A: Dear Shayla,

Faith is made up of BELIEF and TRUST. We can have faith in lots of different things. If you have ever tried to get a drink out of a faucet or drinking fountain, you probably didn’t say “Oh, please, I sure hope the water comes out when I push the button!” You simply TRUSTED that when you pushed the button or turned the handle, the water would come out.

That’s what the Bible is talking about when it talks about faith. Only this time, it isn’t trusting in a drinking fountain, but in God. The Bible says “Without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God ?must believe that he exists (BELIEF) and ?that he rewards those who seek him (TRUST).” This tells us that we need to believe God exists, but only believing He exists is NOT Bible faith. The Bible says that even the devil and his angels believe that (see James 2:19). We must also TRUST that God will reward us when we seek Him. That means we need to TRUST God when He tells us that He loves us, and TRUST that He will forgive us when we confess to Him, and protect us when we ask Him. We must TRUST that what He tells us in the Bible is the truth, and that He knows what is best for us. And when we TRUST in Him, we will obey Him.

Thanks for writing, and remember, there's never been a better time to share Jesus!

Your friend, Pastor Howard