FAITH, HOPE, AND TRUST.

The little bird is not afraid to fly, thinking that it will fall and die when it pushes out into the empty air. Rather, it knows that the empty air is the element devised in order to hold it, and not only to hold it, but lift it to the upper skies.

One of our fathers in Christendom once said "faith is a force of no limits". The above story about the little bird tells us about the attributes of faith and trust the bird possesses. Many a time, people fail, not because of the challenges that confront them, but because they stopped looking for something to hold on to when they wind of life blows. Like Hebrew 11:1 tells us 

What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. AMP

We can't stop the wind from blowing, but we can, like the bird, choose to spread out our wings and soar higher. This is the point where we want something to happen. Many Christians know about faith, and of course, it is the bedrock of our relationship with God. Some even teach about it and talk about it during bible studies and Sunday School fellowships. But when it comes to situations where they should really act on their faith, the curtain closes.

Fear is obviously the direct opposite of faith as we all know. Many people do not know or rather, do not accept that they are living in fear. They tell you, "I know there's nothing that can be done about this problem. It's our cross to bear". In actuality, he's afraid that if he makes a decision, it might be futile; or if he makes some drastic declarations, they may not come to pass. So to be on a safer side, he brings down his wings and let the empty air push him down. Bishop David Oyedepo once said "the shield of faith is the faith that you're holding, and you know it". Many people know that the shield of faith is among the full Armour of Christ, but they are not holding the shield. The shield in a battle is to be held, not just known or seen. What saves you from the darts of the enemy is the fact that you're holding the shield.

We ought to want something to happen. This is where hope plays the role. If there's nothing we hope for, then we're not talking about faith. Hope is the key element in describing faith. Pastor E.A Adeboye describes faith as the assurance that what we desire will come to pass It is hope that helps us rejoice always, have patience, and be strengthened in times of trials (Romans 12:12). If you're going through an illness, you need to want to be healed. Some people have the wrong notion that it is God's will for them to be afflicted, so they just stay there. Sometimes, they're afraid of God not answering their prayers if they do pray. They prefer to not take that step to being "disappointed". But it's their choice and God can't force us. 

I like Amplified version of the bible a lot (I like others too😊). Romans 8:24 puts it this way We are saved by trusting. And trusting means looking forward to getting something we don’t yet have....

Trust God for that job, for that marriage to work, for your ministry to grow, for your kids, community, for healing, and all whats not. Many a time, people do not trust because they're not seeing anything. You can't be trusting God for what you're seeing already. The next statement in the above scripture is this ...for a man who already has something doesn’t need to hope and trust that he will get it. Trust is not just believing that God will do it, it is leaving God do it how he wants to. This is one important part in all these. God may not answer us the way or time we expect or want Him to, but we ought to trust Him to do it His own way. If we do this, we'll be completely lifted to upper skies, and will remain there.

Know this, faith (with the elements of hope and trust) brings you into rest, which provokes supernatural manifestations on its own.