Faith means never having to say "I Know"

Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
Hebrews 11:1-16
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 27:14


"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen."  So says Hebrews 11 verse 1 before going on to illustrate this with examples of "saints" from the Old Testament who trusted God.  The thing about faith is it is the admission that we simply do not know for certain.


We do not know.  But we trust.


If levels of belief are drawn on a scale and knowing is put at the top at 100% and utter indifference is at the bottom at 0 then where does faith come in.  Is it at 90% - so close to knowing for certain that there is no obvious difference?  Is it at 80, 70, a good A grade or a poor B?


Possibly closer to a low grade F...


Jesus speaks about faith in a strange way, he talks about it being a tiny thing, a near invisible thing and yet its effects are amazing, beyond all proportion to its size.  He tells parables comparing faith, the life of faith and the effect of faith as being like yeast, tiny seeds and other near invisible things that despite their smallness have amazing effects.


There is something incredibly liberating about being told that its not about knowing beyond all doubt but instead it is about having a tiny, mustard seed, yeast cell sized, piece of faith.  We don't know but we do believe and that somehow in the weird and profound logic of God is much, much more powerful.