Faith is not Works, but Trust

And Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Jesus along the road. Mark 10:52 NIV

Have you ever asked yourself, “If only I had enough faith, God would listen to me? Have you ever had someone tell you-“You need to have more faith if you want God to move.”

I often wondered if I had enough faith; perhaps God then would hear my prayers and heal my loved ones. 

The truth is, faith has nothing to do with works. Faith entails more than merely believing in something. Faith is living in a way that shows our trust in God no matter what’s going on in our lives. Hebrews 11 highlights champions of the faith from the Old Testament who trusted and obeyed God in the face of difficult situations.

In Mark 10, we meet a man named Bartimaeus who was born blind. Each day he would sit by the roadside to beg for money or food. When Bartimaeus hears that Jesus was passing by, he begins to shout, “Son of David, have mercy of me.” The crowd kept telling him to be quiet. But Bartimaeus shouted even louder. Finally, Jesus stopped and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus replied, “Rabbi, I want to see.” Then Jesus, full of compassion and mercy, said, “Go, your faith has made you well.”

Friends, faith isn’t work that qualifies you or me to receive a response from God. Faith is the spiritual force within us that takes hold of the answer God has already joyfully and willingly provided for us. When we believe God’s goodness, kindness, and faithfulness; when we believe He is for us; when we believe that Jesus’s sacrifice was all-sufficient; when we believe that our acceptance by God is based on Jesus’ perfect work on the cross, and not on our efforts then our faith reaches out and accesses what God has given us already. 

Faith isn’t something we do to get God to move or change His mind. Instead, it is the calm, confident assurance that our Heavenly Father has already moved- that everything you and I could ever need has been given abundantly, supplied through Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

I’m not sure where you are or what you may be going through right now but be encouraged beloved, we have an amazing Father who loves us and who has provided through Jesus’ finished work on the cross everything we will ever need. Even when we can’t see or feel it, God is working behind the scenes for our good. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for your love and faithfulness. Thank you for reminding me today that you have given me everything I need through Jesus’ finished work on the cross. I believe in you, your goodness, and your unfailing love. I believe you are for me, and I believe what Your Word says about me. Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you were willing to die so that I would not spend eternity without you.