To have faith in something you first need to have some information about the thing in which you want to have faith. For example, in order to believe a medication can help you, you will need to know that particular medication exists. You will also need to know generally what it has done for others in the past. Finally, you will need to trust the doctor who is prescribing the medication. The same is true about God and what the Almighty is doing in history and in your life.

This information is available in the Bible. And in order to learn anything meaningful from the Bible, you must first establish what you think of the Bible.

Do you know it is the actual revealed Word of God? Or, do you believe, as some do, that it is fiction - nothing more than legends and myths written by elite priests and royalty to manipulate masses of people? If you do not believe the Bible you will not be able to believe the God of the Bible.

Obviously, if you do not trust the Bible you will need to get information about God from some other source. Where would you go? Many look to other religions. But if you do, you have to ask yourself what the source of authority is in that religion. Is it trustworthy? Is it more trustworthy than the Bible?

Alternatively, instead of going to the Bible for information about God, you could “trust your gut.” Sadly, many try this method. They look solely to their own judgment and come up with their own opinion about God based on nothing more than personal thoughts and experience.

But before going too far down this dubious road of deciding what is eternally true in realms in which you have never ventured, you should first admit how limited your knowledge is in realms in which you venture every day. How much do you really know about even the simple things you use on a daily basis, such as automobiles, electronic devices, plumbing systems and air conditioning?

If any of these things were to break down would you simply fix it because you know how? Or would you call someone for help? Or what about political situations in your city, your nation and countries around the world? Do you know when they began and what they involve, or who is pulling the strings? What are the details of their various treaties, and where exactly are their borders? Can you diagnose your own blood condition, translate any foreign brochure into your own language, plant and harvest all the crops for your own food supply, or read all the books written in just the last 12 months? (Not to mention all the books humanity has written in the 6,000 years we have been writing.) We would live miserably and perish quickly if each of us as individuals had to stake our lives on our understanding of all these normal earthly things.

If we are this limited in our knowledge of the natural things that are available to us every day of our lives, imagine how hopelessly impossible it is for us to describe spiritual reality with any degree of accuracy using only our imagination and unauthenticated knowledge. We cannot create our own medical reality, food system, government, language, or history. Neither can we create truth about God by our own wisdom. This kind of truth must be revealed to us.

If I were to make up my own reality that did not correspond to true science, nutrition, language, history, etc, I would perish miserably and quickly. If I create my own personal “truth” about “god” I will likewise perish.

God reveals himself to us so that we will be able to trust him - and have confidence in him, his ways, and his purpose. God does not come to us to be used by us, but to guide, encourage, and empower us. The Creator reveals himself to assist us in fulfilling our purpose, but never to be manipulated or ruled by us.

There are many truths that God has revealed to mankind that, when understood and believed, will provide a fortification for the soul. These come as revelations of God’s character, ways, purposes, and promises. Knowledge of these truths will be the sure foundation for a faith that will stabilize the soul.