Category: Faith

Laugh at the days to come

Charlene Nagawa2 Comments

As I read about the Virtuous wife in Proverbs 31, it dawned on me that this woman trusted the Lord. She trusted the Lord with her whole heart and I realized I wanted that. “Who laughs at the future?”, I wondered to myself. I, too, wanted to laugh at the future and the days to come—knowing well that Jesus is Lord over all. However, my soul could not comprehend this.  This woman trusted the Lord and she had strength and knew who she was in the Lord. She flourished, prospered, and worked to honour the Lord. Hebrews 11:11 reveals to us that Sarah too was a Proverbs 31 woman. She gained strength to conceive because she “considered Him faithful who had promised”. Sarah laughed at the days to come. Again, I wanted that. I wanted to be strong like these women—not because of anything I could do, but because I trusted in the One who promised. I wanted to laugh at the days to come. I wanted to submit to Jesus fully, and joyfully, as His bride. But for a long time I couldn’t.

How do I laugh at the days to come? Really, how? I still remember my first encounter with Habakkuk 3:17-18. It was jarring. The verses spoke of barren fig trees, empty fields, and cattle disappearing—yet still choosing to rejoice in the Lord. But to me, the thought of laughing during a season that could be looming with hardship, toil and uncertainty was incomprehensible. I couldn’t imagine the rugged terrain along my path and so I rejected the Word. I did not know who God was when the fields produced no food. I did not know that trusting in the Lord would give me strength when there was no fruit in the vines. I did not want to laugh at the days to come. Rather, I wanted to laugh in enjoyment everyday. I wanted certainty before I moved. I needed to know what was next before I dared take the next step. I wanted to have some control over every matter. I deliberately refused to laugh at the days to come. I mean, who laughs? There’s nothing funny about walking a rugged path, let alone carrying a rugged cross. So I didn’t laugh at the days to come. I couldn’t. But in choosing not to laugh at the days to come, another unwelcome alternative crept in—fear and anxiety. They settled where joy and confidence were meant to live.

I wrestled with fear and battled with anxiety. Until a woman of God who ministers to me, Pastor Tracy Tumwebaze, said something that stopped me in my tracks. She called it what it truly was—Pride. She defined this pride as “failure to give matters to God and instead beholding your own strength”. She went on to say, “When things are not going your way and you are scared of the future, it means you have refused to accept the help of Jesus”. And in that moment, I saw it clearly—she was right. I had refused to fall into the arms of Jesus, never fully understanding that this life, this faith walk, is not about me; it is about Jesus and self sufficiency is not strength. It is pride.

I thought to myself, “how do I give it all to Jesus, then?” How do I hysterically laugh at the days to come and how do I judge God faithful even when there are no cattle in the stalls? How do I fully trust him even when arrows keep flying my way and every step forward feels like a battlefield? How do I fix my eyes on the one who promised and confirmed that He is the one to perform, not me.

As I pondered these questions, it dawned on me that the answer was already deposited within me since before I was born (Psalm 139:13-18). So I picked myself up and took a timid yet bold step with one goal in mind—to work myself towards a life with this kind of laughter, having absolute confidence in the Lord. I wanted what the Proverbs 31 women had—a grace to thrive and walk faithfully before the Lord.

I realized this had to be the work of the Holy Spirit. I needed help to get there, so I had to reach out to the Helper. I was led to the feet of Jesus, where our fore-sister Mary had shown us to sit (Luke 10: 38-42). I went in and sought the Lord as my Husband and my Master. This looked like sitting to listen to the voice of God when the giants were knocking at my door. Hiding behind His shield when shots kept getting fired at me. Looking at him even when the enemy tried to shake me up. I had to remind myself, my soul, and the giants; that God’s love is where I would draw strength. I strove to understand and abide in the love of God that casts out all fears so that I could laugh at the days to come. This also meant breaking my alabaster box daily, with all my expectations, and washing His feet with my deepest desires and needs.

But I had never really understood what that laughter looked like until the Holy Spirit told me, “you have to give up control.” “It is okay to stop striving, it is okay to give it to Me,” Jesus nudged gently. “Let go, give me your life. Release this matter, loosen your grip,” He persisted.

