Crazy Faith

It can be really easy sometimes to follow God when everything in your life is going well. It can be easy when something gets just a little off. But what do you do when everything falls apart and nothing goes like it should? Times like these call for a faith beyond the ordinary. I'm talking crazy faith. The faith that tells you to jump and you have to believe you will make it to the other side. This faith, from the eyes of the outside, can be looked down upon as foolish faith, but in the eyes of God, it is right where he wants his people. Giving everything you own away and living as a poor man seems insane to those around you, yet it might be exactly the place that God has need for you to be in that season of your life. In situations like this, any person you come in contact with might have gone from riches to rags in a short span of time, and you know have a connecting point with that person. "I could never do that. That is crazy. I would look like a fool."  From the words of Petra, I would rather be a fool in the eyes of men, than a fool in the eyes of God.-Fool's Gold. I want to depend on God so confidently, that I will not care how I look to the world, because I am not out to impressive them. We were not put on this earth to fit perfectly into the mold of the world, nor are we to try and gain approval from people, rather than God. Some of the greatest bible heroes that we discuss were probably looked on as crazy. Consider John the Baptist. He ate locusts and honey and wore camel skin, and was considered insane, yet God used him to prepare the way for his son on the earth. Then there is the prophet Isaiah. He spent 3 years naked because God told him to be. Now, we don't know  reason for this, but it was probably awkward to be around him during this time. What about the story of Abraham. After 25 years of waiting for a promised son, Abraham finally receives his promise, then God tells him to sacrifice the promised child. Wait God, I just got my promise and now you want me to kill him. I don't understand. You said My descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky, and it would be through this boy. Why would you want me to kill him? Not once during this story do we read of Abraham questioning God, only that he prepares for the sacrifice believing that whatever happens, God still knows what he is doing. In the end, Isaac is saved from death and a ram is offered instead. Then there is the story of Esther. Esther was just a common girl from Israel who became queen. Then after a short while, she had to risk everything, including her life, in order to save her people. In that day, if someone came to the king unannounced, the king could, and usually did, have that person killed. Yet we see that after prayer and fasting, Esther was able to approach the king with a welcoming heart and she was able to save countless of lives. Take Gideon. He was called by God while threshing wheat in a winepress, for fear of the Midianites finding it and taking it. God called him to lead an army of 300 men to take on the 135,000 men army of Midian. In the beginning, Gideon had to make sure God had really wanted him, but after God proved that he had not made a mistake in his choice, Gideon was able to lead the army. The Midianites were wiped out without a single Israelite drawing their sword. Talk about crazy. Another of many great examples is that of Moses. Moses was born a Hebrew, raised in an Egyptian palace, then spent 40 years in the wilderness. In the wilderness, God comes to him in a burning bush and instructs Moses to walk right up to Pharaoh and tell him to let go the 600,000+ men plus women and children, whom Pharaoh had working as slaves. Moses went up against Pharaoh with only Aaron, his brother, and God, and Pharaoh ended up drowning in the Red Sea. Having crazy faith is not something everyone, even those who are saved, can do. Just having faith when life is going great, is like keeping God in your back pocket, like a spare tire on a car, and only pulling him out when you get a flat. But God needs to be the steering wheel of your spiritual vehicle. God wants us to solely rely on him, that he will get us where we need to go, and when we need to get there. If having faith was an easy task, and it didn't make you appear different or uncomfortable, it would be way more convenient for everyone to do it. As much as God wants all of his children to have faith, what he really wants is the few that truly believe. The ones who have gone through what seems like hell on earth, yet have not wavered in their faith, but rather strengthened it to where it needs to be. That is crazy faith. Faith that, no matter what is thrown your way, you eyes will not waiver from the one who is control, and you will not be shaken. In every situation, in everyday life, this is the faith that we must strive for. Getting to a point of crazy faith probably won't be an easy feat, but once you get to the place of ultimate surrender, God will show you just how big his is, and that there is nothing to fear as long as you trust in what he is doing.

Adam Semple- a young man striving for crazy faith to do the mission from God.