Grounding Our Faith: Touchstones

We live in uncertain times. That statement has probably been true for most times and most places in this world. The greatest of spiritual gifts are faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love. While I have often turned my thoughts to love, how often have I turned my thoughts to faith? It seems overdue to consider it better. 

There are times in the Bible when I see people turning their thoughts to the great deeds of God to kindle their faith or to anchor their faith. Some figures in the Bible seemed to remind themselves of ancient times, of the exodus from Egypt or of God's mercy to Abraham, in that light. But those events are far removed from my thoughts; I'd like to turn my thoughts to Jesus' life. 

• Jesus speaks of God's faithfulness on the Last Day. Those who mourn will be comforted. The peacemakers will be counted as His children. The days of grief and enmity will end. God wills it, and God will accomplish it. 
• Jesus speaks of God's providence. The birds of the air have no jobs and no worries; they have food. And not even a sparrow falls apart from God. 
• Jesus heals our physical selves. We say that Jesus heals the sick -- true enough. Still, when people told of Jesus' healing they described things more serious than the sniffles. They spoke of healing leprosy, curing paralysis, curing blindness, curing deafness. Health and wholeness follow his touch. 
• Jesus raises the dead. He raised Lazarus, and the daughter of Jairus, and the son of the widow at Nain. And God raised Jesus from the dead. 

Any catastrophe we may face, he can undo. These are things I can call to mind to encourage my faith.