It was not easy but I finally loosened my grip. And once I did, I asked Him “What next?” Jesus responded gently, yet with calming authority, “Now you can laugh at the days to come, because I am Lord over all.”

I had prevailed.

The journey of faith

Vivian Martha3 Comments

What I’ve learnt about faith over the years is that it sometimes portrays you as a liar or a fool who is denying reality. There are times where it feels like you are lying to yourself and to the world. We often say, “I want God to speak”, but, in my experience, when God speaks, the things he says are so far removed from the reality that you are living in. It’s understandable that people constantly ask themselves, “Did I hear correctly?”

How does this even make sense? Or, as we say these days, “make it make sense”. How do you get your mind to perceive the mysteries God is revealing? How do you explain to people the things that God is telling you? As one of our gospel artists, Bugembe, sang years ago, “Ebintu bye olumu bibuzabuza”. For those who don’t understand Luganda, the translation is “His things are sometimes confusing”.

I do not even know why I am surprised because, in describing faith, Jesus taught that even if it is as small as a mustard seed (arguably the smallest seed in the world), you can tell a mountain to move, and it can move and throw itself in the sea (Matthew 17:20). A mountain is something that doesn’t move, so why would Jesus use such an analogy? This illustrates that there are many aspects of faith that defy explanation.

I have seen in life that God can speak to a nation or a church, but many times he speaks to you alone, even in a sea of people. This is what makes it the hardest. If I’m in a church, why doesn’t God simply instruct the pastor to share the message with everyone present? Instead, he speaks to a heart. And now you have to explain to others what you have personally heard and interestingly, there is no way to verify what you are saying! When Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, the men accompanying him heard a voice but did not see because he revealed himself to Saul alone! Saul had to explain to the men who were with him that he had met Jesus, the one he was persecuting (Acts 9:1-9).

I think of Joseph. How could Joseph, in prison, explain to his fellow inmates that he once had a dream in which the sun and moon were bowing to him? Or even assert that he believed that dream – when he found himself, a slave serving an indefinite prison sentence (Genesis 39)? I think of David, whom Samuel anointed to be king but Israel already had a king and princes who were ready to take the throne. No wonder Samuel was afraid to go. And remember, David did not even have the stature of a king. His family limited his potential to only caring for sheep (1 Samuel 16).

I think of Mary telling Joseph she was expecting a child, but she was still a virgin! If she were in today’s generation, she would justify the statement “fear women”. How would she explain that she, out of all women, would give birth to Jesus? Shouldn’t Jesus have chosen a wealthier, more educated, or influential family? Afterall, nothing good came out of Nazareth in that time (Luke 1:26-38). And could it be that Mary, not being able to find the words to explain the happenings in her life, chose instead to keep and ponder those things in her heart (Luke 2:19)?

I think of God telling Moses to lead people out of Egypt, and yet the path he led him through ended in a sea! We expect that if he says move, there should be a path of dry land or even a mountain because they could climb that. But a body of water? I wonder what Moses was thinking when he told the people that God had sent him to deliver them, only to find themselves facing a sea (Exodus 14)! And I think of God telling Peter to cast his nets again, in the deep waters at that – and catch fish – but this man had tried all night and failed. What had changed (Luke 5:4-11)?

These and many other Bible characters demonstrate that the fathers of faith experienced moments that could have been perceived as dishonest. And I know we are not the first to face challenging situations, where everything else does not work and the only thing left is faith. David captured it well “I had fainted if I had not believed to see the goodness of God in the land of the living (Psalms 27:13)“. These witnesses remind us that faith may not always make sense, yet it remains effective. They believed God even though every time he spoke, there was nothing that seemed favorable about it. He only asked them to believe, and they heeded to him – in simple faith (Hebrews 11).

I have learnt that when God speaks, he doesn’t always provide all the details; in fact, he never does. Yet faith requires you to take him at his word. He did not tell David that it would take him more than10 years to become king, nor did he tell Joseph that he would face betrayal, slavery and prison before realizing his dream.

