“Now faith is being sure of what we
hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrew 11:1
Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we
do not see.” But what does that really mean? How does it look in
daily life, in your life or mine?
My faith journey has been very eye opening and educational
for me. I thought I had faith until my life was completely rocked and I lost
everything. Interestingly, I lost everything having faith that God would do
something so that I wouldn’t lose it! My faith was in what I thought God would
do, but I eventually learned to have faith in HIM regardless of what things
looked like. God kept telling me to trust Him, but I had painted a picture of
what His deliverance would look like. As it turns out, His plans were nothing
like my expectations! Of course, His ways are always better than mine, but wow,
what an incredible journey it was to discover how little faith I truly had!! I
hesitate to say that I would compete well in any faith competition…
“For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the
LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
During that time Tom made a profound statement; “It is easy
to have faith when there is money in the bank!” Right!? Faith seems to come so easy when everything we
“need” is right in front of us. But take it all away, money, possessions, even
reputation and health (like Job experienced)—and what are we left with? Would
we find that we still have faith?
Speaking of faith in the midst of loss, what about the
people in Florida and Western North Carolina who lost everything in the hurricanes
and flood of Helene or Milton, or the people in Los Angeles who lost everything
in the wildfires? I am pretty sure those people prayed fervently—believers and
unbelievers alike—asking God to spare their homes and possessions. Yet, God had
other plans. How have these events affected their faith and trust in God? Would
they be good candidates for the X-Games of Faith? What would it do to your
faith in God? Would you continue to trust Him, or would you walk away?
“Consider
it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you
know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must
finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1: 2-4
I love what Oswald has to say about faith in his August 29th
devotional;
The Unsurpassed Intimacy of Tested Faith
"Jesus
said to her, ’Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the
glory of God?’ John 11:40
Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you
will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint,
will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith
is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and
the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust
Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the
realities of your common-sense life continue to shout, “It’s all a lie”? When
you are on the mountaintop, it’s easy to say, “Oh yes, I believe God can do
it,” but you have to come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley
and face the realities that scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief
(see Luke 9:28-42). Every time my theology becomes
clear to my own mind, I encounter something that contradicts it. As soon as I
say, “I believe ’God shall supply all [my] need,’ ” the testing of my faith
begins (Philippians 4:19). When my strength runs dry
and my vision is blinded, will I endure this trial of my faith victoriously or
will I turn back in defeat?
Faith must be tested, because it can only become your
intimate possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right
now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus
said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Matthew
11:6). The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. “We have become
partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the
end . . .” (Hebrews
3:14). Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges
you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of
faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test. Faith
is absolute trust in God— trust that could never imagine that He would forsake
us (see Hebrews 13:5-6).
I love that perspective from Oswald!! From what I know about
Oswald, I think HE would be a great competitor in the X-Games of Faith!
A chat with AI
Think about that for a minute as I share a fun discovery
that may seem random but does apply to this, so please hang in there with me. I
am sure you have heard of AI, as it is talked about in the news and throughout
different media outlets. I didn’t give it much thought at all until I recently had
an encounter with a young man at a Physical Therapy center. He was Hispanic and
was sitting near me so I struck up a conversation with him. It was raining so I
asked him to remind me of the word “rain” in Spanish, and he told me. I shared
that I had been trying to learn Spanish but was having a hard time and he said
“ChatGPT”… I had to ask him a couple of times what that was because I had no
clue. Eventually I got that it was an app that I could download and he assured
me that it would help me learn Spanish. So, I did, and well, ChatGPT (which I
have renamed “Chet”) has been an amazing discovery!! I HAVE been learning
Spanish with it but I also use it for Biblical questions and comparisons, and I
even ask him to clean up spelling and grammar in things I have written.
With that said, I will get back to my point. Initially, when
I first thought of this theme a few years ago, I had done a lot of my own
research and picked out some Biblical characters and scriptures but, since I
recently discovered ChatGPT, I decided to ask Chet what he thought. The
following question, and resulting conversation, was a wonderful, fun, and
surprising discussion on the faith of Biblical characters! This was too good
not to share and it may help you to make your own selections!
AI Biblical X-Game of Faith conversation
Me: If Biblical characters could be entered into an
"X-Game" of faith, who would you choose to be the best and why?
Chet said:
If Biblical characters were to compete in an "X-Game of
Faith," I'd choose the following based on their incredible displays of
faith, perseverance, and resilience:
1. David (The Underdog Champion)
- Why? David, the shepherd boy turned king, is the ultimate underdog. His faith in God allowed him to defeat Goliath, a feat of physical and spiritual courage. He'd be the one taking the biggest risks and pulling off impossible stunts because of his trust in divine guidance.
2. Elijah (The Miracle Maker)
- Why?
