The iconic Golden Gate Bridge is said to be one of the "Wonders of the Modern World." This grand title, bestowed upon a steel structure, is partially due to its complex concrete foundation. Ironically, this sure foundation is hidden under 110 feet of swirling, turbulent water in the middle of San Francisco Bay. The men who designed this bridge knew it would need a foundation capable of withstanding strong winds, turbulent currents, heavy load capacity, and earth quake forces. Seems like a lot to ask of an underwater piling.
In the phrase "faith is the substance of things hoped for," the apostle Paul is telling us faith under-girds our deepest and most personal prayer requests. Our faith, like the foundation of the Golden Gate Bridge, has substance. In other words, faith is not just a figure of speech, hidden below the abyss of biblical instruction. Our belief must be like a solid piling, holding us steady, so we can withstand life's greatest storms. Faith grows stronger when we listen and apply God's instruction to our lives.
Many people believe we are living in unprecedented times and are fearful of what the future holds. Now more than ever we need to trust and lean on God for assurance but we have to be more than just an informed believer with a head full of knowledge with little conviction. We might be able to quote scripture and argue our opinion but when the tide rises and pressure from outside forces flood our lives, lukewarm Christians will show their true colors by caving to the demands of fear and unbelief.
On the other hand, real believers won't throw in the towel when trouble comes in like a flood. Instead, active faith sees difficult circumstances with spiritual sight. When faith is cemented in our minds we will be convinced that regardless of what our current situation looks like, sounds like, and feels like, there is a God who hears us, answers our prayers, and will never leave us or forsake us. When we build our faith on the unerring word of God we will withstand every hurricane we face with enough confidence to weather each storm in peace.
"For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which we already have - which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:11)
