The Necessity of Faith - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

The Necessity of Faith
Have you faith in God? Do you know Him? Is there a link between your soul and Him? Can you trust Him for everything? Are you at this moment consciously leaning upon Him, upon His Word, upon His arm? Remember, if there is any darkness or hesitation as to this, devotedness is and must be out of the question. All steady devotedness rests upon the solid ground of personal faith in the living God. We cannot too strongly insist upon this in a day of profession as widespread as it is shallow. It will not do to say “we believe.” There is far too much of this, far too much head knowledge and lip profession.

It is easy to say we believe, but as James puts it, “What does it profit … if someone says he has faith?” Faith is a divine reality and not a mere human effort. It is based upon divine revelation and not upon the working of human reason. It connects the soul to God with a living, mighty link which nothing can ever snap. It bears the soul above and carries it on in triumph, come what may. There may be failure and confusion, error and evil, coldness and deadness, strife and division, breaking down and turning aside, stumblings and inconsistencies, all manner of things to shake the confidence and stagger the soul, but faith holds on its peaceful, steady way, undaunted and undismayed. Faith leans on God alone and finds all its springs in Him. Nothing can touch the faithfulness of God, and nothing can shake the confidence of the heart that simply takes God at His word.

And be it remembered that faith is simply taking God at His word. It is believing what God says because He says it. It is taking God’s thoughts in place of our own. How simple! God has revealed Himself, and faith walks in the light of that revelation. God has spoken, and faith believes the Word.

-- C. H. Mackintosh