Friday, January 17, 2020

By Faith


“But without faith it is impossible
To please Him, for he who comes
To God must believe that He is,
And that He is a rewarder of
Those who diligently seek Him.”
     Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

Most of us are likely familiar with Hebrews chapter 11 with its wonderful list of saints in the so-called hall of faith.  When we think of faith heroes, dramatic actions involving great victories often come to mind.  And Hebrews 11 does include some of those kinds of acts.  (See Hebrews 11:33-34) These individuals had faith that God would be with them and help them achieve success, rather than relying on their personal strength and own abilities to win.

But Scripture also records occasions where there was no outward victory—in fact, they were awful defeats from a worldly perspective, such as those who were “stoned,” “sawn in two,” “slain with the sword,” “being destitute, afflicted, tormented.” (Hebrews 11:37)  Yet these individuals faced their severe trials with faith in their hearts, and by their faith, God was pleased.

This hall of faith also has some surprising inclusions.  For example, despite the fact that the Bible contains a lot of detail about Isaac’s life, he’s included in this chapter because “By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.” (Hebrews 11:20)  Similarly, with Joseph, his life as recorded in Scripture was filled with faith-filled actions and yet, he’s listed in this chapter because “By faith, Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.” (Hebrews 11:22)  This gives us a glimpse into what is important to God: a life of faith, trusting Him for things unseen. 

The things that take the most faith are often the daily battles we face, such as the uncertainties and fears we have in this world, longsuffering in illness, patient trust during long seasons of prayer without seeming answers.  Even without outward victory and even when we stumble, we can live lives of faith by trusting our Lord, whatever the circumstances, whatever the outcome.  He sees everything we do and even our small acts of faith are pleasing to Him. 

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