Faith
Acting on Belief
קָוָה Qavah
Qavah has a literal and figurative meaning. The literal meaning of the word is “to bind together like a cord.” It’s the process of weaving small threads together to form a rope of much greater strength. The figurative meaning is to look forward patiently; Wait on the Lord. This is not just a passive waiting as time passes. The Lord is actively weaving people, experiences, and opportunities for growth into our lives in the interim.
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُون
Quran Ayah al-Imran 3:103
And hold firmly to the rope of God, all of you, and do not be separated. And remember the blessing of God upon you when you were enemies and He united your hearts. Then you became, with His blessing, brothers; and you were on the edge of a pit of fire and He saved you from it; it is thus that God clarifies for you His signs that you may be guided.
חֶסֶד Chesed
This is the intimate, ongoing, constant conversation, longing to be together. A life-long love founded in a covenantal relationship. It has a steadfast, rock-solid faithfulness that endures to eternity. It’s the always-on-my-mind when away and fingers always touching when together. This is what God wants more than sacrifice. He longs for Chesed. When we have it, it’s called Grace. It means, God is with you. In the truest sense, to be close to God is to be in His presence.
