Showing posts with label Hebrews 11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hebrews 11. Show all posts

Controlled and Sustained

I've been out of the "main-stream" life now for about 4 and a half years and I am still rethinking faith. As far as God goes, there's no doubt in my mind that He is. But I frequently return to the topic of faith because as westerners I do not think we really get it. So last night and this morning during my devotions I read and reread Hebrews 11 - The Hall of Faith for believers. This time it was verse 13 that stuck out to me the most.

Verse 13 states: These people all died controlled and sustained by their faith, but not having received the tangible fulfillment of God's promises...This statement is very contrary to our western church culture. We are taught to say it 'til we see it and when we see it somehow we think that we can measure faith by tangible means. However, here in Hebrews our list of Bible heroes never saw what they were praying for yet are respected for their faith.

Faith is not so much believing 'til we're receiving as it is holding on to what we will never be able to see. Faith is not weakened by a sick or ill body. Faith is not lessened by dire circumstances. Tragedy cannot touch faith, troubles cannot diminish faith. Now faith is... Knowing that God is...period and continuing to hold on to Him no matter what the circumstances is faith.

Peter demonstrated faith when he jumped out of a boat in a storm. Daniel demonstrated faith from inside the lion's den. Noah was carried through the flood by faith in God. Verse 36 gives us a rather serious look at faith as it says: they were stoned to death, sawn asunder, slaughtered by the sword, destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated  all without receiving the promise - of the Christ. In our mamby pamby "Christian" world here in the United States we do not know anything about that yet. We are still caught up in what faith can get us - or so we think. But for real furnace walkers we understand that sustaining faith that does not make all the "bad things" go away - it simply sustains you while you walk through...still clinging to Him.

Today I will meditate on His eternal presence and how He is still with me in the fire. (Seriously - where would He go? He's omnipresent!) I'll think about holding on to Him more tightly and getting to know Him more intimately as He sustains me in the fire. Will you join me?

Faith That Meets His Approval

Sometimes scriptures don't seem too fair. Like the one in Daniel 3. The three Hebrew children are facing a fiery, hot furnace when they make their statement of faith, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us...but even if He doesn't...we will bot worship you gods...and we know that they indeed did get thrown into the furnace. But we also know that they walked out unscathed! And even though God did not keep them from being thrown in, in the end He did deliver them. Of course, when they made their faith statement they knew God's ability, but were unsure of His actions. They did not presume that God would step in.

But what if He hadn't? As caregivers it's easy to see that He hasn't stepped in so far to rescue us out of the situation - because we are still in it. That does not mean that at any point He won't either! He may come riding in on a white horse and redeem the situation. And although that complete deliverance is possible, it hasn't happened to date. So today is here for us to deal with...at least until!

Some have pointed at us and said we don't have faith since the situation hasn't turned. I beg to differ based on what I found this morning in Hebrews 11 - our "Hall of Faith" heroes.  In verses32 through 36 there is a list of all these great deliverances that God brought to His people of faith. But just below that in the next couple of verses are some other listings - things God didn't just make go away. Things like prison, put to death by the sword, sawn into! Yikes! And yet in verse 39 it says that these all - everyone listed who faced situations - all of them - whether or not they walked away from the trouble - ALL gained approval through their faith.

Faith is not getting out of the trial - as much as having the strength to believe in the midst of it! I still believe! Give yourself a break today - you are still believing through it all. And according to Hebrews 11 - that receives great approval from God!

The Stare

  Do you ever just find yourself sitting and staring at the wall? It doesn't really happen too often because, quite frankly, who has tim...