“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen is not made out of things which are visible.”
– Hebrews 11:1-3
In 1893, an engineer and bridge builder by the name George Ferris built a huge wheel with cars attached to carry people. It was powered by a steam engine and designed to make vertical revolutions. The successful invention still bears his name even today. It’s called the “Ferris Wheel.” Chances are you’ve ridden on one once or twice in your lifetime. What a thrill!
Ferris invented the wheel for the Chicago World’s Fair. It is said that he came up with the concept and sketched it on a cocktail napkin at an Engineer’s Banquet in 1891. The first one was 264 feet high but someone had to ride it to test it. When it was finished, Ferris invited his wife and a newspaper reporter to accompany him for the inaugural debut. It was a windy July day, so a stiff breeze struck the wheel with great force as it slowly began its rotation. Despite the wind, however, the wheel turned flawlessly.
After one revolution, Ferris called for the machine to be stopped so that he, his wife, and the reporter could step out of the attached car to the delight of the crowd that had gathered. The Ferris Wheel became such a hit that on Chicago Day at the Fair that year, over 34,000 paid for a ride which consisted of one revolution with six stops to let people on and off.
Whether they knew it or not, the riders of the Ferris Wheel that day displayed a measure of faith that it would take them up and bring them back down safely, even though they had never experienced it before. They trusted in the inventor’s knowledge, reputation and experience.
Biblical faith is like that isn’t it? The writer to the Hebrews says that our faith is filled with the assurance and the hope and conviction that our future is based on the promises of God, the ultimate designer and inventor, even though we have never taken such a “ride” like this before.
In the case of the Ferris Wheel the riders had a shaky confidence that it would take them from ground level and return them to ground level and they were willing to pay the price of a ticket to enjoy the experience.
In the case of a believer, however, we have the assurance that God will take us from ground level to heaven level to spend all of eternity with Him – and the price for that ticket has already been paid for us by our faith in Christ and what He accomplished on the Cross. The apostle Peter describes it this way:
“What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all, life healed and whole.”
– 1 Peter 1:3-5 (The Message)
That’s good enough for me. Free ticket anyone?
Please send me your comments. Maranatha!
To help us walk closer with God and to know Him better