However, the best part about the Bible is that we know how the story ends: in one day, Joseph moved from a prisoner to a governor; he was the father of Pharaoh; Mary gave birth to the savior of the world; God split the Red Sea for Moses; and David became king. Therefore, we can confidently say “It will end in praise!” It may not make sense for us now because, as the Bible says, we see in part, and as it turns out, we always see the smallest part. God sees all, so faith in the end wins; it produces results (1 Corinthians 13:9-12).

I am discovering that the journey of faith is a challenging one; it necessitates me to step outside of my comfort zone and maintain faith even in the face of overwhelming evidence that it won’t happen. I’ve learned to cling to His word – as the surest evidence – that everything will indeed happen as he said (Hebrews 11:1, Matthew 28:6).

There are times you fail at something and God says try it again. You prayed for someone, but they didn’t heal; you preached, but people didn’t convert; you tried a job, but it didn’t work out, and God says, “Try again”. What guarantees that this time will be different when nothing has changed? The only guarantee you will get is that God can be trusted – so you put your faith in him. The just shall live by faith – is repeated 3 times in the Bible – for emphasis (Romans 1:17,Galatians 3:11,Hebrews 10:38).

Hebrews 11:1-2 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.”

The Almighty Referee

Eunice Patricia AberLeave a comment

In organised sports, there is always a term for when the opponent tries to or gets an unfair advantage. And there are always safeguards against it. For example, in football, an off-side goal is not counted. In boxing, you cannot beat your opponent when he is already down. In Tennis, you can only serve when your opponent is ready to receive… and many more.

It seems to me that we, knowing our vicious tendencies and callous hearts, have come to define boundaries in which we can protect ourselves against each other – at least in organised sports we do. It is called fair play. That’s what referees are for. Even in day to day arguments, fair play is a rule we try to abide by voluntarily, albeit imperfectly… “You do not say things to purposefully put the other person down.” Or at least you shouldn’t.

And so it is with that same understanding of human dignity that I went to meet the LORD one morning. I felt that, for once, we as humans had done better than He had.

Because, as I recalled and inspected my recent tackles with my opponent, the devil, I could see clearly – in broad daylight – points and spots where he obviously low balled. Where he callously used an unfair advantage over me. And I felt betrayed by my referee – who I imagined should have been God.
He was not supposed to allow it!
It was not fair play when the other opponent could use whatever artillery was present at his disposal against me.

And then, after a long silence, He began to speak. The Almighty Referee… He reminded me of Job. Yes, Job, my very relatable brother and forefather. Yes, this very Job who had been a reference in many a conversation. Big Sigh.
But this time, the example was different. He took me back; back and back to when he was having a conversation with my opponent. There. He showed me what he wanted me to see (Job 1-2).

That I should not expect Him to referee in the same way that humans do. “His ways are much higher than mine – anyway (Isaiah 55:8-9)” – I almost rolled my eyes at the annoying thought, but then remembered in whose presence I stood.
In Job’s story, the only unfair advantage the opponent had was “to take the life of Job” (Job 2:6). And He, the Referee of Referees, had stood watch to ensure that never happened.

Even when Job’s opponent, the devil, tried the sly move of pitting Job’s wife against him – causing her to say words that could have driven Job to his own death nonetheless, the Almighty Referee stood watch and never allowed that to happen (Job 2:9-10).
The goal did not count! It was offside and so did not have any effect on Job.
The Almighty Referee had stood watch all this time.

Unlike the games we humans organise and oversee, we are never in full view of the playing ground – or might I say the battle ground – that we are on with our enemy, the devil. In human games and fights, we have a full knowledge of what the referee must do and where the fouls and penalties come from. However, while living life, we do not have that full view. Or many times we are too busy living life to learn the tricks and traps of the enemy, and so he gets an advantage over us (2 Corinthians 2:11).

Our greatest weapon and most important defence is our total trust and reliance on the Almighty Referee, God. And our knowledge of Him and what advantages we have in Him. Daniel said that the people that know their God shall wax strong and do exploits (Daniel 11:32). And in knowing God, we get to understand that we already have a sure advantage, for our victory has been claimed since the foundations of the world (Revelations 13:8, 1 Corinthians 15:57).

