It is worthy of note that nearly all of us as human beings have some faith. For example, before this rainy season (which here in Zambia is from around October–April), we saw people preparing fields as early as August, despite experiencing the most devastating drought ever remembered in our country. People have incredible faith and resilience.

This applies to many other aspects of life as well. This is why the apostle James said, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:13, 14). For an action to be made there must be some faith on the part of the actor.

Throughout human history, our life has been marked with actions of faith. If we are to be in harmony and in favor with our Creator we need much faith, for “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). To have a rewarding experience, we need to exercise faith.

In the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), we are able to extract many lessons of faith and we’re encouraged therewith.

After the fall of man, God gave our first parents the promise of deliverance through Christ. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). “This sentence, uttered in the hearing of our first parents, was to them a promise.” Faithfully [Adam] sought to stem the tide of evil. He had been commanded to instruct his posterity in the way of the Lord.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 65, 66, 82. This faithful teaching reproduced in Enoch a character fit for heaven.

“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24).

Rain had never been seen before, “for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground” (Genesis 2:5, 6). Because sin later increased, God told Noah of the imminent destruction that was to occur by a flood:

“Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. . . . And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall die.” Genesis 6:14, 17. Faithfully Noah executed the instructions.

There are many notable actions exhibiting faith and a perfect conviction about the knowledge of God by Abraham, starting with his call to leave his native country in Genesis 12.

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went” (Hebrews 11:8). Without questioning, Abraham—with tokens of God’s approval—moved from place to place.

Like Adam, Abraham also looked for the coming of Christ and His mission and enjoyed great blessing to himself personally, too. It is said in the scripture that Jesus was to be a Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6). When coming from the battle, Abraham met him and faithfully fulfilled his obligation: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all” (Genesis 14:18–20).

When God said, “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 26:4), just as to Adam in Genesis 3:15, Abraham saw Christ to come as a Redeemer. Jesus told the Hebrews of His day: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56).

We see this with God’s demand on the promised child, Isaac: “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Genesis 22:2). It was faith in God that made him act. It is confirmed what was in his mind, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure” (Hebrews 11:17–19). Incredible faith stronger than death!

The faith of Jacob is admirable, his understanding clear, and his experience very deep. When asked of his age, it was like calling him back to recount of his life’s struggles, experience and faith. “And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage” (Genesis 47:9). What a life—difficult, but admirable!

Jacob was clear about Christ, and even His lineage—from among which of the patriarch's children Jesus would come. He declares, “Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” “But unto the Son [God the Father] saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom” (Genesis 49:9, 10; Hebrews 1:8.) So Jacob died with this faith.

Job, who lived at the same time as Moses, declared by faith: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me” (Job 19:25–27). They both looked to the future and both saw Christ’s day and were glad (John 8:56).

It is said that faith produces wonders and marvelous things only when we are wholly given to it. Yielding completely. Yes, with no reservations. Only this way can we feel and witness the effect of our faith.

I have nursed many patients. One enduring thing that is really touching is the experience when nursing a dying patient. Nursing has also has an interesting part of its definition given by Virginia Herndeson, where it is referred to as “the act of helping people perform activities that contribute to their health or recovery, or to a peaceful death.” It’s interesting to understand how someone can accept the situation at hand. He or she is made aware to realize that life is truly ending soon (in a minute, an hour or few days time) and that person accepts it! With no panic throughout the whole being, the patient gives the last breath. . . . He/she accepts the reality without reservation and with understanding. Nothing remains; everything of “I am” is gone, perfectly gone. This demands much faith. Faith is effective much more after you’ve given your whole being as though dying! Yes, truly dying from sin and being alive for Christ.

True faith is perfect; it has no reservations. The heart/minds must be made to understand and accept. You only have this time; you and I only have this single life. Accept to die completely from the enemy and be alive for Christ. God says, “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil” (Deuteronomy 30:15). The appeal is made: Choose life. It will be wise for you to give to the Lord your all.

“There is danger of your slighting [God] too long. Your time is taken up with the vanities of the world, and you seldom retain thoughts that you have a soul to save or lose. Have you forgotten that there is one who was wounded for your transgressions and bruised for your iniquities? One who is now pleading with his Father, and presenting His wounded hands and feet, and pierced side and spilt blood, and pleads with Him to spare you a little longer; for He hung upon the cross to redeem you. O, what love! what unbounded love and condescension the Son of God manifested for us. He died to give life to those who were his enemies!”—The Youth’s Instructor, January 1, 1854.

My dear brothers and sisters, friends, so many times the following words apply to us: “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of” (Luke 9:55). We must be of the Spirit of Chris— opposite to this. Galatians 4:6.

May the Lord help us!