The Coast Is Clear

 THE COAST IS CLEAR

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” - Psalm 118:8

Four times, the Bible says, “Now the just shall live by faith.” At our church, we still sing the old song, “Living By Faith.” As I get older, that song means much more to me. But are we living by faith?

The writer of the book of Hebrews described faith this way: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” After giving us a description of faith, the writer goes on to give us examples of faith, all from the Old Testament. As you carefully read Hebrews chapter 11, you can't help but get inspired by the many men & women mentioned in the chapter.

But where are the saints who are living by faith today? Are you among them?

Faith is simply trusting God. Faith is dependence on God. Faith is taking God at His Word. Faith is relying on the Lord.

Every person on the planet has faith. The difference is the object of faith. Just because a person claims to be “a person of faith,” doesn't mean that his or her faith is in Jesus. I've seen movies classified as “Faith-Based” movies, yet never mention God. Some are even based on teachings of a cult. The object of our faith is critical.

The psalmist put it this way: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” In spite of this basic truth, so many trust in politicians, musicians and actors. Many more trust in their own ability and ingenuity. Proverbs 3:5 teaches us, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Faith is simply trusting God.

A while back, I was driving my mother to town. When we got to the bottom of the mountain, I could easily see the traffic coming my way. From the driver's seat, it is more challenging to view the traffic from the opposite position. Mom offered to check for traffic coming her way. When she said, “the coast is clear,” I took off without even looking back at what she saw. I took her at her word. I trusted what she said. I put our lives on the line, depending on the accuracy of what she said. That is acting with faith.

Why did I have such faith is what my mother told me? Well, first of all, she is my mother. She loves me. Can't we have the same kind of faith in God because He loves us? God loves me even more than my mother.

Also, I can trust Mom's word because she has proven herself to be trustworthy. She has a track record of being honest. Yet, can't we take God at His Word? Isn't He honest? Hasn't He proved Himself to be truthful all the time?

Third, my mother has a reputation of telling me what I need to hear, not just what I want to hear. If she had told me that a car was coming, it wouldn't be what I wanted to hear, but it would be what I needed to hear. God is the same way with us. His Word encourages us at times. At other times, His word convicts us. He cares enough to tell us what we need to hear, not merely what we want to hear.

Finally, I can trust my mother's word because, if she is wrong, she will suffer the most by the misinformation. It is true that an accident would total my car, but my mother would be sitting at the very point of impact. She would suffer the most if she didn't tell me the truth. When God makes a promise, His credibility is on the line. His integrity is in question. If He lies, misrepresents the truth or misinforms us, His impeccable character would receive irreversible damage. In fact, He would fail to be God because He would violate the very essence of His deity.

I figure you're like me. If a family member is riding in your car when you're driving and tells you the coast is clear, you proceed without verifying the accuracy of their word. You trust them. You believe in them. You act with faith based upon information provided by a reliable source.

Living by faith is simply that. We act upon information provided by a reliable source, God Himself. Since He cannot lie, we can proceed without worrying whether He will back up His promise or not. We can go forward without visible evidence simply because of what He tells us.

At times, God's Word warns us. At other times, we are corrected. Still, there are times we are told that the coast is clear and advised to proceed. In any case, we know His Word is reliable. Our eternal future hinges on it.

If you can trust Him with life beyond the grave, can't you trust Him with today? Can't you rely on Him when times get tough? He is trustworthy all the time.

Soon each one of us must face death. From a human perspective, death is a dark, lonely, dreary & uncertain time. Yet if our faith is in Jesus, we can proceed with confidence in Him. He will welcome us on the other side. So proceed.

The coast is clear.