Let the Bible Give You Faith : Jonathan Ha
Romans 10:17 (ESV)
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Today’s Testimony
Jonathan Ha
I have two major goals that I want to complete before I meet Jesus face to face.
One of them is to truly understand the Bible. But there was a struggle blocking my path of understanding the Bible. The struggle was that I had very little faith. At times, when I woke up in the middle of the night, I would just think that God isn’t real. When that doubt filled my heart, I would flip through my Bible and just start reading. I read the Book of Acts and read a few chapters. I read about God’s miracles and that made my faith stronger. I thought I was changed and healed at that moment, but I was wrong. I didn’t know how to be a true Christian. It was so hard for me because I knew that there was so much more to being a Christian than just reading the Bible.
My other goal is to put God first. I would always find something to do instead of focusing on God and changing myself. During Sunday service, I would always find a distraction and keep telling myself to pay attention to the sermon. My attention span is very short and I get distracted by the tiniest things, even if it’s a speck of dust. During prayer time, I prayed for my heart to change so that I can pay attention to the sermon.
I would love to be the best Christian I could be, but there were too many struggles for me to deal with. My doubt and lack of faith made me give up trying and I was not determined to go to church. At one point, I decided that I should stop being a faithful Christian. I stopped going to church on Fridays and I never wanted to go to church again. I decided that instead of praying, I would fix my struggles by myself and that I didn’t need anyone to help me. I noticed that I was wrong and I needed Christ in my life again.
I began coming out to church. Even so, I felt that my faith was wavering: One day, I would be lazy and not want to be a “real” Christian but another day I would want to feel the presence of God wherever I was. Right now, I am determined to trust and listen to what God has to say. After I made this decision, the sermons I hear feel different. I wasn’t getting distracted and I really understood what I was listening to. I said to myself, “I should be like this every week.” I focused and I got to really know God. I rethink about the sermons and I pray every night before I go to sleep. I think that I got closer to God than I was before as I prayed regularly and paid attention to sermons.
Every night, I reflect on how God has affected my day and how I sought after Him in my life to solve my problems. Although I’m not the best Christian, I still apply God’s words in my life in many ways. When I struggle with my problems, I just pray for them to be solved. And many of my prayers have been answered. I know that God has forgiven me of all of my sins.
For Your Reflection
I am sure all of you at some point have struggled with your faith. We experience doubt especially when we are busy, going through dark times, or facing hardships. If so, what we need to do is more than just try our best to avoid any doubts, but also to do something when those doubts cripple in.
What does God ask us to do? God gives us a simple and yet an important solution: Hear His word. This is because faith cannot be self-generated, but it is a gift that God gives us through His word. Today, find a quiet place where you can be by yourself without distractions. Then, genuinely ask God in prayer to speak to you. And open the Bible and read it until you hear His voice. Then, do your best to live how He asks you to live. He will certainly give you the faith that you need for today.