Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see…. Hebrews 11:1

MANASSAS, VA, Friday, August 26

Today I prepared for a hurricane. It seemed kind of foolish. The sky was blue and there was a gentle breeze rustling the leaves. The sun was shining. It was a gorgeous evening. However, I didn’t dawdle. I mowed the lawn, cleaned out the rain gutters and stowed all of the children’s outside toys safely in the shed. Josh raked debris away from storm drains and took in our flag and solar lights while I secured the charcoal grill and deck chairs on our screened in porch. We took down the portable basketball hoop and nailed shut our wooden gate. Pam purchased flashlights, batteries, bottled water and food staples. We got ready for an event “not yet seen.”

Now think about it. We did all of that preparation because a meteorologist warned us that a storm was coming. This is the same meteorologist that consistently calls for snow events that never happen and has told me all summer that there is an 80% chance of thunderstorms that never actually happen. My crunchy lawn is a silent testimony to the inaccuracy of his predictions. Yet as unreliable as the weatherman has been, I believe him when he says there’s a life-threatening storm 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina headed this way. I haven’t seen it, but I believe. I have faith in the unseen and it affected my behavior.

If I can have faith in an often-wrong weatherman, and it affects my choices, how much more can I trust the words of God and the leading of His Spirit and act with confidence? He is completely trustworthy and He loves me. He demonstrated that when Jesus died on the cross in my place. As his child, He has made many precious promises to me.

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God assures me that when I act in faith, He will supply my need (Philippians 4:19). He says that as I seek His Kingdom and order my life around his priorities, every good thing will be added to me (Matthew 6:33). Finally, He invites me to take up my cross and and follow him and find that in losing my life I will find it again (Matthew 16:24-25). All this is possible through the spirit of Jesus within me.

Everyone puts their faith in something. As a Christian we have a choice. We can function according to the values of the world OR we can walk according to the unseen values of God’s kingdom.

God is God of the unseen; but his promises are sure; much more reliable than the weather!