Author of Our Faith

BIG NEWS! I got my mock ups for my book cover! I will post the cover soon, as I’m debating between the choices. The tentative book release date is the end of January, but the back cover isn’t ready yet, so now it’s looking like it might be February. I’m so excited to see the date getting closer!

Speaking of being an author, I took a picture of this banner at our church Christmas program last week.  I absolutely love the pomp and majesty of the banners! Their splendor is just a small glimpse of the unimaginable glory and majesty we will experience when we someday see our Savior face to face.

Some banners have names that are more impactful to me than others. Jesus fills the holes in our lives, and certain names for God are more personal than others to different people. El Roi (The God Who sees me) is one of my favorites. But as I contemplated the meaning of this new banner, The Author of Our Faith, it hit me in ways I wouldn’t have considered were it not for my writing journey this past year.

Author of our faith! My immediate thought is that a book begins with an idea from an author. The banner reminds me that it ALL began with God. His creativity is proof of His existence. Romans tells us, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Psalm 19 affirms, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” When we see a creative work, we know it did not create itself. There is an author.

 In the same way, the idea for our salvation originated with God. Authors are creative and have ideas that compel them to create a story. God created the salvation story before He ever even breathed the breath of life into mankind. Ephesians tells us that “He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” Salvation not only originated with Him; it is only THROUGH HIM. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Salvation is found in no one else! God has written the most beautiful story ever written.

Authors also put their hearts into their work. Sometimes it is described as putting their “blood, sweat, and tears” into their manuscript. That expression originated with the very real physiological response of the body to emit liquids such as blood, sweat, and tears when pushed to extreme limits. Jesus shed tears over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41), over the scourge of death that sin brought into the world (John 11:35), and over his own impending suffering (Hebrews 5:7-9). His blood, sweat, and tears soaked the ground from the streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha, where He went willingly to the cross to take on our sin and impart His righteousness to us. The ultimate blood, sweat, and tears story bought our salvation. But it isn’t a work of fiction. It is a true story!

Authors tend to see and empathize with the hurts of others. They notice details in life so they can create relatable characters and stories. Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Psalm 56:8 tells us that every tear we shed is noticed by God. Authors write in a way to focus on the reader. Our Holy Author is so focused on us that He sees our hurts and even gathers our tears in a bottle.

Even our own faith doesn’t originate in us, but it comes from God. In Mark 9:24, the father of a boy Jesus healed recognized his own dependence on God for his personal faith as he exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” It is God Himself Who works in us to lead us to faith and to grow our faith.

Lastly, authors have a message, and they have a passion to share that message with others. God’s message is one of radical love, and his passion for His message compelled Him to make the ultimate sacrifice. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” (John 3:16).

It’s no surprise that the Bible is the best-selling book of all time!

Don’t let your Bible collect dust. Go read it. Be immersed in a love story written just for you…by the AUTHOR OF OUR FAITH!

And that’s what Christmas is all about!