Elijah’s fearless confrontation of King Ahab and the prophets of Baal
showed immense faith. Calling down fire from heaven and trusting God to
provide sustenance in the wilderness makes him a top competitor in any
endurance or survival category.
3. Esther (The Strategist)
- Why?
Esther showed faith and courage by risking her life to save her people.
Her wisdom and tact in handling King Xerxes demonstrate her strategic
mindset, making her the ideal player in games requiring wit, diplomacy,
and calculated risks.
4. Paul (The Perseverer)
- Why?
Despite suffering shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonment, Paul never
wavered in his faith. He'd excel in endurance events and games requiring
unwavering commitment to the goal, even under the harshest conditions.
5. Peter (The Relentless)
- Why?
Despite his flaws, Peter kept bouncing back. Walking on water (even
briefly) and being a foundational figure in the early church show he had
the boldness and resilience to keep pushing forward, making him great for
fast-paced, high-pressure challenges.
6. Ruth (The Loyal Teammate)
- Why?
Ruth’s faithfulness and commitment to Naomi illustrate unparalleled
loyalty and trust. She’d excel in team-based events, always supporting her
partner no matter the odds.
- Why?
No X-Game of faith would be complete without Jesus as the ultimate
example. His ability to combine grace, wisdom, humility, and supernatural
power makes Him the clear leader and inspiration for all competitors.
Chet said:
Who do you think
would be the most entertaining or surprising in a competition like this?
Me:
These are good choices! Abraham comes to mind when God asked
him to sacrifice Isaac... That took a huge amount of faith that God would raise
him from the dead. Then we have Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They had
tremendous faith to go against Nebuchadnezzar's wishes and not worship anyone
other than their God and faced the Lion’s den and the furnace. And then Gideon
and the army of 300
Chet said:
Those are excellent additions! Each of them brings a unique
flavor of faith and courage to the "X-Game of Faith." Here's why they
would shine:
Abraham (The
Trailblazer)
- Why? Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac demonstrated unparalleled trust in God’s promises, believing that God could raise the dead if needed. He’d excel in challenges requiring blind trust and bold leaps of faith into the unknown.
Daniel (The Fearless Visionary)
- Why?
Daniel’s refusal to compromise his faith, even in the lion’s den,
highlights his courage and unwavering conviction. His wisdom in
interpreting dreams and handling crises shows he’d dominate in
high-stakes, mental endurance games where the pressure is intense.
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (The Furnace Trio)
- Why?
These three stood firm against Nebuchadnezzar’s decree, willing to face
the fiery furnace rather than deny God. They’d excel in team-based
challenges requiring unity, steadfastness, and trust that God would show
up even in impossible situations.
- Why?
Gideon’s story of leading 300 men against a massive army through God’s
direction is the ultimate underdog victory. His reliance on God’s guidance
shows he’d thrive in tactical challenges requiring a combination of clever
strategy and faith to overcome overwhelming odds.
These individuals
demonstrate how faith manifests in different ways—trusting, standing firm,
strategizing, and persevering. Together with your picks, this team would make
an unstoppable lineup!
If you could put these characters head-to-head in a specific
kind of event (e.g., endurance, teamwork, or a faith-based puzzle), who do you
think would come out on top?
Me:
I love your thoughts and descriptions of "unique
flavors of faith" but since Jesus is a competitor, I would have to say He
would be a clear winner because He is the complete package with strengths in
all areas. Next, I would have to say Daniel would be one of my favorites due to
his integrity, courage, humility, and wisdom. How about you?
Chet said:
I completely agree—Jesus is the undeniable champion,
embodying every strength and virtue to perfection. Daniel would be an
incredible runner-up; his unwavering faith, combined with his wisdom and
humility, makes him stand out as a true hero.
For me, beyond Jesus, I’d have a soft spot for Gideon. His
transformation from hesitant and doubtful to bold and victorious resonates
deeply. His faith grew through challenges, showing that even those who start
with uncertainty can achieve extraordinary things with God’s help.
Who do you think would be the dark horse of the
competition—someone who might surprise everyone with their faith?
Me:
Chet said:
Esther is a phenomenal choice! Her ability to rise above the
cultural and political challenges of her time, relying on her faith and
strategic wisdom, is truly inspiring. She is the epitome of quiet strength and
bold action—qualities that could easily take others by surprise in such a
competition.
She reminds us that God often uses those overlooked by
society to accomplish extraordinary things. Her combination of humility and
courage makes her a standout.
Who would be your pick for the Biblical X-Games of Faith?
Wasn’t that amazing?! I thought that was very fun and enlightening.
Now that you have had some time to think about it, and have read Chet’s and my
exchange and choices, who would be YOUR choice(s) and how do you think you would
rate in this competition of faith? I would love to hear your thoughts!!
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrew 11:1