That my friends is how I understood what I must do – should the enemy come dangling his illegitimate “victories” over me. And also what I must do to ensure that I do not once more find myself doubting the intentions and nobility of my most gracious and attentive Almighty Referee.

Will I do all that I have learned?
By the sure Grace of God I will!

Till we meet in heaven, or by the grace and will of God – somewhere on the face of this earth, remember with me that the battle is not over until the last whistle is blown by the referee!
And thank God, Oh, thanks be to the Almighty God!
Thank God that it is the Almighty Referee, and not our opponent, who determines when the last whistle gets blown.

Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

Selah…

My plate

Charlene Nagawa4 Comments

He prepares a table before us; in the presence of our enemies. He fills our cups and they overrun. I was invited to this event, organised by the King. The invitation read, “I know the plans I have for you…” To be fair, I did not read the rest. I shut it quickly and rushed to the event. The welcome team informed me that I had been allocated a table. I thought to myself, “He knows the plans He has for me…”

It was nice to see familiar faces at the table. It was beautifully set, as usual. I questioned my familiarity with the set up and I sensed a certain level of boredom. I felt like I had been there before. BEEN THERE! DONE THAT! Nevertheless, I sat expectantly.  The King arrived at the table and I kept looking around and wondering whether I was dressed right or whether I was dressed like others. The hosts began to worship and I managed to utter out specks of worship. At this point, I noticed a placard before me which read “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

The King spoke, “Quiet your soul and worship me, there is always a mystery to unveil”. An attempt at worship caused the elders to cast their crowns and sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy are you Lord…” I cut that short, I was more interested in knowing these plans He has for me. Excited to see my breakthrough and hear of when it will happen. After all, one of the wall hangings in the room read, “Seek me, and you will find me, and I will show you great and marvellous things.”

So we sat down. The King spoke, but my mind drifted to so many times. I heard so little from him that it forced me to keep inquiring from my neighbours who, might I say, paraphrased it for me according to their understanding. It seemed okay and I was distracted anyway.

Food was served, the daily bread, and it looked amazing but only for a moment. I looked at another’s plate and I realised the serving was very different. I then got disgruntled and called the Angel waiting on us and asked him why I got something different. I looked closely at my plate and realised there were some things that I did not particularly like. They seemed heavy for my stomach; and some – I generally would not pick them on an ordinary day. My heart sank. 

The King rose from his seat and walked up to me. He touched my hand and said “What you have on your plate is sufficient because I am sufficient for you”. He also added, “Do not look at another’s plate. You are unique and your plate is uniquely for you. You must listen to me. You must quiet your soul. You must have a gentle heart and always be thankful. You will rest knowing that my plans for you are good.” The King then walked back to his seat.

The Helper of the King remarked, “I know you did not read the entire invitation”. I immediately reached out to my bag and opened the invitation again. I missed the last clause. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future a hope”.

A sweet revelation

Eunice Patricia Aber2 Comments

When Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac whom he loved, and the only son through whom God had promised to bless him as the father of all nations (Genesis 22:1-2), it seemed like the cruelest of demands! It is inevitable to wonder what went on in Abraham’s mind after he heard that command from God and many of us will want to sit down with father Abraham and hear this part of his story. Did he think God was cruel? Did he think God was greedy? Did he think God was a psycho? Did he question God’s personality? Did he think God was joking? Or did he trust that God was in control? Just what was going on in Abraham’s mind the evening when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac? A very open question with a million answers.

My humble submission is that Abraham trusted that God was in control. Why do I say that? Because Abraham got up the very next day and did just what God had commanded. One may argue that he waited a whole day, but from his overall story, we can confirm that Abraham’s daily routine involved having a quiet time with God, usually at night. When he was told to sacrifice Isaac, it was probably too late to go at that time and so he got up early the next morning. You don’t get up early the morning after hearing such a command when you are second guessing the person who gave the command. Abraham was sure about God. He was so sure that he was willing to stake his whole life, symbolised by Isaac, on it.

