Hocus Pocus Faith

Is faith like magic? Some people must think so.

Such people think that positive thoughts or certain words will bring about what they desire. But that’s more magic than faith--sort of a Hocus Pocus Faith.

Magic attempts to control people, things, events and nature through rituals, potions or spells. In the world of magic, you’re a god and believe your words have power.

Christian faith trusts the God of the Bible to do what he has promised. It’s not your sincerity or what you say that matters. It’s what God says that controls the outcome.

What a good reason to read the Bible! If God hasn’t promised to do something, it’s foolish to ask him for it or believe he will do it. God cannot be manipulated.

For instance, God promises to provide for the needs of those who trust in him. Helping you win the Lottery isn’t covered. That’s greed, not a need. Don’t bother asking or begging.

Well hold on just a minute! Then what good is faith?

Faith is only as good as its object. The object of faith is the person or thing you trust in. If your faith is in people, sooner or later you’ll be disappointed. People are often unreliable.

Faith works best when you trust in the God of the Bible. The Bible is the only proven record of how God relates to mankind. It shows how he answers prayer and keeps his promises.

So when God says something is true or will happen, it makes sense to take him at his word. That’s not blind faith, it’s faith based on reliable evidence.

My father used to tell me, “Son, God is faithful. And he’s not about to lose his reputation on you or me.” As the Bible says, “God is not a man, that he should lie.”

Manley Beasley, a Southern Baptist Evangelist, once said, “Faith is believing something is so, even when it’s not so, so that it becomes so, because God said so!”

Rather than hopeless optimism, such an expression is sensible faith. Instead of “Make Believe” it’s trusting in a God who does what he says. Every time.

Corrie Ten Boom, a Holocaust survivor, wrote one of my favorite descriptions of faith in her book, “Tramp for the Lord.” She said, “Faith is like radar that sees through the fog.”

In the fog, radar sees things that are real but cannot be seen by the human eye. Faith is like radar because it sees the reality of what God has promised. And once you learn how God keeps his word, it’s not a stretch of faith to take him at his word and trust him completely.

That’s how a child trusts his parents. When Dad or Mom says, “Dinner will be at 5 o’clock,” the child doesn’t worry or fret. He plays until 5 p.m. and then comes in expecting dinner. Why? Because the parents have proven faithful. They do what they say. Just like God.

So when a Christian expresses confidence in God it’s because God has proven faithful. Christians aren’t being arrogant when they say they’re going to heaven when they die. Jesus promised his followers that he would come back from heaven to take them to be with him.

Since Jesus arose from the dead, he proved his power over death. How much proof do you need? The resurrection is one of the best-documented facts of history. Check it out.

I like to say, “If God said it, I believe it and that settles it!” Such faith allows you to live life to the full. Released from worry and the fear of dying, a Christian can focus on truly living.

And here’s the best part. You don’t need a lot of faith. Jesus said that if your faith is in God, all you need is a tiny amount and you can still see amazing results. The key is to trust God.

So forget the hocus pocus stuff and listen to the Bible. It’s great for your soul!