We all exercise faith as we go about our routine of life. And we always behave as we believe. What we have set our heart on is what we naturally pursue. Today’s interpretation of believing rarely lines up with the Bible’s meaning because superficial belief requires almost no effort.
When the Bible uses the word believe it means trusting in what God has promised.                                  Faith and trust are one and the same. Believe is merely the verb form of the nouns belief, faith and trust. Scripture tells us: “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him.” Belief in God, then, should always result in pursuing relationship with Him. Action is what’s needed! It offers proof that we truly believe. Without it our so-called faith amounts to nothing.

From: The Path Through the Maze. Answering Life’s Ultimate Question; What Happens After We Die?

The Bible is jam-packed with the promises of God, and they all hinge on one key promise: “Whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.” What does it mean to believe? You may say, “Of course I believe in God,” or, “Yes, I believe in Jesus.” But what is the outcome of that belief? Has it changed your life in any meaningful way? Is your life any different from those who hold no such belief at all?
       The term believe has become seriously watered-down in our culture. It doesn’t come close to what the Bible says it is. It’s not uncommon for us to believe what is being offered in life, yet more often than not these beliefs are merely superficial. So what’s the point? It’s simply this: acting on God’s promises proves that we believe, unquestionably showing that we trust—have faith in—what God offers. Pursuit of God offers that proof.

From: The Path through the Maze—Answering Life’s Ultimate Question: What Happens After We Die?

“All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” This incredible prophecy found in Isaiah 53 is one that resounds throughout all generations. But it does not stand alone; the entire chapter teems with the purpose of God—the suffering Jesus had to endure, bearing in His body that which would ultimately release us from the guilt of sin and restore us to relationship with our Father.
       Read it again, and contemplate this prophecy written 700 years before Christ’s death. Think not only about the precision with which His crucifixion fulfilled it, but also the content of the message—the magnitude of the offering He willingly endured because of His immeasurable love for us. Yes, we have gone our own way. Isaiah 53 is a sobering reminder to us all.