Why did this happen? What made Abraham so confident in God that he swiftly obeyed a command otherwise considered remarkably cruel? There can be only one reason. Abraham had experienced a “sweet revelation”.

What is a sweet revelation? A sweet revelation is a unique and deeply personal experience with God which makes one unequivocally and relentlessly sure about God’s goodness and faithfulness towards them. It is an exposure to truths about God that “seals the deal” about one’s trust in God by showing them how dependable and trustworthy God is. Very rarely does the sweet revelation happen instantly as a whole. It comes gradually in bits and pieces until a climax which truly seals the deal. For Abraham, his climax was the birth of Isaac. Abraham went through several experiences in life which gradually increased his trust and confidence in God, but Isaac was the ultimate event. After that ultimate event, God made Abraham the most difficult of requests – Isaac’s life. I believe God knew that Abraham had reached this point – otherwise he wouldn’t have made this seemingly cruel request. I also know that Abraham must have reached the highest point of his sweet revelation – otherwise he would never have obeyed this command which such diligent urgency.

Experiencing a sweet revelation is what makes God’s demands which seem cruel doable. It is what makes them doable with joy in our hearts – and not grudgingly or with pain. And God’s demands in our lives will always align with how high up the scale we have reached in this sweet revelation. Furthermore, our enjoyment of our Christian walk and our spiritual freedom in Christ is equally aligned with the level of sweet revelation to which we have been exposed.

One question comes to my mind, which I believe could also be in you, my reader’s mind. What exactly is this sweet revelation? Is it something tangible. How can we all experience this sweet revelation when each of us goes through completely different experiences in life?

The answer is simple. The sweet revelation is the person of God. The reason why each of us can have it despite our different experiences in life is because God reveals Himself in numerous ways. Since we are over 8 billion people presently in the world, it suffices to say that there are currently over 8 billion ways in which God is able to reveal Himself. And like I said earlier, it rarely (at least none that I have witnessed or read of) happens at once. It is a gradual process which happens in bits and pieces like snapshots of a full video or pieces of a puzzle coming together.

And every time we get an extra glimpse of God, more strength is added to our faith, and our trust in Him is strengthened just like a muscle grows strong each time we work it out. And the more our faith and trust in Him grows, the less absurd or less cruel or less crazy His requests of us become, and the swifter we are to do according to His bidding.

A cruel imposition

Eunice Patricia AberLeave a comment

No one probably has the courage to say this, so I will say it for everyone. Christianity, at least the version which I practice, is unimaginably cruel. So much so that many times I ask myself whether I should encourage a person who practices another faith to leave all and follow Christ. So much so that I relate with (and pity) those who eventually renounce the Faith. Christianity is a cruel imposition. That is why Jesus never forced anyone to follow Him, and neither did He entertain any suggestions that Christianity is something that could be inherited through associations of blood (Matthew 12:46-50).

Why do I say this? Let me start by taking us back to the day when man ate the forbidden fruit and lost favour with God and heaven. Although the narration of this story has always only emphasized man’s loss of favour with God, on that day man also gained something he was never meant to or designed to have. The events of that day awakened in man a part of himself which is eternally rebellious against God, and helplessly so (Matthew 16:23-24).

First forward to God’s great plan for redemption and reunification with man. For man to gain favour with God and heaven, two things had to happen. (1) God himself had to do something to close the wide chasm which had been created on that day when man ate the fruit. I know you’ve probably heard this story a thousand times, but please stay with me. I am headed somewhere here.

I have been watching a lot of kingdom related dramas and I’ve learnt a thing or two about how kingdoms operate, so I’ll attempt to explain to you why only God was capable of bridging that wide gap. Imagine in a kingdom (think perhaps the old majestic British empire), a subject who is a close friend and confidant of the king one day entertains the king’s arch enemy and the king’s arch enemy tells him how he himself could become king. Imagine that close friend and confidant of the king gets so deluded and charmed by the king’s arch enemy that he actually follows through on that evil advice. Imagine the king finds out before things get out of hand and then banishes his close friend and confidant, whom he loves so much, to a place so far from the kingdom, say Australia (which was actually one of the places of imprisonment for those who transgressed the British throne). Only the king has ships which can journey that far and only the king has the power to lift his close friend’s harsh sentence. The close friend can only keep wondering aimlessly in exile, never knowing how to get back home, unless the king chooses to pardon him and send ships to bring him back home. That is exactly what God did for us when He sent His son Jesus Christ to die for us. Jesus’ blood, shed on the cross of Calvary, is like a ship sent by the Father to carry us back home.

