^“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” Hebrews 11:6).

Faith has often been compared to sitting in a chair. We may believe that the chair will hold us, but only when do we sit in it do we demonstrate our faith in the chair’s ability to hold us. So, my question is if have you ever had a chair pulled out from under you? I have—by my husband in church! We were standing around talking before our Sunday School class started (this was many years ago), and my husband, seeing that I was talking with someone new, pulled my chair around so that she could sit with us. He thought I saw him do it, but I didn’t. Of course, I was wearing a skirt and heels (did I mention this was a long time ago?) and I was holding a Styrofoam cup of coffee. Boy did I hit hard, and boy was I wrecked, not only embarrassed but with a sore bottom and lap full of hot coffee. Only my husband felt worse.

The thing is, I had faith in that chair, but when I demonstrated it, it failed me. So many things fail us. Sometimes it’s because of our own faulty expectations, and sometimes it’s because we are dealing with less than perfect people—willfully or accidentally. And even worse, sometimes it is us who are less than faithful. Yes, we often let our own selves down, we disappoint others and we disappoint ourselves.

But there is One who will never let us down. “…if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).

The word “disown” used in this passage is a powerful term. It means to refuse to acknowledge, to deny. To disown a family member is to refuse to acknowledge them as family. God says earlier in that chapter that if we disown Him, he will disown us, meaning that if we refuse to acknowledge Him as our Savior, then we will not be saved. That is a dreadful state. But He never says that we must have a certain level of faith to be saved, only that we have faith. In fact, Jesus was once asked how much faith a person needed to be saved, and He replied that if our faith was only as big as a mustard seed — one of nature’s smallest seeds — then God would honor that faith (see Matthew 17:20).

You see, it isn’t the size of our faith that’s important, but the object of our faith. In other words, in what (or whom) do you place your faith? Is your faith simply in “faith” (as is true with some people)? Or is it in your feelings, which come and go? Is your faith in your good works, hoping somehow that you’ve been good enough for God to accept you? …. Only one person is worthy to be the object of our faith — and that is Jesus Christ. He alone is our Savior, for He alone has opened heaven’s door for us. Make certain that your faith is in the right place, by committing your life in complete faith and trust to Jesus Christ (rom BGEA website).

2 Timothy 2:13 says that God cannot disown Himself. This means that God cannot refuse to acknowledge that He is God. He cannot deny Himself. God is God, the great I Am. He is the great eternal God. He cannot not be faithful. With God, we don’t have to worry that he will hide, leave, or abandon us. Hebrews 13:5 reiterates the promise that God gave to Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:6: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” It was true then, and it remains true today and forever. So, while we may struggle with our faith, as long as we are in the struggle, God is in the battle with us, sustaining us and protecting us. Give thanks today for God, who from the foundation of the world loved us so much that He gave his Son to be our salvation and sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter and Counselor.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.

In Christ,

Judy