No matter who you are or where you live, there’s one thing we all have in common. Life can be pretty challenging at times. You may feel like all your loved ones, friends, and God have given up on you. You may feel utterly alone. It’s in these times or places that we must have faith, for God never leaves us.
God gives us this very promise in the Bible. You can read His promise in Deuteronomy 31:8, where He says, “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
What better promise can you get than from the One who loves us more than anyone ever can or will?
Faith is the Key
When we find ourselves in the depths of despair and going through hard times, it’s our faith that becomes our guiding light. In these moments God's presence is most perceptible, even if His ways and timing are beyond our comprehension.
We may feel that God is silent, but we can trust that He is offering His unwavering support, protection, and guidance. It's this trust, this faith, that empowers us to believe that He is working on our behalf.
You can count on God and His promises every time, but it’s also necessary to keep the faith during hard, dark times.
What is Faith?
Have you ever looked up the meaning of “faith?” If you do, there are several meanings. In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, you’ll find several meanings. Reading through them, you can see they all apply to our relationship with God and our human relationships. What relationship would be complete without faith?
Faith can be defined as:
- Loyalty
- Fidelity
- Sincerity of intentions
- Belief in and trust in and loyalty to God
- Firm belief in something for which there is no proof
- Complete trust
These concepts lay the foundation of all of our relationships, including the one we have with God. The problem is that we can’t see God. So, how can we prove He exists? It’s only through faith we can experience God.
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV defines faith in this way, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This means that we can build our faith by believing in God, the truths He shares in the Bible, and through experience.
But how can we have faith of this kind when things are hard and our circumstances are unsure? We can’t see God or evidence of His working in our lives. That’s challenging; however, we must put our hope and trust in God. He is always faithful, as it says in the Bible:
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV
Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Psalm 35:5 NKJV
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I John 1:9 NKJV
We can also read about God’s faithfulness to the Israelites as they wandered in the desert for 40 years. He provided the people with everything they needed, even when they were angry at Him, or wanted to turn back to Egypt. You can read about their experiences with God in Exodus chapters 16-40. No matter what, God stayed with His people, protected and provided for them.
This is the same God who sent His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to die for us on the cross. This is how faithful God is to us.
The Nobleman and His Son – John 4:46-54
As I’ve been reading John, I stopped in chapter four to read about the woman at the well and the nobleman and his son. These are two different stories about faith that we can learn from.
After Jesus spent two eventual days with the Samaritans, He embarked on a journey to Galilee. The Galileans, having witnessed the miracles He performed in Jerusalem, eagerly awaited Jesus’ return. His first stop was in Cana, where Christ had turned the water into wine (John 2:1-11). But we’re focused on the story of the nobleman and his son, which you can read in John 4:46-54.
The nobleman, who lived in Capernaum, heard that Jesus was in Galilee. Despite the distance of about 20 miles, he was determined to seek Jesus’ help for his dying son. This act of faith is truly inspiring.
In a state of desperation, the nobleman came before Christ and implored Him to come and heal his son. At the time, Jesus was surrounded by a crowd. After hearing the man’s plea, Jesus gave His response.
Jesus’ response can be confusing, for He gently rebuked the man and the crowd. Christ said, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” (John 4:48 NKJV). Even so, the nobleman continued to implore the Lord to come and heal his child. He knew Christ could heal his son. Jesus had mercy and told the man to go home—that his son lived.
As he traveled home, the nobleman was met by his servants, who said his son lived. He asked them at what time the boy had gotten better. “The servants said to him, ‘Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.'” (John 4:52b NKJV) This was the very hour that Jesus told the man that his son lived!
After this, the nobleman believed (his faith deepened) in Jesus, and his entire household became believers. What an amazing story John shares!
A Journey of Faith
This story is an excellent example of the journey of faith. The nobleman had faith in Jesus, which is why he traveled all that way from Capernaum to Cana to see Christ. However, his faith was not very deep. The man believed that Jesus had to come to see his son and heal him. This was apparent in the man’s imploring Jesus to come to his home. He didn’t realize that Jesus had the authority to heal from a distance.
When the nobleman comes before Christ in that crowd, Jesus rebukes him and all the people. The issue was that many who had seen Jesus’ actions and miracles in Jerusalem only believed because He could do these things. In other words, they only believed when they saw signs and wonders.
This was a shallow form of belief. Shallow belief relies on “crutches” rather than certainty and trust. Many of us start out with shallow faith as new believers. That’s normal; however, this shallow belief must grow and deepen, mature, if we are to be in relationship with Christ.
The Power of Belief
In spite of this rebuke, the nobleman humbly beseeches Jesus yet again to heal his son. He showed faith that was stronger than that of the crowd; however, it still needed to grow. When Jesus told the man to go, his son lived, and the nobleman left without any questions. He fully believed that Jesus had healed his son.
The Confirmation of Faith
When he was almost home, the nobleman’s servants met him. They said his son lived and was made well at the same time Jesus had told him to leave!
From this, the nobleman’s faith grew deeper. He now realized that Jesus was truly the Son of God. He and all his household came to a deeper faith due to Jesus healing his son with a word from a distance.
Growing Our Faith
Is it possible to grow our faith today, like the nobleman and others in the Bible? Yes! You can do this by reading the Bible. In Romans 10:17 NKJV says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” This is one of the wonderous things about the Bible. The more you read it, the more it speaks to you. In the Bible, you can learn about God’s promises, warnings, and His commands. Through hearing and reading the Word of God, the Holy Spirit can build our faith.
As you therefore receive Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6 & 7 NKJV
You can grow your faith in these ways:
- Reading the Bible
- Through prayer
- Expressing thanks
- Confessing sin
- Fellowship & community through attending church
- Obeying God’s Word
- Showing you are trustworthy and sincere
- Trusting in God’s promises
A deep, abiding faith may be given to some; however, others have to work on growing their faith through these methods and experiences. So, it can take patience and persistence to deepen your faith as you go through life. Growing your faith can be a slow process; each person is an individual and has a unique faith journey—that’s OK.
The main thing is to understand that God follows through on His promises and that He’s with you always. He’s with you right this minute. This is what the nobleman learned in his encounter with Jesus. The nobleman had faith, but it needed to grow.
Let the nobleman’s story show you how to deepen your faith and learn how to lean on and trust in God. He does not leave us or forsake us—God always follows through on His promises.
God bless,
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