Faith Is Not Magic—It’s a Relationship

Faith is a word we hear often in Christian circles, but it’s still widely misunderstood. Some people treat it as a vague feeling—an intuition that “there must be more between heaven and earth.” Others see it as a mystical force—almost like a spiritual lever that allows you to manipulate circumstances if you just believe strongly enough.

But true biblical faith is not a mystical force—it’s not about believing in something magical, but about trusting Someone. It is a confident reliance on the character, promises, and Word of God. This kind of trust doesn’t depend on perfect understanding, but grows out of a personal relationship with a faithful God.

When Paul wrote to Timothy about the hardships he had faced, he declared with confidence: “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” (2 Timothy 1:12) Did you notice what Paul said? He didn’t write, “I know what I have believed”—he said, “I know whom I have believed.”

His strength didn’t come from a perfectly crafted theology. It came from a personal relationship with the living God.

Paul didn’t just cling to a doctrine—he trusted a Person. That’s what gave him the courage to endure suffering and remain faithful. His hope was not rooted in understanding every detail, but in knowing the One who holds all things together.

FAITH IS ABOUT KNOWING GOD

Faith is essential. The Bible says, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17), and in Hebrews 11:6 we read, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him.” But notice—the verse doesn’t stop there. It goes on to say: “…for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” That tells us something powerful. Faith isn’t just about believing that God exists. It’s about trusting who He is.

God isn’t looking for cold, distant belief—He desires a living relationship built on trust. He wants us to seek Him with confidence, knowing that He is good, that He cares, and that He rewards those who sincerely pursue Him.

Throughout history, people of faith have done extraordinary things—living in ways that defied natural limitations. Jesus said that faith could move mountains and that nothing would be impossible for him who had faith (Mark 9:23 + 11:23), but that faith is not a mystical knowledge of how to bend the laws of nature. When Jesus talked about faith moving mountains He start by saying: “Have faith in God…” (Mark 11:22b)

This truth is confirmed in what the angel told Daniel: “The people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.” (Daniel 11:32). Notice, it doesn’t say “those who know about God,” but those who know Him. There’s a big difference. To truly know someone, you must be in relationship with them. And when that relationship is built on trust, it produces faith—not just based on what you’ve read or heard, but because you personally know the One you believe in.

Knowledge is important but the strength of our faith doesn’t come from head knowledge or theory—it comes from knowing God personally. The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 didn’t put their trust in a creed or an idea. Someone had made them a promise—and they knew the One who had spoken it. Because of that deep trust in God, they: Subdued kingdoms, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, escaped the edge of the sword and saw the dead raised to life.

Their faith wasn’t abstract. It was relational—anchored in the character of a faithful God.

TRUST THROUGH TRIALS 

Abraham is famously called the “father of faith”, but what was so significant about his faith that earned him this title? I believe there are three key factors that made Abraham worthy of this name.

WILLINGNESS TO OBEY

First, it was his willingness to obey God even when he didn’t understand why. Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” God simply said, “Go,” and Abraham packed his bags and left—without a map, without details, and without knowing the destination.

To some, that might sound reckless or like “blind faith.” But for Abraham, it wasn’t blind at all—because he knew and trusted the One who had spoken. His confidence wasn’t in him understanding the plan—it was in the Person behind the plan.

We see that same deep trust when God asked Abraham to offer Isaac, his beloved son, as a sacrifice. Abraham didn’t understand why—but he obeyed. His faith was not in the logic of the command but in the character of the One who gave it. The Bible tells us that Abraham “concluded that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead” (Hebrews 11:19). That’s remarkable. 

Up to that point, there was no record of anyone being raised from the dead. But Abraham believed that if God had promised that Isaac would be the child of the covenant, then somehow—no matter what—God would keep His word. This wasn’t shallow belief. It was deep, tested trust—a trust that could walk up a mountain, build an altar, and raise the knife… because it rested in the faithfulness of God.

ABILITY TO HOLD ON

Secondly, Abraham had the ability to hold on to the promise—even if things delayed and circumstances was screaming ‘It’s too late’.

The Bible says “… he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb …”. Circumstances told him that it was impossible, and being almost a hundred years old he did not understand how it could ever happen. Yet, it says that “… He did not waver at the promise of God …” (Romans 4:19–20).

We often treat faith like a mystical power—as if, if we just have enough of it, we’ll get instant results. But look at Abraham, the father of faith. He was a hundred years old when God finally gave him the promised son.

Was his faith weak because it took so long? Not at all. In fact, his faith was so strong that he could wait for decades—long past the point where things looked humanly possible—and still not lose hope.

True faith isn’t measured by how quickly things happen. Faith isn’t about getting immediate answers—it’s the strength to trust God even when the waiting is long. And this kind of enduring trust doesn’t come from studying theology. It comes from personally knowing the One who made the promise—and being convinced that He is faithful.

SEEING BEYOND THE HERE AND NOW

Thirdly, Abraham’s trust in God wasn’t limited to what could happen in this life. He saw beyond the here and now. He knew that his relationship with God would not end at death. In fact, his deepest hope wasn’t anchored in earthly blessings—but in what awaited him in eternity.

Hebrews 11:10 says that Abraham “… waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Verse 16 adds, “… they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country.” And in verse 13, we read that Abraham and the other heroes of faith “… all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

For these heroes, faith was never about a quick fix. The greatness of their faith wasn’t shown in how fast they saw results, but in how long they were able to wait—and still trust. Their eyes were set on something greater—on Someone greater. And because of that, they lived and died in faith, holding on to God even when the promise was still far off.

If you should describe Abrahams relationship with God in one word I think the word would be ‘trust’. He trusted God enough to base his whole life on living in obedience to what God had said, even if circumstances were screaming against him. 

Final Thoughts

Faith is not a mystical power or a positive mindset. It’s not about having all the answers or unlocking spiritual secrets. Faith is relational trust. Faith isn’t a formula. It’s not about having the right words or a perfect plan. It’s about knowing and trusting God—deeply and personally. Like Abraham, like Noah, like all the heroes of faith—you don’t need to know every step ahead. You just need to know the One who walks with you.