Now, whereas God has to accomplish task (1), task (2) lies solely on man’s shoulder. Let’s go back to our illustration from the British kingdom. Imagine the king’s close friend is forgiven of his transgression and he is brought back home at the king’s command. Even though he is now free of his sins and free to have an audience with the king, he must prove himself worthy of the king’s favour. He cannot once again entertain the king’s enemies or anything that the king hates. He cannot live the way he wants and speak the way he wants. He must live his life in constant acknowledgement and reverence of the king who saved him, and should he choose to rebel and walk in his own way, there remains no place for forgiveness for him, and the king would be justified in exterminating him completely (Hebrews 6:4-8).

In this story it is very easy for the king’s friend to get back to a place of trust with the king. But what if I add a pinch of fantasy to the story? What if the king’s arch enemy has special powers? What if he used those special powers to plant a seed of rebellion against the king inside the king’s close friend and confidant. A seed which the king’s close friend and confidant can only control with meticulous living and by shunning very many things in his life which would otherwise be pleasant to have. What if, if left unchecked, the seed could turn into a dark deathly power that consumed the king’s close friend and confidant with hatred and rebellion against the king, even without his conscious will? Then living a life of loyalty to the king would cease to be an easy road for the king’s close friend and confidant, but a life of daily sacrifice of his own urges and desires.

Would that life be considered attractive? I believe it would be frowned upon by many, and be considered cruel beyond imagination. But that, in essence, is the reality of Christian living. It is not easy. It was never meant to be easy, so much so, that even the rich man who followed all of the law could not be found worthy (Matthew 19:16-30). What then must we do? This question which the young rich man asked 2000 years ago is still a question many ask today, because every one knows deep down in their hearts when they are missing the mark. Like the rich man, we are all starkly aware of when we “still lack”, although rarely aware of what it is that we still lack. The answer which Jesus gave the rich man that day is the same one which He gives everyone today. Jesus had given this very same answer to His disciples about 3 verses earlier. One thing we must know while reading the Bible is that Jesus usually talked to his disciples in much plainer and direct language than he did to those outside the circle of 12. The simple reason for this is because of the relationship which they shared with Him and the calling which had been placed upon their lives. In Matthew 16:24-25, Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

I have had the privilege to study and observe other religions. One thing is clear about every religion in the world. Every religion requires sacrifice. If you believe in any sort of deity in this universe, the most reverent show of allegiance to that deity is sacrifice. Different religions teach their followers to sacrifice different things. Some religions require believers to sacrifice certain kinds of foods or drinks, others require sacrifice of marriage, while others require sacrifice of certain lifestyles such as leisure activities, dressing codes and the likes.

Christianity. The one I practice, and the one which I believe Jesus died for and the early church preached, requires a very special kind of sacrifice. It requires sacrifice of self. Like the king’s confidant, it requires that one, on a daily basis and in the core of one’s existence, choose the king above oneself. It requires that one willfully strike a blow to one’s body, enslave one’s own desires, and subject every essence of one’s existence to the pleasure of the king and the advancement of his kingdom (1 Corinthians 9:27).

It is a cruel imposition for creatures so rebellious such as ourselves.

Why I believe in Jesus

Eunice Patricia Aber2 Comments

There is a verse that always comes to my mind when I hear a “why” question about the Christian faith. It’s 1 Peter 3:15b, “… always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…”. The first century church faced this question so much so that Peter had to caution his readers to be prepared always to make a defence – to give a logical, reasonable and compelling answer to why they believed in Jesus. A lot has happened since Peter wrote his letter and several decades have passed, but the instruction is still as relevant today as it was then. Whereas Christians in the early church faced completely different challenges (and sometimes more life – threatening) than what we face in current times, the question for which non-believers demand an answer is still the same – “why?”. I hope I can give you, if not a logical, then at least a reasonable and compelling defence for the hope and faith I have in Jesus Christ.

