Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t just show Himself and put the mystery of His existence finally to rest?

Wouldn’t you love to see God open the skies and say, “Ta-da, here I am, look at me, neener, neener, neener, you naysayers!”

Trouble is, revealing Himself physically would defeat the whole purpose of God’s divine “Gold’s Gym” of faith building in this earthly life.

He’s not into dramatic entrances to make an impression. He is much more into seeing His people believe Him sight unseen without all the dramatics.

It glorifies God infinitely more when we wrap our hearts around His Holy Word and hold on for dear life, like a little kid on a roller coaster.

I’ve been going through a personal “rough patch” lately, including dealing with life-and-death issues.

I can’t imagine how people go through such things without God at their side. He is so willing and able to join us in our travails and lighten the load immensely.

These words, from Psalm 46:9-11, sum it up:

“Stop striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.
The Lord of armies is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.”

So, why go it alone?

It’s common for people to mistake true saving faith for substitutes like “hoping for the best,” “keeping our fingers crossed,” or some kind of fatalistic notion as portrayed by Doris Day’s song, “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” (Que sera, sera).

The kind of faith that pleases God is not passive, but active; not namby-pamby but bold, uncompromising; not wavering but firm, not tentative but courageously, heroically, unmoving despite withering opposition.

It may seem counterintuitive, but the Bible is full of such active faith from cover to cover.

Here are a few examples:

“My soul clings to You;
Your right hand takes hold of me.”
— Psalm 63:7-9

“… prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding firmly the word of life …”
— Philippians 2:15-16

“Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead …”
— Philippians 3:11-13

“Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
— 1 Timothy 6:12

“… we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil …”
— Hebrews 6:18-17

We normally think of “fighting,” “grasping” and “taking hold” of things as negative and selfish. After all, aren’t we supposed to be “polite” and not insisting on our own way?

But when it comes to faith in God’s word and promises, we are to be fully engaged and invested, looking “through the veil” and by faith making the unseen seen.

Is it worth it?

Reading my newspaper, I’m reminded of how short this earthly life is. We see our favorite movie stars, so beautiful and vibrant one day, and dying of old age the next.

In Psalm 90:12, the Bible wisely instructs, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

Is believing God ferociously in this life worth it? Read this from Revelation 3:10-12, the last book in the Bible:

“Because you have kept My word of perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of the testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who live on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore …”

Eternity is, well, forever. This brief earthly sojourn is over before you know it.

How About You?

Now understand, true faith is NOT, as critics assert, “a crutch to lean on for weaklings.” True faith is like a building foundation to base your life upon.

Are you taking hold of God’s Word and His promises with that kind of boldness?