Hebrews 11:1 tells us “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
In 1935, Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger proposed a scenario of a cat sealed in a box with a flask of poison and a radioactive source, its fate uncertain because we could not observe the cat. The famous conclusion was that the cat was both dead and alive, simultaneously. This was a quantum mechanics problem.
Fortunately for us, faith is not nearly as complicated as quantum mechanics. Hebrews 11:1 demonstrates that our faith is not in what we see, but that is not the same as being uncertain. The Psalmist affirms, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of Yahweh is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” Psalms 18:30
The question is, “Do we trust in Him?” I don’t mean do we say the words, but do we truly trust in Him? Do we trust that God will do all He has promised or do we see His promises as a cat in a box?
When we view our faith like this cat, we are allowing for doubt. It might sound positive to say the cat is both dead and alive at the same time, but we all know that it can only be one or the other. If, for discussion sake, God has promised to protect the cat, the cat is alive. With man, the cat is dead — with God, the cat lives!
The fact is faith is only faith when it is applied. James puts it this way, “faith without works is dead.” James 2:20,26
Let’s go back to the cat. We can’t see the cat, but we trust God that it is alive.
Do we? Have we left its food dish out where it will expect to find it upon returning to the house? Or are we looking for another cat but holding off for just a while to see what really happens?
How about in our lives? Do we step out in faith knowing that God is faithful or do we just say we trust Him?
I say the cat’s alive and I just bought it a brand new bag of food. How about you?