I gave my life to Jesus in my first year of high school. I was 13 then. I was simply attracted by the funny and articulate preachers who came to school and the day I gave my life to Jesus; a group of students had just finished acting a skit. I do not remember a line in the skit but as the last scene was being rolled off the stage, I said in my heart, “I want to be a part of this. I want to be this happy and joyful. I want to have this kind of meaning.” So when the preacher invited those who wanted “to get saved” to come forward, I stepped to the aisle without any hesitation and walked to the altar. I mumbled a few words which I don’t recall and started what has so far been the most long lasting, fulfilling and meaningful relationship in my life.

When I stepped on to that aisle, I did not know what I was signing up for. I did not know a thing about what my future held. I had been a “Christian by association [read birth]” for 13 years, never knowing what it really meant to profess Christianity. It’s been several years since I last walked down that aisle and now I know for sure what I signed up for. It is exactly what I had hoped for – happiness, joy and meaning. I have seen changes in and around me over the years that could have only been possible through the working of a being much more powerful than the forces of nature (including my nature). I have gone through experience upon experience that have sealed the deal for me and have confirmed to me – over and over again – that the decision I made on that sunny afternoon in a high school chapel was the best decision in my life.

When I think of the reason for my faith and hope in Jesus, I am immediately reminded of Jacob. My favourite portion from the book of Genesis comes from Jacob’s monologue in Genesis 28:20-22. However, today I would like to tell you about two other things Jacob said [at the end of his life] which to me best explain why I believe in Jesus. In Genesis 47:9 Jacob answers Pharoah by saying, “my life of wandering has lasted a hundred and thirty years. Those years have been few and difficult [some versions say evil], unlike the long years of my ancestors in their wanderings.”. When one reads these words [alone], they can be tempted to quickly conclude that a life with God is worthless, difficult, short, painful and pointless. But the same Jacob comes back in Genesis 48:15 and says, “…the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil…”.

Upon reading the two scriptures together and with some knowledge of the background and past events in Jacob’s life, it is very clear that when Jacob answered Pharoah in Genesis 47, he was not speaking about God. He was speaking about his life and his choices which had gotten him into a bitter fight with his brother Esau and had sent him on a painful life with an uncle who did not care about him. It even becomes clearer when Jacob declares in Genesis 48 that God had been with him as he was with his ancestors, that God had been his shepherd (I encourage you to go and find out what the work of a shepherd was during those times) and that God had redeemed him from evil (permit me to add – the evil which he got himself into).

Several years after Jacob said these words, one of his descendants had the same conviction about God. Although this descendant had often laboured to keep himself from evil, evil was always lurking around him and stalking him on every side. But his testimony about God is very consistent with Jacob’s testimony in Genesis 48. I wonder if when penning the glorious words in Psalm 23, David remembered his ancestors as Jacob did.

Several centuries after David penned that beautiful Psalm, another of the descendants of Abraham, one whose life is more akin to Jacob’s experience than to David’s. One to whom evil has not shied away and who occasionally, like Jacob, finds herself entangled in places, decisions, experiences she should not be in. Several millennia later, that [adopted] daughter of Abraham has the same conviction.

God [the Father] is Faithful. God [the son – Jesus] is Faithful. God [the Holy Spirit] is Faithful. That is why I believe in Jesus. He is faithful to the poor. He is faithful to the rich. He is faithful to the happy. He is faithful to the broken hearted. He is faithful to the sinner. He is faithful to the righteous. He is faithful to children. He is faithful to parents. He is faithful to kings. He is faithful to servants. God is Faithful yesterday, today and forever!

The story of the cross is a story that explains and affirms one thing – the faithfulness of God. That is why I believe in Jesus!

Scriptures Quoted but not included within the text

Genesis 28:20-22 (ESV) Then Jacob made a vow saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

Psalm 23 (ESV) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.