We’ve been talking a lot about being people who maintain hope in the midst of a hard time. Though I could prescribe a long list of things we can “do” to make this happen, today, I want to encourage us to focus on the one force that makes anything possible, and that is faith. The wonderful thing about this mysterious spiritual virtue is that it works best when we do less. The Bible says that God has distributed a measure of faith to each of us, and our job is simply to receive it and act upon it. However, this doesn’t require strain on our part — it only means that we acknowledge Jesus’ presence in our lives and allow Him to take our hand and lead us forward. Since His arm is always outstretched, faith is merely reaching out to Him in response. He is familiar with the terrain we must travel, and like a Good Shepherd, He will never leave us unattended to walk dark and perilous roads. While our knowledge is limited, He is infinite, and He invites us to place our full trust in His perfect understanding. When common sense fails and our minds can’t conceive of what’s happening around us, He whispers to our spirit “Have faith. I’ve got this all under control.”

My friend, when everything is murky and the world is covered in a fog, you have the great I AM to see you through. You can cling tightly to His hand as you travel a path that is overrun by troubles and difficulties while holding on to the assurance that He will never let you go. As you seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, He will add to your life everything you need at just the time you need it. Even better, He will lead you forward to a brighter future, for with Him, your light and momentary troubles are achieving something far greater than you can fathom. Your Savior is unceasingly steady, and His Spirit empowers you to flourish in faith, even when things around you falter.