Ye of Little Faith By Betty Fritz
Hebrews 11:1 tells us that, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Have we become a people of little faith? I hope not. There are signs all around us everyday that God is alive and working in the hearts of His people. We often hear stories of accidents where vehicles are destroyed yet their passengers survive…often unharmed. We hear of people whose lives are turned around by unbelievable circumstances. Miracles are all around us…proof that God is real…evidence of things not seen. The Bible is filled with stories of faith…the substance of things hoped for.
I’ve spent a lot of time lately reading the stories in the Old Testament. So many stories of faith. It was so much easier back then, one might think, to have faith. God spoke directly to the people and showed Himself in so many ways …even speaking out loud sometimes…that does not happen today. One would think it was easier, but even then He had a problem keeping people focused on the important issues. Once sin entered the world it became a whole new way of life…a way that soon had to be destroyed and given a whole new beginning.
Noah was the only one God found faithful enough to save… the only one sure enough that God was telling the truth and willing to build an ark, fill it with animals and save his family. How hard it must have been while others laughed and made fun of him.
Moses was a man of faith, but still God had to convince him that leading his people out of Egypt was the right thing to do, and that he was the one for the job. Moses had a speech defect which he pointed out could be a problem. So God told him to take his brother Aaron to be his spokesman to the people….there was a solution to every problem, so Moses finally agreed….but what a job it was to get God’s people to listen. It seemed every time there was an obstacle they were ready to give up. They complained of no water, not enough food… had God sent them out into the wilderness to die? With each complaint God sent relief, but the people were never satisfied. He sent them shade during the day and a light to guide them by night, and still they complained. It’s not surprising that the journey to the land of milk and honey took so long.
Today we complain when it rains and when it doesn’t. The days are too long or too short and no one is ever satisfied with anything. With all our bickering and finding fault, it’s surprising God has not already given up on us. Once again, we need to start focusing on the things that matter…..how we treat each other and how we are honoring God in our daily lives. We can not afford to be a people of little faith. Faith grows when it is practiced. God’s love for us is steady and unfaltering and so must our faith be in Him.
Like us today, people in the Old Testament lived in very sinful times. God chose the ones He knew believed strongly in Him to lead the others and at times even the unborn were destined to do great things. One person, Jesus Christ, was born with the purpose of dying for the sins of all mankind. If we are to be His faithful servants then we need to stop complaining and get on with the job at hand….serving others with a thankful heart. We show our faith by following Christ’s example and being truly thankful for all the good things He and others do for us everyday. Someday may we hear Him say to us, “Thy faith has made thee whole.”
My name is Betty Fritz. I was born and raised in Texas but have resided in Elkhart, Indiana for the last 25 years. My husband is a Hoosier so that’s how we wound up here. We have two daughters and a son plus 6 grand kids…..3 boys and 3 girls.
I retired last year after working for 24 years at Elkhart Child Development Center. I’ve been writing since a teenager and have taken several writing courses. I enjoy writing short stories. I wrote a book of poems, RHYMES OF THE TIMES, which was published a few years ago. I have written countless songs, a few for which demo recordings have been made. Recently I’ve been writing blogs..most of them about my faith and things the Lord has taught me in my Christian life over the last 51 years. My inspiration comes from my personal relationship with Jesus Christ and my desire to see that my grand children grow up in a Christian nation. My goal is to bring glory to Him and help others to see that there is POWER in the name of JESUS!
