Faith: 1

As I was depositing my brother in a cheap motel across from the legal offices to which he will go Tuesday morning after Labor Day in order to be accompanied by his lawyer as he surrenders himself to the local constabulary...

[...]

... I talked to him about Faith, Humility, and Charity. His own grasp of the Holy is rather tenuous and reflects much of the childish notions which clutter up our consciousness.

When St. Paul told us to put away the things of a child, he didn't mean dredels; he meant childishly improper notions of the Holy.
What is Faith?
We have already discussed statements of Faith and Truth and Falsity elsewhere, so we will not repeat it here.

What, then, is Faith?
I have heard people in bad situations say one must have faith in God. This seems to imply that God will ride to your rescue like the cavalry in the last reel of an old film thriller. Since this doesn't seem to happen too very often nowadays, it is wide of the mark.
Faith is a two-way street. A person of Faith must adhere to the ideals of Faith set forth by God. Then God will maintain His end of the bargain. Faith is not merely relying on God; it is absolutely relying on God given that you have demonstrated your firm reliance by an exhausting attempt to maintain the standards set forth by God.

If you do not visit the sick, it is problematic whether you should rely too much on divine favor. Similarly if you take oaths, if you do not honor your parents, if you remain stiff-necked and arrogant, if you do not minister to those in prison..all of which MUST be done so that your left hand is sublimely ignorant of what your right hand is doing. (It must be done quietly and without fanfare.), then it is not clear that God will provide. (As soon as I write this, I am aware that I subtly propagandize my efforts for my brother. I never said I was perfect.)

FAITH requires firm effort to maintain the standards set out by God. Before you ask God, He has already asked you. How difficult is it? You probably say, I always do what God wants: I go to church on Sunday, I tithe, I contribute to zakah, I observe the high holydays, etc. etc. etc. There are many stumbling blocks.

We are called upon to turn the other cheek. Do we? We are told not to ask what we shall eat, what we shall drink, where shall we sleep, for our Father will provide. Do we? The demands of Faith cannot all be met at the same time. Within the personal history of the individual there is a progress along the way from darkness to light.

We must maintain our intention to fulfill the demands of Faith as best we can within our lives. This is why we are given our three score and ten; it takes time to fulfill our commitment to God. God does not demand this. It is the nature of the relationship between God and Man that it is two-way. If God reaches out to me, I need to reach toward him. If God offers me and I refuse, do I ever experience that blessing?