Faith is not a feeling. I have learned this through circumstances where I have taken God at His Word, knowing His Word was truer than how I felt.
In 1992 I was in Poland speaking at a Cru event in Gdansk. Afterward, my friend took me to the train station so I could go to Warsaw.
Two men offered to help with my suitcases, which held gifts for our missionaries there like magazines, Doritos and Christian tapes, along with my travel folder containing my passport, airplane tickets and money.
I thanked them for their assistance. When they got off and the train started pulling out of the station, I noticed my bag was unzipped.
The folder was gone.
My friend couldn't hear me as I tried to yell through the closed window, "They stole my passport!"
The last thing I felt was thankfulness. I was shocked, stunned and overwhelmed. But I took a deep breath and said, "Lord, I choose with my will to thank You for this and trust You."
Then I said, "Lord, I have unbelief as I say this, but I ask that I will somehow get it back."
I reached for my Daily Light book with Scriptures, and was comforted by Psalm 62:8: "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." I chose to believe Him and prayed, "Lord, this is one of those 'all' times and I do trust You."
Every official I met with assured me that I would never see my things again. 48 hours after the robbery, the police contacted me.
My folder was found. Everything was there except $60 and some traveler's checks.
My friends in Poland said that they had never heard of anyone getting their things back.
If I had never seen that folder again, I would still cling to God's trustworthiness.
I know Him well enough to know that we can trust Him no matter what the outcome, because faith is not a feeling, it's a choice we have to take God at His Word.
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