Blurred faith

My usual habit every morning is to have breakfast, and then with the last gulp of water take all my vitamins, and other maintenance medicines I need for the day.  I am so used to it that most of the time I just go to the other end of the table, where all our medicines are, and just reach out for the capsule or tablet I need to drink - even if I am not using my glasses!  This morning I realized how I "blindly" just get the medicines I believe are mine and drink them.  I am so used to how the packaging looks like, or how the capsule looks like, I don't have to really use my glasses to recognize them.  Of course I am hoping that one day I do not accidentally drink the wrong medicine!  I call this "blurred faith".  It's not that I'm blind, and I can't see the medicines I'm taking - I just see it with blurry vision, and my being so used to it gives me faith that I'm taking the right one.

I immediately related it to our faith in God.  Let's admit it - none of us really know God 100%.  Paul the apostle wrote about that:
1 Cor 13:12  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Now, he says, we see but a poor reflection of God.  If you're wondering why his example was "as in a mirror", which usually shows a good clear reflection, we need to understand that mirrors then were not as polished and clear as ours today.  Today our concept of the things of God, and of God Himself, are poor reflections of who He actually is.  We don't see the fullness of God yet.  We know Him and His ways in part, not in full.  But one day we shall see Him face to face.  One day we shall know Him completely - in eternity.  But now, in this life, we only see a blurred reflection.

Yet, this blurred faith we have in God is all we need!  God allows us a glimpse of who He is in order that our faith in Him might increase.  And the more we learn, the more we know, the more we realize who our God is, the more our faith is strengthened.  And the more our faith is strengthened the more we desire to know of Him, about Him.

This "blurred faith" that we have allows us to reach out for Him, call on Him, and rely on Him in all circumstances of life, and it brings the result we desire - His answering our prayers and desires.

We may not know much, but what God has revealed to us in our hearts of Himself is enough to give us the "mustard seed faith" to believe and call upon Him.  That grace is all we need.

1 Pet 1:8  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,