Faith That Walks When the Road Isn’t Paved

[David]

Faith is not lying to yourself that everything is alright when it’s not. Faith is standing up when everything in you is telling you to sit down. Hebrews 11 starts with a definition that shatters the world’s version of confidence: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” ~Hebrews 11:1. Faith is the reality of what has yet to arrive. Faith sees the invisible, because God says it’s visible.

God spoke and the giants of faith took action. Abel brought a better offering, Noah built an ark in a no-rain zone, and Abraham moved his family without knowing the destination. These aren’t ancient bedtime stories, they’re old, wrinkled, real-life roadmaps of what happens when you trust God more than you trust your situation. They had no GPS, only a promise. But that was enough. Faith doesn’t have to have it all spelled out. Faith walks with a destination.

Abraham is the primary study in true trust. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he would receive as an inheritance” ~Hebrews 11:8. He went out without knowing the location. We like GPS faith, precise, detailed instructions. But God gives you one step at a time. He says, “Follow Me,” and expects you to get up and walk. Faith doesn’t sit in the driveway and demand full clarity before it starts the car. It turns the key because the One who called is trustworthy.

Sarah learned that faith is not believing your watch before you believe God’s time. “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive…because she judged Him faithful who had promised” ~Hebrews 11:11. She laughed at first, but God kept His word. When everything looks like a desert, faith says, “God’s not done.”

Hebrews 11:13 says, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off.” They never got to see every promise, but they lived like it was on its way. That’s the kind of faith that keeps your feet moving when your heart is shaking. The kind that says, “Even if I don’t see it yet, I know the One who promised it.”

The faith that pleases God is not just mental, it’s obedient in action. It’s Noah building, Abraham walking, Sarah believing, and you trusting. The world says, “Seeing is believing.” God says, “Believing is seeing.”

So next time the road ahead looks unclear, open Hebrews 11. Don’t wait for the fog to lift before you start walking. Faith isn’t having it all figured out. It’s trusting the One who does. Because “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” ~Hebrews 11:6.

The heroes of faith didn’t have perfect situations, but they had a perfect God. And that’s all faith ever needs.

Created my first AI-generated song and music. I think it turned out very well:

Song Description: “Walkin’ By Faith”​

“Walkin’ By Faith” is a gritty outlaw-country track about trusting God when the road ahead makes no sense. Inspired by Hebrews 11, it tells the story of believers who moved when God said “Go,” even when the map wasn’t clear. With raw vocals, steel-string grit, and a heartbeat of hope, it’s a song for anyone learning to follow Jesus one step at a time, no map, no plan, just faith in the great I AM. Lyrics From: True Grit Gospel

Click Here to listen to the song.

 

[bobinfaith]

Good morning, David;

In Genesis 10 Abram walked with his father Terah in Ur where the people worshiped idols. Later they settled in Harran, Mesopotamia. At that time Abram had no thought of God or who he was until He spoke to Abram.

I'm sure Abram wondered who this was that spoke to him. But Abram took that walk by faith and trusted God.

When we choose God and walk on the road that isn't paved, it can be rocky or muddy. It can fill us with doubt. "Will this road truly bring us where He wants us to go?"

A smooth paved road is more comfortable and we feel confident. We can clearly see the walk will get us to our destination.

I remember in 1999 I took my wife to Mendocino for her birthday. After a perfect getaway our car broke down in Willits, CA, in front of a Church. lol!

It was a 1986 Nissan Sentra that we bought brand new when we were newly weds. I knocked at the front door of the Church but nobody answered. We sat in the car and prayed, asking the Lord to guide us.

After our prayer we saw a postal worker in his truck across the street. I went and spoke to him and he told us of an auto repair from his mail deliveries. The auto repair couldn't help us because it was Sunday so he referred us to a tow truck shop across the street. The tow truck drove me to our car and towed us back to their garage.

They could see the transmission was blown. We couldn't afford a new tranny so they said they could get us a refurbished one but would take 3 weeks. We needed to rent a car to get home and there was one next door. They wouldn't rent us a car because we only had liability.

I called our car insurance and the agent asked if we had a gold credit card. So I called the credit card and they could help us because the card included collision for a rental. We rented the car and drove home.

In the back seat was a large white envelope. It was filled with birthday cards for an 18 year old. I called the rental car and they were kind to ask their previous customer if I could mail the envelope to them. We mailed it back East in the US. A few days later the young man mailed us a thank you card and appreciated receiving back memories full of birthday wishes.

Before the 3 weeks was up we got a call that our car was ready. I drove back up from the Bay Area to Willits, CA, returned the rental and drove our car back.

The refurbished tranny worked great up until we donated our car several years later to an organization. As the tow truck mounted our old car I asked him to give me a minute. I prayed and thanked God for 22 years for His car. This car had served well for our personal transportation, Church, attending Bible studies, and helping other people.

While I was praying the tow truck driver stood there with his hat off. lol! Then he drove off. I felt touched watching as our car was being towed away. I guess they would fix it up and pass it on to another owner.

I look back at the events that took place when our car broke down and we knew all along that it was God. It's a small testimony compared to Abram's journey with God. But our prayer when we weren't aware of the path, He would guide us, our faith during process of getting there, the results of the young man getting his mail back and God receiving our overall thanksgiving to Him.

bobinfaith