Category: Belief

  • Faith in the Who, Not the Why

    Faith in the Who, Not the Why

    The truth is, we may never know the “why” behind our suffering this side of eternity. God’s ways are not our ways. But what we can know, with absolute certainty, is the “who.”

    Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

    — Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)

    In seasons of crisis, loss, or deep unfairness, the question that echoes in the chambers of our hearts is often a single, agonizing word: “Why?” We see others being blessed, prayers being answered, and miracles unfolding, while we remain in our own prison of pain, feeling overlooked and forgotten. It is in these moments that the foundation of our faith is truly tested. Is our belief in God based on what He does for us, or on who He is?

    Jesus encountered this very challenge. He told the people, “You people will never believe unless you see signs and wonders” (John 4:48 NIVR). He was calling them, and us, to a deeper faith—a faith that entrusts our entire lives to Him, not just one that is validated by a steady stream of blessings and miraculous interventions. The enemy loves a sign-based faith because when life inevitably takes a wrong turn, our perception of God shatters, and we risk abandoning the very One who is our salvation.

    Consider John the Baptist. He was the forerunner, the one who declared, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He faithfully rebuked evil, standing for righteousness, and for his trouble, he was thrown into prison by Herod. From his cell, he heard reports of the Messiah performing miracles for others—the blind see, the lame walk, the dead are raised. Yet, John remained locked away. The lack of a sign for his own situation led him to send his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is supposed to come?Or should wel ook for someone else?” (Matthew 11:3 NIVR).

    Perhaps you can relate to John. You feel trapped, and your prayers for release seem to go unanswered. You’re wrestling with the question, “Jesus, are you really who you say you are for me?”

    The truth is, we may never know the “why” behind our suffering this side of eternity. God’s ways are not our ways. But what we can know, with absolute certainty, is the “who.”

    • No matter what happens, He loves you.
    • No matter how unfair it seems, He is merciful and gracious.
    • No matter how untimely the loss, He is your good shepherd.
    • No matter how unexpected the outcome, He will never leave you or forsake you.

    When we can anchor our faith in the unchanging character of God, the “why” loses its power over us. John the Baptist’s struggle wasn’t truly about his belief in who Jesus was; it was a wrestle with his unmet expectations of what Jesus should do. He, like many Jews of his time, likely expected a political King who would overthrow Roman oppressors, not a humble servant.

    How much of our own wrestling with God is born from unmet expectations? “God, I thought you would heal me.” “I thought you would provide that job.” “I thought you would save this relationship.” Faith trusts, but expectation assumes. As the apostle James warns, we should not say we wi l do this or that, but rather, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15 NIV). This is a posture of trust, not assumption.

    Jesus’ response to John was profound. He pointed to the signs He was performing, affirming His identity. But then He added a crucial word of encouragement: “Blessed is anyone who does not give up their faith because of me” (Luke 7:23 NIVR). Jesus was saying, “John, there is a blessing for you if you can trust who I am even when you don’t understand what I am doing (or not doing) in your personal situation.”

    The story of John the Baptist ends, from a human perspective, in tragedy. He is beheaded on a whim to satisfy a drunken promise at a party. There was no miraculous escape. Yet, Jesus Himself said of John, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11 ESV). John’s greatness was not defined by the length of his ministry or a triumphant end, but by his steadfast faith while wrestling in the dark. His suffering became his witness.

    Your greatest testimony may not be a story of miraculous escape, but one of unwavering faith in the midst of the fire. It’s about finding peace in the prison cell, not just freedom from it. When you let go of your expectations and cling to the “Who,” you will experience, as Paul wrote, “God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand” (Philippians 4:7 NLT). Your faith in who God is, even without answers to “why,” becomes a powerful story seen by others, a testimony of greatness that echoes from your life into eternity.

    Reflect

    1. In what area of your life are you currently asking “Why?” How can you shift your focus from the “why” of your circumstances to the “who” of God’s character this week?
    2. Think about a time when an unmet expectation of God caused you to worry or doubt. How does the distinction between “faith trusts” and “expectation assumes” change your perspective on that situation?
    3. John the Baptist felt overlooked in his prison cell while others received miracles. Can you identify with this feeling? How does Jesus’ statement, “Blessedisanyonewhodoesnotgiveuptheirfaithbecauseofme” (Luke 7:23), speak to you in that feeling?
    4. The devotional states, “Your faith in God through suffering is a form of witness.” Who might be watching your response to your current challenges? What message is your faith sending?
    5. If you were to honestly write the final chapter of your current story of suffering, what would it say? How can you, like John, trust that even a tragic ending in human eyes can be a testimony of greatness in God’s eyes?

    Closing Prayer

    Father God,

    Thank you that your love for me is not dependent on my circumstances. Forgive me for the times I have based my faith on signs and wonders, and for the times my unmet expectations have led to doubt and anxiety. Today, I choose to let go of my need to understand “why.” Instead, I choose to trust in “Who” You are: my loving Father, my good Shepherd, my merciful and gracious God who will never leave me. Even in this prison of pain, help me find Your peace that surpasses all understanding. May my faith, even while wrestling, be a powerful testimony to Your greatness.

    In Jesus’ name, Amen.

  • God Based Belief

    God Based Belief

    When we don’t know the why, we must anchor ourselves in the Who. The circumstances may be confusing, but the character of God is constant.

    In our conversations about faith, we often use the term “believer.” We might hear someone say, “He’s going through a tough time, but he’s a believer.” We understand the sentiment, but it’s worth pausing to ask a deeper question: what exactly do we believe in?

