“You Must Believe,” Says the LORD

The blind man who had just received his sight said:

 “Lord, I believe.”

—John 9:38 (NRSV)

And the blind man worshipped Jesus, there and then. Jesus used this event to teach all who would hear that those who were blind would be made to see, whilst those who could see would be made blind. Whenever we proudly think we see we are made blind to the spiritual realities of God. But when we simply believe, by pure faith, we, who are blind, shall certainly see.

We can extend this further to note that whenever we believe that God can achieve anything in our lives that is achievable we live free of the world’s depressing sense of hopelessness.

The Lord simply says, you must believe.

A Belief That Becomes Nothingness

When we can approach life without preconception, without prior notion of what is going on and what’s required, despite the fact that we must also plan diligently, we achieve a subtle balance of faith.

Faith is not entering into things blindly, without having planned the way, but it is very much about entering situations with an open mind and an open heart, ready to see God moving.

Faith works best when we are blinded to the options; when all appears vague and difficult to interpret. When we come up against life as if we are blind, faith has a chance to work for us by the power of God.

Times like these, God is saying to us—you must believe—and, through that agency, all things turn out well.

When we can hold the extraneous moment of fear, anxiety, worry or despair, and we don’t panic, by simply holding aloft our faith before the Presence of God, we suddenly know what faith is.

Faith is a thing tested through uncertainty.

Faith is a thing with wheels that roll in the mode of insecurity and ambiguity.

Faith goes against the tide. As the floodtide rolls in, threatening to swamp us, we move in to immerse ourselves in the water, and faith energises us to swim. But all this is conditional on us bringing nothing in order to make a heavenly transaction. Not only does God require nothing of us but our trust, to bring anything would negate faith.

***

God wants us to know we must believe! Religion is useless unless by faith we believe in God; that God can do anything in our circumstances. This is never said better than by four words: in God we trust.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.