The Bible tells us that faith is “the confidence of things hoped for and the assurance of things not seen.”1 Yet what happens when our faith compels us to bold actions that leave us wondering what went wrong? The moments when we, like Peter, step out onto the water with a certain anticipation, and what we see around us doesn’t resemble what we conceived in our minds.
There was a time in my life when I wanted a prayer answered so badly that I created my own plan and forged God’s name on the blueprint—fully convincing myself that God had co-signed on it. The prayer arose out of a desire that I knew came from the Father, and while he had given me the promise, the process remained his. I just hadn’t surrendered to it yet.
For months, I believed God and I were on the same page. I exercised a bold faith, believing God would do the miraculous. But then the moment arrived where God was supposed to show up, and he didn’t. Like Martha after the death of her brother Lazarus, I questioned Jesus, wondering where he had been.
“Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.’” 2 In her grief, Martha honestly shares what she’s thinking with the Lord. But her lamentation doesn’t end there. In the next verse, she says, “’But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”’ 3 It’s here that I see Martha practicing a surrendered faith. I define this faith as the following:
Surrendered faith: A faith that believes God can do it, but even if he doesn’t, has confidence and trust in his wisdom, sovereignty, goodness, faithfulness, and love.
In the Old Testament, we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego practicing the same type of faith. These three Israelite men refuse to worship the golden image of King Nebuchadnezzar despite the threat of death. They testify to God’s ability, but resolve to trust Him even if the outcome appears contradictory. They speak:
“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”” 4
What does their response reveal to me?
A bold faith is still surrendered to God’s ultimate will.
Surrendered faith: A faith that believes God can do it, but even if he doesn’t, has confidence and trust in his wisdom, sovereignty, goodness, faithfulness, and love.
As believers, we’re called to be bold. To have the audacity to believe in a God of miracles, signs, and wonders, who can do immeasurably more than what we can often ask or imagine. We’re called to trust in the plans God has for us, but not to the extent that our eyes are focused on the plans and not on the Father.
So many times, I’ve wanted to know the plans, but God just wanted me to know him. It’s when we take our eyes off of our circumstances and lift them unto God that we see that he works everything for our good. Even in our missteps, he’s there. Regret and disappointment quickly fade away when I recognize that God’s hand is in everything.
The disappointments I’ve experienced when my plans didn’t align with God’s have helped me learn more about hearing his voice. It’s a lesson that I’ve by no means mastered, but I have more wisdom now than I did in previous years. This wisdom says that if I believe I’ve received a word from God, I should pray about it continually, asking Holy Spirit to search my heart. At times, I should also share it with trusted believers who can support with prayer and accountability.
Still, I don’t believe that God discounts our thoughts and emotions. Like Martha, we may need time to feel what’s in our hearts and express what’s on our minds, disappointment included. But our faith in God also offers a choice. We can choose to look at our circumstances or fix our eyes on Him as an act of worship. It’s through worship that we water the hardened ground of our hearts. It’s the balm that relieves all that has been calloused. Worship eclipses disappointment, and we’re reminded that we serve a Father who is too good to fail. He never has, and he never will. Faith reminds us that for every broken dream we are free to dream again.
God revives,
God restores,
and God renews.
And because of that, we, too, like the Psalmist, can proclaim, ‘When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!”5
Thank You God for a surrendered faith—a faith that testifies to your goodness, no matter what I see. A faith that stirs up an expectation in my heart, even when I journey through the dark. A faith that says let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.
exhaling hope 
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