Sometimes things are not always as they appear or as we see them.

In the Gospel of John 17:17 it is written: "Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth."

This word truth is translated from the Greek word aletheia. Its literal meaning is "the reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested essence of a matter."

Jesus was saying here that God's word was truth. It is the reality.

There are numerous instances in the Bible where God gave his word or promise and, regardless of what the situation at hand looked like, his word was the reality.

When Daniel was thrown in the den of lions, the reality was that God would protect him, not what he saw before him — i.e. hungry lions waiting to devour him. When Moses and the children of Israel stepped into the Red Sea, the reality was that they would walk on dry land, not drown. When David went up against Goliath, the reality was that by his slingshot, he would defeat him. When God had promised that Sara would have a child, that was the reality, not the fact that she was past the age of conception.

There are countless biblical instances of God's mighty power, his limitless ability to perform the impossible.

Many times we limit the power of God in our own lives because we are unable to fathom how God will perform in situations of need for us. Thus we lose faith.

Too often we forget the beautiful verse in Isaiah 55:8, 9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Just because we cannot comprehend how God will accomplish something does not mean he cannot do it. His word is the reality. His promises are the reality, not what might be before our eyes.

In the great book of Ephesians, which is addressed to the church of this day and time, it says in Chapter 1:19: "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."

When we choose to believe "according to the working of his mighty power" and believe that we are what he says we are, and that we have what his word says we have, we will be walking on higher ground.

His reality will become our reality, and what a better place that is.

Lisa Bader belongs to Hawaii Bible Fellowships, a nondenominational Christian church that meets in homes.