Faith Sees

            Author Chuck Swindoll tells a funny story about a 9 year old boy named Danny who came flying out of his classroom at the end of the Sunday school hour at church.  He stood on the patio looking for his mom or dad.  Finally, he spotted his father and ran up to him.  Danny’s dad asked, “Hey, did you learn anything in your class today?”

            

           Danny replied, “Yeah, Dad, it was neat.  We heard the story about Moses and God’s people crossing the Red Sea.”  Danny’s dad smiled and said, “I like that story.  Tell it to me.”

            

           So Danny explained, “Well, the Israelites got out of Egypt, but Pharaoh and his army chased after them.  So the Jews ran as fast as they could until they got to the Red Sea.  The
Egyptian Army was getting closer and closer.  So Moses got on his walkie-talkie and told the Air Force to bomb the Egyptians.  While this was happening, the Navy built a special bridge so the people could cross the water.  And they made it!”

            

           Danny’s dad was shocked.  He asked, “It that the way your teacher taught you the story?” Danny shook his head and said, “No, not exactly, but if I told you the way they told it to us, Dad, you’d never believe it!”

            

           That’s just it, isn’t it? Some of the things in the Bible do seem hard to believe.  Such amazing things are just beyond our imagination or ability so some people simply dismiss them as fables, something that is made up but not true.

            

           You and I might feel that way except for one important gift that God has given to us – the gift of faith.  We come into the world blind – spiritually blind.  The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

            

           But the Holy Spirit works through the Gospel of Christ, fills us with faith to believe, and pours out all the spiritual blessings that come to a believer in Christ.  Now, our eyes are opened and we can see what the spiritually blind cannot see – the power, the majesty, the grace and the mercy of God.

            

           Just as a young child takes his father’s word, because that child trusts his father, we as children of God, trust our heavenly Father’s Word.  You might say that “faith sees.”

            

           Faith sees that it is nothing for God, almighty and powerful, to create the world in six days.  Faith sees that the God who created the world, could easily give Moses the power to part the water so that the Israelites could flee to safety.  Faith sees that God can do what no one else has ever done – be born by a virgin mother.  Faith sees that the child born to the virgin – his name is Jesus – came for only one purpose, the redemption of the world.  Faith sees Jesus on the cross, not dying the death of a misfit or a martyr, but paying for the sins of the world and winning salvation for all who believe.  Faith sees this Jesus on Easter morning rise from the dead and worships Him as the victorious Savior who gives forgiveness, righteousness and salvation.

            

          To the spiritually dead, all that I have just mentioned is nothing but foolishness.  But with the eyes of faith, what seems like foolishness is simply the fantastic work of a God who is still in control and who always sees those who belong to Him.  God watching you and me? It’s amazing but it’s true.  We know this because through God’s precious gift, faith sees.