Faith Is the Substance

February 5

“Don’t buy a pig in a poke.” “Seeing is believing.” “Show me!” “Where’s the beef?” All these familiar clichés advise investigation into a matter before trusting it to be as it first appears. We’ve all ignored these admonitions and found ourselves to be disappointed because we initially neglected to discern rightly.

Generally speaking, we are wise to “Err on the side of caution.” The one area in life that is benefitted when we receive it on faith regards our relationship with Jesus. Not that He does not bear scrutiny. In fact, the more we investigate His claims, the clearer it becomes that He is worthy of our complete trust.

Yet, His word in the matter is, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing Me are truly blessed.” This was spoken to Thomas, forever immortalized in the term, “Doubting Thomas,” when he said he could not believe Christ had risen until he touched the nail prints in His hands.

Indeed, this addresses a perplexity each believer faces at some point or another in his walk with Jesus. There will be a time when you must rely upon either your common sense or the Word of God; upon what you see or upon what He says is true—remembering—“Faith is the substance of things…unseen” (Hebrews 11:1).