Brought to You by the Letter 'F'

If you have ever watched an episode of the television show "Sesame Street", then you are familiar with the phrase "Today's show is brought to you by the letter....."

I'm borrowing that phrase, and since today is Friday, it seems fitting that today's post is brought to you by the letter F.

F as in fog.

If you have been reading this blog for a while, or if you follow me on Facebook, then you know that we often have spectacular views of the mountains from our front porch.

However, that is not always the case.  Several times recently the view looked more like this:

 

That particular day's view was actually no view at all.  We were fogged in.  Couldn't see a thing, except that very faint glimpse of the trees in front of us.  And today's view is quite similar.  Not quite as gray as that photo, but almost.

 

The fog can be pretty thick up on this mountain. 

 

If you know someone dealing with a chronic illness or with cancer, you may have heard them talk about fog.  Chemo fog.  Fibro fog.  Brain fog.  The effects of the disease or of the medication to combat the disease may sometimes cloud their thinking.

 

We experience fog in all sorts of ways in life.  Circumstances can "fog up" our thinking.  So can attitudes.  Or the way we spend time.  Or the way we don't spend it.

 

Often our thinking gets "foggy" because of a lack of time spent in God's Word and in prayer.  Because of a lack of time spent worshipping, both corporately and privately.  Because of a lack of fellowship with other believers.

 

That kind of fog blocks our view.  We can't see things clearly.

 

On most days, I have a clear view of the mountains in front of me.  But some days I can't see them at all.  Fog obscures my view.  I know the mountains are there, but I can't see them.  I know there are trees in front of my house, but I can't see them.

 

And that brings us to another "F" we need to consider.  Faith.

 

Faith tells us that "we walk by faith, not by sight."  (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV)

 

It's by faith that we trust, even when we can't see. 

 

It's by faith that we believe in God, even though we can't see Him.

 

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)

 

Faith is being sure, even of things we cannot see.

 

Faith is believing in God.  But it's also more than that.  Faith is not only believing in God; faith is believing God.

 

Remember Abraham in the Old Testament?  Abraham is a great example of faith.

 

Abraham believed God.

 

• Even when he didn't know where he was going, Abraham believed God and obeyed.  "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.  And he went out, not knowing where he was going."  (Hebrews 11:8 ESV)
• Even when he didn't know how God's will would be accomplished.  "By faith Sarah received power to conceive, even when she was past the age."  (Hebrews 11: 11 ESV)
• Even when he didn't know when God would fulfill His promises.  "The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as He had promised.  And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age."  (Genesis 21:1-2 ESV)
• Even when he didn't understand why.  "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son Isaac."  (Hebrews 11:17 ESV)

 

Abraham believed God.

 

He believed His promises.  Even when he didn't understand, he still believed.

 

That's faith. 

 

Believing God.

 

"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."  (Romans 4:3 NASB)

 

 

 Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.

(Yates/Sankey)