Standing Strong Between Faith and Faith

I have been a believer for more than 45 years now, and one of the things I have learned over those years is that, very rarely, do we find ourselves standing before the Red Sea knowing that G-D is going to part the waters. Nor are we often standing on a mountain like Elijah, dumping water on a bull and calling out to G-D to send flames to consume the offering. While I am sure each of us has had experiences with G-D where we knew exactly what He was going to do because He spoke clearly to our hearts and minds, those moments are not the norm.

The vast majority of our lives are lived in the space I call “between faith and faith”—a space in which G-D’s Word surrounds us. Each moment or step, while ordered by G-D, doesn’t always have a clear choice or a specific Scriptural answer. Some people say that strong faith is when you move mountains, walk on water, or raise the dead. While I do think it takes faith to do each of those things—and many other miracles that we aren’t supposed to just read about in the Bible, but also participate in today—I believe there is another kind of faith that is even deeper.

I think it takes great faith to be like John the Immerser, who trusted completely in G-D, knowing that with a single word his chains could be removed and the prison gates opened wide to freedom—yet, he was still beheaded. Remember that John sent his disciples to speak to Yeshua, and Yeshua responded with the words recorded in Matthew:

Matthew 11:4–6 Yeshua replied, “Go report to John what you hear and see: the blind see and the lame walk, those with tza'arat are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised and the poor have good news proclaimed to them. Blessed is the one who is not led to stumble because of Me.”

With these words, Yeshua told John: Yes, I am the Messiah. Yes, I am working miracles, signs, and wonders. But notice verse 6, where Yeshua says, “Blessed is the one who is not led to stumble because of Me.” In other words, Yeshua was saying, “Yes, I can deliver you—but I am not going to.” He was telling John that strong faith stands firm and does not stumble when we are between faith and faith.

David repented for his sins of murder and adultery to a G-D he knew forgave him. He prayed and fasted for his sick child, knowing that G-D could heal him. But the child died, and David rose, bathed, and worshiped G-D. As we read the words David spoke in 2 Samuel chapter 12, we see this clearly:

2 Samuel 12:22–23 He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? Adonai might be gracious to me, and the child may live.’ But now that he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

These words express well what I mean by living between faith and faith. Most of our lives are lived day to day between faith in what G-D can do in this world and faith in what G-D will do in the world to come.

King David had faith and believed that G-D had the power and ability to heal his child. He trusted and acted according to his faith by repenting, fasting, and praying for healing. When G-D did not heal his son, David did not yell at G-D or give up his faith. Not at all—David simply walked out his faith, grounded in the truth: “I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

David knew the Word of G-D. He knew all the verses that spoke of healing, restoration, and renewal. He also knew the verses that speak of our lives here as temporary and that our ultimate goal is not to live here forever but to live with G-D forever. So when his child became sick, David acted on his faith in G-D’s Word, believing G-D could heal him. But, he also lived in faith in the promises of G-D that extend beyond this world. He lived his life between faith and faith.

We find another example of this in the narrative of the three young Jewish men in Daniel chapter 3:

Daniel 3:16–18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego replied to the king saying, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you concerning this matter. If it is so, our God whom we serve is able to save us from the furnace of blazing fire and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. Yet even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image that you set up.”

With this statement, these three young men demonstrated what it means to live between faith and faith. They had complete confidence in the power of G-D to deliver them. Faith in what He could do in this world. But they also declared, “Even if He does not,” showing their faith did not depend on the outcome.

In other words, they were saying: “We believe G-D can deliver us from King Nebuchadnezzar, but even if He chooses not to, that does not diminish or change our faith. He is still the G-D of eternity.” David, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego—and many others in the Bible—lived out their faith between what G-D can do now and what He has promised for eternity.

The truth is that G-D’s Word says He is a healer and that one day we will die. Both are true. As my wife said to me recently, “G-D will either heal me or He will heal me. The only thing I am waiting for is whether that healing will come in this world or in the world to come.”

I believe it takes stronger faith to live between faith and faith than it does to hold up your staff at the command of the L-RD and part the sea.