: The air is still turned on, the sun came up this morning, the Interstate was a less congested mess because it is Saturday and there is no commuter rush hour. Everything’s ‘normal.’
“Do you doubt that you have enough faith to overcome obstacles?” (These Days, October 4, 2025)
Faith may well be the most essential, comprehensive and confusing element in our lives and in our worship. Having been trained as an engineer, I cannot help but wonder how one measures one’s faith. Is faith measured in feet and inches, in ounces and pounds? Maybe in cubic mustard seeds?
My dictionary tells me, “faith – in Christianity, belief, trust, and obedience to God as revealed in Jesus Christ. It is the means of salvation (Eph. 2:8-9) or eternal life (John 6:40).” (Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, pg. 100) My Bible tells me, “Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” How can we measure or quantify that for which we hope, that which we cannot see? Maybe the question I should be asking is whether or not I even need to worry about quantifying my hope.
The author of that devotional today wrote from Kerrville, Texas. I do not know whether she wrote about faith before or after the devastating recent flooding. I do know that area of Texas, the beauty of the rolling hills, rock-bottomed streams and the forests. Large herds of whitetail deer abound. It is one of my favorite areas. It is also home to a Presbyterian church camp and headquarters of a jeweler specializing in religious themed jewelry. When I am in the Texas Hill Country, I always feel infused with hope and especially close to God. I cannot help but wonder how I would feel were I standing alongside the Guadalupe River in Kerrville today.
Some days, as we look at the world around us, it is hard to have hope. Some days it is even hard to imagine ever having hope. Yet, for Christians, faith and hope are inextricably linked. That same dictionary tells me, “hope, Christian – The Christian anticipation of the future as the fulfillment of God’s purposes based on God’s covenant faithfulness and the resurrection of Jesus Christ as known by the work of the Holy Spirit in the church.” (ibid, pg. 133)
Yesterday, we heard news reports of the possibility of peace breaking out in Gaza. A peace plan was offered and at least some parts of the plan have proven acceptable to both warring parties. At last there is hope for peace in at least one arena of conflict.
“Do you doubt that you have enough faith to overcome obstacles?” I believe that if we are honest with ourselves, most of us would have to answer ‘Yes’ at times. Some obstacles seem too hard to resolve or work around. Some days even small obstacles seem irresolvable. On those days or any time I ponder the issue, I try to remind myself that I am not God. How could any obstacle thwart the Creator of Creation? I remind myself of the wisdom of the author of Hebrews, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Christians are covenant people, rooted in, steeped in the covenant faithfulness of God. We are defined by the covenants of the Old Testament and beneficiaries of the New Covenant, sealed in the blood of God’s Son. We are not perfect; we are forgiven. We have that hope for the future as the fulfillment of God’s plan. We know that our faith will overcome obstacles with God’s help. With Paul, we also know that “1 Corinthians 13:13 . . . faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” God’s love for us; our love for God.
Stay safe, have hope, trust God,
Pastor Ray