Do I get nervous? I would be lying if I said no. I'm human...although I want to stand on my faith especially in this circumstance, it's hard not to look at the natural and think...what am I doing? This is the definition of insanity. It makes me think about Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 has been called the hall of faith. It is filled with people who had faith, incredible faith. Have you read Hebrews 11 lately? Have you read it in different translations? I challenge you to do so!
This is Hebrews 11 from The Message
Faith in What We Don’t See
11 1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. 3 By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see. 4 By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That’s what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice. 5-6 By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. 7 By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God. 8-10 By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God. 11-12 By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. That’s how it happened that from one man’s dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions. 13-16 Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them. 17-19 By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God. Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him—and this after he had already been told, “Your descendants shall come from Isaac.” Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that’s what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar. 20 By an act of faith, Isaac reached into the future as he blessed Jacob and Esau. 21 By an act of faith, Jacob on his deathbed blessed each of Joseph’s sons in turn, blessing them with God’s blessing, not his own—as he bowed worshipfully upon his staff. 22 By an act of faith, Joseph, while dying, prophesied the exodus of Israel, and made arrangements for his own burial. 23 By an act of faith, Moses’ parents hid him away for three months after his birth. They saw the child’s beauty, and they braved the king’s decree. 24-28 By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king’s blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn’t touch them. 29 By an act of faith, Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. The Egyptians tried it and drowned. 30 By faith, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and the walls fell flat. 31 By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God. 32-38 I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of time. There are so many more—Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets. . . . Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn’t deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world. 39-40 Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.
Did you read it?
BY FAITH....BY FAITH....BY FAITH!!
God doesn't ask us to have superman sized faith, but in Matthew 17:20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Did you read that? Faith the size of a mustard seed! Have you seen a mustard seed? Google it! It is so tiny! That's all the faith you need to muster up, and He can do the rest! He just wants you to trust Him, to believe His word. Do I wake up everyday filled with faith? Ah, no! But I start talking to God, thinking about little and big thing that I have seen Him do, and my faith gets stronger. I realize my faith should be giant size by now (I am so thankful that He has mercy on me, and my humaness.) Because most days it's not. That's okay though, because He's teaching me, He is still working on me.
What is something that you're afraid to trust God for?
For me, it was Guatemala. I argued and argued that I don't have the money. But time after time, I was gently reminded that I am the daughter of the one true King! That he alone provides for my needs and He provides for the desires He places in my heart. What a great thing it is to walk this walk with my children. They are well aware of how much money we need to raise and every night, they ask for God's provision.
But what about you? What's your Guatemala? Can I pray for you?Do you have a relationship with Christ? Let me tell you about Him sometime and the time after time that He has showed up exactly when I needed Him. Come sit with me in church and receive His word. Are you part of a home group, a connect group? What ever your church calls them, you need community! I have formed the most amazing friendships through community. Do you have people in your life that you're doing life with? Someone that encourages you? Friend, this life was not meant to walk alone! Text me, call me, email me...I'll be there for you. I will pray for you! And sometimes, when you are having trouble finding the faith you need for yourself, allow others to have the faith for you!!
Whoever is reading this, where ever you
are, I pray that the peace of God fill you right now!
Until Next Time....Dee
Until Next Time....Dee
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