Transformation!

Beautiful day yesterday, so I decided to go on a bike-ride to the library for Early Voting opening day. As I cruised along, the crisp autumn wind in my face, a plot problem in the book I am working on suddenly worked itself out. It was magical. It all made sense, and I wondered what had taken me so long to come up with it. It was perfect, and obvious...what 2 minutes prior to that had been intractable.

This is what faith is like. One moment, the whole Jesus story seems utterly nuts, the Bible incomprehensible, and the thought of God or miracles complete hooey. And then, we finally see the shallow depravity of ourselves, and in humility accept that maybe God is indeed making an offer we can't refuse in that crazy Jesus story. Scales fall from our eyes, stoppers from our ears, reluctance from our hearts and we are miraculously transformed.

We wonder what took us so long, when it was perfect and obvious...what 2 minutes prior to that had been intractable.
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2 Corinthians 5:7 

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Hebrews 11:6 

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Romans 10:17 

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Hebrews 11:1 

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.