Hope and Faith

"Now, there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons."

  ~1 Corinthians 12:4-6

God has been interesting. Isn't He always? And I mean this in the most sincere way, as He has led me through some very tough times and blessed me in amazingly wonderful ways; miraculous ways.

Some of these things have been more recent than one might think...

As I continue to discuss the gifts of the Spirit, and the topic of dreams as a subset of that, other topics are, of course, woven into the weft of the conversation here.

Something I said in Dreamer's Watch, Part 1 has caught my eye to start us off today: The Eternal dwells within and works through the Mortal… He has for centuries and doesn’t plan to stop.

God knows us all inside and out. He created life and personhood, and works through His creation as His plan moves forward through time. One of those ways is the gifts of the Spirit. And within each believer's life, there is a GIFT MIX that He uses for His glory; giftings which He doesn't take back when we mess things up (thank You!) but that work best when we are fully in line with His will, His way, His purposes not just for our lives but for the world and history.

In my own life, time will tell the ultimate goals of the Lord. I think it is safe to say about any life that this is the case... but for my own, I know for sure life is a panoramic work in progress.

Much prophecy through others has come to pass, and through myself. Some has yet to be revealed and I await the outcomes. I also know, though, that because of free will, God's best promises aren't always the reality we walk into as life occurs. God alone can create the results He promises, and sometimes we live life never seeing the promises fulfilled because there is a greater plan, so someone else sees the promise who lives beyond us.

There have been times in my life where I have known or witnessed people who looked forward to the promises that never happened for them, but who trusted God all the way. And if I end up being one of those people who never see some of the promises, I want to be someone God says "well done, good and faithful servant" to because, in spite of not seeing, I believed. I trusted Him. I had faith.

Faith comes not with sight but with insight. Inner sight. Seeing with the eyes of the heart and knowing what we know. Whether this knowing comes because we have seen a dream or vision, heard a word, or sensed a knowing in our spirit... whether it comes from hearing someone else mention something that catches our heart, looking at a photograph, or any other way... faith is knowing that we know what we know. 

I read a few weeks ago someone who said, in effect:

HOPE can be described as believing that God is able.

FAITH is knowing that not only is God able, He  is willing and will do what we believe He will do.

How do YOU describe Hope? How do you define Faith? Is there a difference? What is the TRUTH?

The Eternal works through the Mortal. God works through PEOPLE. And He does this, in part, when we HOPE, and have FAITH. When we TRUST Him for the TRUTH. He works through us through prophecy, through words of knowledge and wisdom, and through all of the gifts of the Spirit. Through experiences. Through LIFE.

He worked through JESUS. Through the prophets. Through the woodworkers and musicians and parents and royals; through the common folk and the well-known. He works through YOU; through ME. He works through everything and everyone we interact with, our thoughts and feeling included, to create a reality for each of us that lines up with His will as best as possible as free will twirls through the atmosphere and interacts with His will.

In this whirly-twirly world of God's will meets free will... in this world God created and calls us to co-create with Him... HOPE and FAITH work wonders.

How do you describe Hope? How do YOU define Faith? Is there a difference? What is the TRUTH?