    There’s a world of difference between stating a fact and declaring trust. To say, “I believe Siya Kolisi is the captain of the Springboks,” is to acknowledge a piece of information. But to look a friend in the eye and say, “I believe in you,” is to place your confidence, trust, and reliance on them. Our faith in Jesus is meant to be the latter. It’s not just an acknowledgment of facts; it is a deep, personal commitment. After all, as the scripture reminds us, even the demons believe—and shudder. What, then, separates our belief?

    Scripture Focus: John 2 & 3

    In the Gospel of John, we see a fascinating contrast. In Jerusalem for the Passover feast, Jesus performs many miracles. The response is immediate:

    Many people saw the signs he was doing. And they believed in his name. But Jesus did not fully trust them. He knew what people are like. He didn’t need anyone to tell him what people are like. He already knew why people do what they do.

    (John 2:23-25, NIRV)

    These people were “believers,” but their belief was shallow, built upon the shifting sands of signs and wonders. It was a transactional faith: “Show us a miracle, and we will believe.” Jesus recognized this, which is why He “did not fully trust them.” Their belief was in what He could do, not in who He was. He would later address this directly, saying, “You people will never believe unless you see signs and wonders” (John 4:48, NIRV).

    In stark contrast, Jesus engages in a deep, nighttime conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus in the very next chapter. He speaks not of signs, but of a spiritual rebirth. He explains that entry into God’s kingdom requires being “born with water and the Holy Spirit” (John 3:5). Jesus then distills this profound mystery into one of the most powerful verses in all of Scripture:

    God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.

    (John 3:16, NIRV)

    Notice, Jesus uses the same word—believe. But the foundation is entirely different. The belief Jesus desires isn’t based on what we can see, but on who God has revealed Himself to be through His Son. The Greek word for believe here is Pisteuō (pronounced Pis-tew-o), which implies so much more than mental assent. It means to trust, to rely on, to place your entire confidence and personal commitment in someone. Furthermore, in the original Greek of John 3:16, “believes” is a present active participle, signifying a continuous, ongoing action. It’s not a one-time decision but a moment-by-moment lifestyle of trusting your life to Jesus.

    From ‘Why?’ to ‘Who’

    The enemy of our souls wants our faith to remain sign-based. Why? Because if our belief is dependent on circumstances, then a difficult diagnosis, an unexpected loss, or an unanswered prayer has the power to define our view of God. When things don’t go our way, a sign-based faith leads us to abandon the very One who can save us.

    We see this tested even in the lives of spiritual giants. John the Baptist, languishing in prison, sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is supposed to come? Or should we look for someone else?” (Matthew 11:3, NIRV). The signs—or lack thereof—were causing him to doubt. After the crucifixion, the disciples on the road to Emmaus lamented, “But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to set Israel free” (Luke 24:21, NIVR). Their hopes were pinned on what Jesus would do, and when He didn’t meet their expectations, their faith faltered.

    How often do we find ourselves in the same place? Facing a crisis, we cry out, “Why, God?” And often, the heavens are silent on the “why.”

    This is where true faith, the Pisteuō of John 3:16, takes root. When we don’t know the why, we must anchor ourselves in the Who. The circumstances may be confusing, but the character of God is constant.

    • When I don’t understand why this is happening, I know Who God is: He loves me.
    • When the situation seems unfair, I know Who God is: He is merciful and gracious.
    • When I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I know Who God is: He is my good shepherd who walks with me.
    • When the outcome is not what I prayed for, I know Who God is: He will never leave me nor forsake me.

    When my faith is in the Who, the unanswered why loses its power over me.

    Taking Communion Today

    As we prepare our hearts for communion, let’s remember what it represents. This simple act of eating bread and drinking from the cup is a powerful declaration. It is our response to the foundation of our faith: the body of Jesus broken for us and His blood shed for us. It is a faith based not on the signs we see, but on the ultimate sign He gave—the cross and the empty tomb.

    Today, let’s bring the situations where we are wrestling with “why” to the table. Let’s lay down our need for signs and wonders and, instead, place our trust—our ongoing, active, wholehearted Pisteuō—in the One who holds all things together.

    Reflect:

    1. Think about your own faith journey. Are there areas where your belief is more like the crowd in John 2 (based on what God does for you) rather than the “born again” trust Jesus describes in John 3 (based on who He is)?
    2. The devotional contrasts believing a fact (Siya Kolisi is captain) with believing in a person. How can you actively practice “believing in” Jesus this week, beyond just acknowledging facts about Him?
    3. Recall a time when a specific circumstance or unanswered prayer caused you to doubt God’s goodness, much like John the Baptist or the disciples on the Emmaus road. How did you navigate that doubt?
    4. When you face a difficult “Why?” question, which attribute of God (Who He is—loving, merciful, good shepherd, ever-present) do you find it most difficult to hold onto? Why do you think that is?
    5. The people in Jesus’ hometown couldn’t receive miracles because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58). How might a posture of trusting in who God is, first and foremost, open your heart to see His work in your life in new ways?

    Closing Prayer

    Father God,

    Thank You for revealing Yourself to us, not just in mighty works, but in the person of Your Son, Jesus. Forgive us for the times our faith has been shallow, demanding signs and answers before we are willing to trust. Help us to shift our belief from being based on the “why” of our circumstances to the unchanging “Who” of Your character.

    When we are confused, remind us that You are wise. When we feel abandoned, remind us that You are near. When we are hurting, remind us that You are our good shepherd. Today, as we reflect on the communion table, we declare our trust, our reliance, and our full confidence in You. Strengthen our faith, Lord, that it may be a continuous, living trust in the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.

    In the precious name of Jesus,

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