When Faith Keeps Calling.

There are seasons when faith sounds easy.

When doors open, prayers are visibly answered, and life seems understandable.

But there are also seasons when faith becomes visible precisely when you don't yet understand what is happening.

I personally find myself in such a season.

The recent past has been intense. In various areas of my life, I am challenged not just to say that I trust God, but to truly live that trust.

And perhaps that is where faith becomes visible.

Not when everything is going well.

But when you don't have a complete answer yet and can still say:

> Jesus, I trust You.

Bartimaeus Kept Calling Out

In Mark 10:46, we meet Bartimaeus.

He is sitting by the road near Jericho. Blind. Dependent. Humanly speaking, without much prospect.

Then he hears that Jesus is passing by.

He begins to shout:

> “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

People try to silence him. But Bartimaeus calls out all the louder.

That touches me.

Because in our lives too, circumstances can become so loud that they try to dictate what we believe.

Disappointment can say: just give up.

Fear can ask: what if it never changes?

Uncertainty can whisper: where is God now?

But faith does not deny the circumstances.

Amidst those circumstances, faith focuses on Someone greater: Jesus Christ.

Moreover, Bartimaeus wasn't just calling out to someone who could perform miracles.

He called Jesus: “Son of David.”

His hope ultimately lay not just in a solution. His hope lay in Jesus Himself.

Jesus Stopped

Then something that deeply moves me is written.

Jesus stopped.

Amidst all the people, He heard Bartimaeus. He saw him. He called him.

And Bartimaeus received his sight.

But Mark 10:52 does not end with the miracle.

It then says that Bartimaeus followed Jesus on the road.

That changes everything for me.

Because perhaps the greatest breakthrough is not just that our circumstances change.

Perhaps the greatest breakthrough is that we begin to see Jesus more clearly and follow Him more faithfully.

What is Breakthrough?

Of course, I believe in breakthrough.

I pray for open doors. For restoration. For wisdom. For healing. For relationships. For my family. For my children. For GOD Radio and everything God has entrusted to us.

But I am learning more and more that breakthrough does not only mean that a problem disappears.

Sometimes breakthrough is when fear loses its grip.

That peace comes before the answer comes.

That you dare to hope again. That your heart remains soft. That you remain obedient despite uncertainty.

That in the midst of a storm, you can say:

> God is still good.

Perhaps true breakthrough doesn't always start outside of us. Sometimes it starts deep within.

When You Know That You Know That You Know

Since attending Charis Bible College four days a week, I am once again intensively focused on the Word of God.

And the more I engage with it, the clearer I see the difference between knowing something with my head and truly knowing something in my heart.

You can know that God is good. You can know that He is faithful. You can know that Jesus died and rose for you. You can know that your identity is in Christ.

But there comes a moment when the Holy Spirit illuminates your understanding and opens your heart to what God has already revealed in His Word.

Not a new truth alongside Scripture. But a deeper understanding of the truth that is already there.

Then the Word becomes more than information. It becomes a foundation.

Then something difficult to explain arises.

You know.

Not because you know everything about tomorrow. Not because all questions have disappeared. Not because every situation is resolved.

But because you know Who God is.

You know that you know that you know.

I know He is faithful. I know He is good. I know that Jesus Christ is Lord. I know that the tomb is empty. I know that His grace is sufficient. I know that His Word is truth.

I don't know everything. But I know Him.

What Has God Said?

When circumstances speak loudly enough, they can easily dominate our thoughts.

What do I see? What do I feel? What is going to happen?

But faith teaches me to ask a different question:

> What has God said?

Therefore, I don't want to treat the Word as a nice addition to my life. It must be my foundation.

Jesus said:

> “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

When everything around me is moving, I need something that does not move: God's Word.

And that Word must not only determine what I believe. It must also determine how I live. How I speak. How I love. How I forgive. How I make choices. How I deal with disappointment. How I respond when I don't have the answer yet.

Faith is therefore more than conviction. Faith gains feet in obedience.

GOD Radio

Also in the work surrounding GOD Radio, I am constantly learning anew that calling is ultimately not about ourselves.

GOD Radio does not exist to make my name great.

My desire is that the Gospel resounds through media. That people come to know Jesus. That someone who might never enter a church still hears the Word. That hope sounds where there is despair. That faith is built up. That Jesus is central.

Precisely in an intensive period, we have also been privileged to see new developments, connections, and opportunities. I am grateful for that.

Not because success automatically proves that everything we do is perfect. But because every opportunity to reach someone with the Gospel is ultimately a responsibility and a privilege.

I also see the collaboration with Derek Prince Ministries in that light.

Not building on a human name. But using good Bible teaching to constantly bring people back to Scripture and Jesus Christ.

My Children

Amidst everything, I am especially grateful to God for my children.

My son Morris. My daughters Hope and Faith.

They are among the greatest gifts God has given me. I love them intensely.

And precisely in an intensive season, I realize anew how special it is to be a father.

Ultimately, my children are not my possessions. Their lives are God's.

My responsibility is to love them, to pray for them, to be available, and — however imperfect — to live out something of Christ before them.

When I think of Morris, I thank God for my son and for who he is.

When I think of Hope and Faith, I thank God for their lives, their laughter, and their own unique personalities.

My greatest prayer for Morris, Hope, and Faith is simple: that they will truly come to know Jesus. That they will love truth. That they will receive wisdom. That they may be free to love. That they will discover who they are in Christ.

And that they will always know:

> Their father loves them. Always.

My Greatest Prayer

Perhaps my prayer has changed during this period.

Of course, I still pray: “Lord, change situations.”

But more and more often, I also pray:

> Lord, change me where I need to be changed.

Search my heart. Purify my motives. Give me wisdom. Teach me obedience. Let me speak when I should speak. Let me be silent when I should be silent. Keep my heart soft. Give me courage without harshness. Grace without compromise. Truth without pride. Love without naiveté.

Backbone and velvet gloves.

Because I don't just want God to do something for me. I want Him to do something in me.

My Faith Does Not Rest In My Scenario

For me, faith means less and less: God must do what I envision.

And more and more: God, I trust You.

I may pray for restoration. I may ask for breakthrough. I may hope. I may expect.

But ultimately, I don't only trust God with my prayer. I also want to trust Him with His answer.

That is not passive. That is surrender.

I Want To Follow Him On The Road

That's why Bartimaeus touches me so deeply.

He cried out. Jesus heard him. He received his sight.

But ultimately, something greater happened: he followed Jesus on the road.

I want that too.

Not just seeking Jesus for an answer. Not just seeking Jesus for a miracle. Not just seeking Jesus for an open door.

But following Jesus because He is Jesus.

Therefore, I make my choice anew.

I choose Jesus. I choose His Word. I choose truth. I choose grace. I choose obedience. I choose gratitude. I choose to keep my heart soft.

I choose to be grateful for Morris, Hope, and Faith.

I choose to be grateful for GOD Radio and every opportunity to let the Gospel resound.

I choose not to dictate to God how every chapter should end. I choose to trust Him.

Because faith is ultimately not about knowing all the answers. Faith is about knowing Him.

And when His Word becomes deeply established in your heart, a certainty arises that circumstances cannot easily take away.

You know. You know that you know. You know that you know that you know.

> God is faithful. God is good. Jesus lives. Jesus Christ is Lord.

And on that, I build my life.

Bas Emons