Aroma

Faith

Belief and complete trust in and loyalty to God. (Merriam-Webster) “Faith led Noah to listen when God warned him about the things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a ship to save his family. Through faith Noah condemned the world and received God’s approval that comes through faith.” (Heb. 11:7 GW)

“Without faith no one can please God. Whosoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him.” (Heb. 11:6 ERV) “Believing in the Biblical sense is not just a mental exercise; it is an active faith that yields the leadership of one’s life to Christ. True faith reveals continual trust through selfless actions and obedient service. True faith grows and brings us into a deeper and more dependent relationship with Christ as Lord (the Leader and authority) and Savior.” (Notes: Fire Bible John 1:12 page 1906)

Faith is about hearing the voice of God inwardly, through the written word or through the preached word. It’s about receiving what the Lord has spoken as truth. This causes one to realize that we need the Lord’s intervention in every aspect of our lives.

March 1984 was my first experience on an airplane. It was a sixteen-hour flight to the Philippine islands. Petrified, my stomach felt like it was tied in knots and the turbulence added to my anxiety.

I was tied to this experience with no escape in sight. The anticipation of getting out of the air, off that plane and my feet on God’s great earth consumed my thought. My children were having a great time; they were excited. My son Anthony wanted me to look out of the window, I refused, with an anxious no. It was not until the Holy Spirit reminded me that the anxiety I was feeling was not of God. At that point I began to fight in faith and continued the fight until we landed. We flew from Los Angeles, California to Seattle, Washington and from Seattle to Anchorage, Alaska, from Alaska to Okinawa, Japan and Okinawa to Angeles City, Philippines landing on Clark Air Force Base. Thirty minutes into the flight from Japan to the Philippines; the pilot turned on the fasten seatbelt light and announced we were about to land. We were previously told this would be a two-hour flight. Whether it was instrument malfunction or pilot inexperience it left me feeling very uncomfortable. When he discovered we were not as close as anticipated the light was turned off, and we continued toward our destination. We started the descent to the Philippines. As we got closer the plane began to rapidly drop in altitude, several times. Like being on the highest point of a roller coaster and the cars plummet downward at an accelerated speed. It felt like my stomach was in my throat, my eyes were shut tight, and my emotions were anticipating the end. At this point in the flight I knew I needed the Lord’s intervention and began to call on the name of Jesus! Thank God we had a safe landing. When I stepped off the plane, it was like stepping into an oven. This was the hottest place I had ever encountered. I failed to mention earlier, I was six months pregnant. This was a time of new experiences. I realize my faith was being tested to prepare me for future challenges. Readers help me say: A Dispensation for a New Level of Trust.