However, there is a place where faith and reason must intersect.
Faith is almost always exercised outside of rational behavior, but never without reason.
Noah believed God and built a boat in the middle of the desert.
Abraham believed God and continued to do what was necessary to make a baby, even though he and Sarah were well beyond their baby-making years.
You see, they had a reason, but what they did wasn't rational.
Whenever I get into my head and start thinking, I am easily led away from faith. I begin to see the rationale behind many competing beliefs.
Yet, whenever I begin to recall my experiences of walking with the Lord, I cannot deny the reality of what I know, and what I've seen.
There is a place where faith and reason intersect, but travel either road on its own, and you leave the other behind.
There are many recorded instances of the Israelites building an "altar of remembrance." Often, it was no more than a pile of stones; but coming across those stones in later years would bring up the memory of what God had done in that place at that time. Then they could rehearse within the hearing of others the mighty works of God on their behalf.
Dwelling in the past, however, keeps one from experiencing the faith that pleases God (Heb. 11:6).
Faith is recalled and strengthened by remembering what God has done in the past; but faith itself reaches out for more.
Let's put two verses together for our consideration: Romans 4:17 and Hebrews 11:1.
Hebrews tells us what faith is--its definition, if you will. It is substance and evidence. Romans tells us how it is used. It calls into being things that do not yet exist--ie, appear to the eyes. This is spoken specifically of what God does; but the same applies to us who are created in His image and given creative powers.
There are many today who are using this concept to make themselves wealthy by trying to teach people to have faith. Be that as it may, that is not what I'm talking about.
I'm speaking of something that I perceive to be different. I want to speak the truth of God's Word as my faith.
The Lord brought something to my attention the other day through a comment a brother left on a recent post about distraction.
The Spirit showed me that I am very good at spotting things that are not right, out of line, or inconsistent. Not only am I good at it, I am not afraid to point these things out in my writing and speaking. Doing that, however, does not accomplish my intended outcomes.
People may agree with me, but so what? What has that done but put me in the spotlight? That is not why I live, why I do what I do.
I want people to see the realities I see, to know what I know, to live with the freedom I enjoy, to know the Lord in reality
Telling them what they are doing wrong does not accomplish that. Never has. Never will.
I know there is a place for tearing down that which is to be destroyed before building that which should be (Jer. 1:10), but that is not what I need to be doing any longer.