By Elvira Bujanda

“Meet your fears with faith.” – Max Lucado

What is faith? It’s defined for us in the Bible in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of thing hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith is God promising to answer your prayers, and you believing Him. Then while you are waiting, it’s also that substance that you can grab and hold onto.

Faith is taking God at His Word. It’s resting in God, as it says in Psalm 90:1: “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.”

People have been trusting God for thousands of years, and for thousands of years, He has been faithful. That’s all the evidence we need!

Before my salvation on August 1, 1993, I struggled with discouragement, feelings of uncertainty, fear, doubt, anxiety, and seemingly endless moments of stress and hopelessness.

I had no peace. Where could I find relief?

Only by giving my life to Jesus did I find hope in the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16).

As I believed in Him and had conversations with Jesus in prayer, my faith grew. “Whatever you ask in prayer believing you will receive” (Matthew 21:22).

Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” When I was relying on my own understanding, I was weighted down in weakness. As I meditated upon His Word, seeking His face, my faith grew.

When the Word of God is embraced by the human heart, we find faith, because faith is a gift of God. Psalm 29:11 says “The Lord will bless His people with peace,” and true peace comes from knowing that God is in control.

Faith is not a one-time experience, but a continuous way of living. It takes faith to let go and let God work. Psalm 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God.”

His will isn’t often what we feel, but we must believe that God knows what’s best for us. Faith is looking up to God’s love in faith.

“My strength and courage is the Lord, and He has been my Savior. He is my God. I praise Him; the God of my father: I extol Him” (Exodus 15:2).

There will be times when our faith is tested and remaining faithful becomes difficult. But in 1 John 5:5 it says, “Who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

At times, the circumstances of my life were like a roaring, stormy sea – one wave after another hit me.

Faith has been my steady anchor during these last five years as I’ve weathered the storms of life, as it says in Hebrews 6:19: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

In September of 2016 I underwent surgery for cancer. I thank God I didn’t require any treatment and that I am cancer-free! Praise the Lord!

Then at the end of 2016, I developed lymphedema (swelling of my lower extremities) with cellulitis in both legs. It was very painful and I was hospitalized for six days on IV antibiotics, followed by 12 sessions of painful physical therapy to help me learn how to manage a lifetime of swelling and walking difficulties.

In March of 2017, I had surgery for an abdominal hernia, followed by a second hernia surgery that November and a third in May of 2018. Currently I require surgery for a fourth hernia.

In August of 2019 I injured my right knee, tearing the ACL and meniscus. This required 12 more sessions of painful physical therapy to restore the damaged tissue. At the end of 2020 my doctor prescribed a cane for support as I developed osteoarthritis and bursitis.

Despite all my challenges, faith remained above all. “For without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is

the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrew 11:6).

It is unwavering faith that pleases God. By placing confidence and faith and trust in the power of God’s promises, my mind isn’t filled with doubt, and I don’t have to try to solve every problem in my own strength. As I focus on God’s Word, my thoughts go to His love, sovereignty, and wisdom.

“Hear my cry for help, my King and my God! To you I pray, O Lord” (Psalm 5:3).

It’s through life’s struggles that God will show us His greatness. I Peter 1:6-7 says: “In this you greatly rejoice, though not for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Trusting God completely is what having faith is. Exercise your faith in all circumstances based, on who God is: your Savior, your Lord, and your life. Keep your eyes focused on the goal, in the assurance that the Lord is at work in your life no matter what the situation.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

During these times of darkness, it’s faith that gives us strength in our weakness.

As we put our faith in Him, there is an enormous power that flows through us to be used for His purposes to touch other lives. As Mother Theresa said, “Faith in action is love, and love in action is service. By transforming that faith into living acts of love, we put ourselves in contact with God Himself and with Jesus, our Lord.”

Even though we are not promised an easy path to follow, we have the assurance of knowing that God is with us. Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

Regardless of how difficult things may seem, we know He cares for us and will bring us victory.

These days my fears, doubts, and worries are overcome by faith, belief, and trust in The Great I Am.

When my strongest desire is to live by faith, I am made strong despite the weakness of life’s limitations.

James 1:2-4 says: “Count it all joy, my brother, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance; but perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

We have God’s guarantee of His gift of faith in Romans 5:1-2: ‘Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of understanding privilege, where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”