Calling by Faith and by Sight

UV 1033-10,000 Calling by Faith and by Sight (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were Romans 4 v 17 Abraham who was childless for the best part of his life was promised an heir and accordingly in God’s time, Sarah bore a son Isaac. Their tears turned into laughter for Isaac means “laughter”. Sarah had laughed the laughter of disbelief even as Abraham had rolled over and laughed in disbelief when the angel told him that they would have a son long past the age of child-bearing. But Abraham had in the past believed God who had called him out of Ur of Mesopotamia to the promised land of Canaan. He had taken the step of faith believing the Word of God. He believed God to be the one who not only gives life but can also bring back to life the dead. The example of Abram the fatherless who became Abraham, the father of many nations for his sons by Hagar and Keturah became the nations that people much of the Middle East today, was cited by St Paul to bolster our faith that God can at any time call that which is not as if it were already there. The universe and time is so structured that none of us knows what is about to unfold or happen. But if no one knows what is about to happen, then the world is made to a design of anarchy. Thankfully, God knows what is about to happen now as well as in the distant future. Not only does He know what is happening but He knows what is wanting in any situation and how to cause it to happen. He who knows how to turn the tasteless water into the best and choicest wine knows how to turn our tasteless, hopeless and barren lives into salty, tasty, hopeful and productive lives. By our thoughts, our words and our actions we can call into being that which is not as if it is already here. Our spoken word is not a mere word but it is a powerful weapon. Every spoken word is an action involving our bodies, our lips, our vocal chords, our mouths, our minds and our hearts. It is just like whistling or calling a puppy. If we call out the name or whistle, the puppy that is now not visible will appear from wherever it is. Similarly, when we are living by sight and not faith, we call different events and circumstances into our lives by our faithless thoughts, words and actions. If we say, “ I feel like I might die early,” or “ I feel something bad is about to happen”, the devil gets permission from our thoughts, words and behaviour to call into being the very negative that we have a sense of foreboding about. Likewise, if we by faith, confess positive thoughts, words and actions, the Lord will see and hear our thoughts, feelings, words and conduct and bring into being that which we are hoping for even in seemingly hopeless situations. A school principal narrated her story of how she went about renting a building for a school by faith and there was absolutely no enrolment. Then she went from class to class, calling into being the staff, teachers, the students and the Lord sent within just a day the first two students to enrol in the new school. I myself remember how I hoped to run into a million rupees to start an training centre for Friends of Police and the Lord moved the Home Office to institute a new award-the Queen’s Award- with a sum just larger than what I had in mind. Indeed, faith is calling into being that which is not as if it already were. Prateep V Philip