Endurance

Lord, Help My Unbelief {Hebrews 11}

11:30 AM

Today's Scripture: Hebrew 11

 If the Lord visited you as He did Solomon long ago and encouraged you to, "Ask what you wish Me to give you." (1Kings 3:5) What would you ask for?


I love my early morning walks with The Lord. Once I see my husband off to work, I'll change and head out the door just as the sun is promising to come on the horizon. It's still pretty dark; the stars and moon are still visible, and most are still sleeping. It's so very quiet except for the crickets and such; even the birds haven't come awake!

 This is my favorite time of the day, for I get to witness the world around me waking up! 

 I start each morning heading west down to the cove at the end of my street and when I make the turn to head east, He generally takes me breath away, for the sky is lit up like the poster above. His majesty is on full display most mornings, and though we've already been in deep conversations, I often find myself pausing for a moment or two and taking in the beauty of His creation.

 There was one particular morning we started our walk by reflecting back to when The Lord had visited Solomon and encouraged him to ask Him for whatever he wished. It was then I began to wonder what I would ask The Lord for if given the same opportunity. 

 I decided then that it wouldn't be wisdom. Though I'm always studying and looking for new revelations in His Word, I figured all the wisdom in the world didn't help Solomon much in the end. My next thought was love, God's love! That's it, but then I suppose along with that I would need mercy and compassion for all. And what about the rest of the fruits of the Spirits? Yes, I wanted to filled up with all!

BUT wait! Are we not already given all His character traits when we received Christ Jesus and the gift of eternal life with Him? Of course! 

 2 Peter 1:3 tells us as much, "His divine power has given us ALL THINGS towards life and godliness, through the knowledge of the One having called us by His own glory and excellence." (Emphasis mine)

 Paul in Ephesians also tells us that, "To Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the POWER that works WITHIN US" (Eph 3:20 Emphasis mine)

 The Lord reminded once more that morning that He has already given me EVERYTHING I could ever want from Him when He gave me Himself, for His Spirit resides within each of us, and therefore we each possess the ability to love as He loves, forgive as He forgives and so on. What we need most of all is, faith. Notice,

 "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for." (Hebrews 11:1-2) 

 These precious saints listed here in the "Hall of Faith" got it! They knew Who was large and in charge of their lives. Did you notice how often the writer begins with the words, "by faith" in Hebrews 11?

 Remember what Jesus, Himself told us, " "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen." (Matthew 21:21)

 What will God write about you in His book? Will you find yourself listed among the others in His Hall of Faith? Do you truly believe you can do ALL THINGS through Christ?

 If so, then "let us also get rid of every weight and entangling sin. Let us run with endurance the race set before us,  focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of faith." (Hb 13:1-2) until we all make it home to Abba.  

 Blessings,
sue


Abraham

12:00 AM





Assurance and Conviction

Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

Today we are memorizing Hebrews 11:1…

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Now the amplified version…

Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].

Faithfulness is holding fast to the promises of God…even if these promises are “things not seen.”  Think upon Abraham and Sarah. Faithfulness is manifested by this couple.  Abraham and Sarah teach us that faithfulness requires trust.  “The power of the example of Sarah and Abraham is that their lives joined these two dimensions. In the midst of change and uncertainty, they found God constant and faithful. Therefore, they too could be full of faith, holding fast to God's promises and moving forward into that future with God. May their faithfulness shine forth as an example for us that we too may prove faithful.”

“Faith makes real in our experience the promises that God has given about the future. Faith proves to us the fact that the things we presently cannot see—God, angels, demons, heaven, hell—are very much true and real. In other words, faith applies the reality of God’s promises and the unseen world to life in the present, visible world.”  (various sources)

Father, thank you for the promises you have given us, for our present and for our future. We will move forward placing our trust in You, for you know us best, You know what is best, and You are the Best!

Have a blessed and precious day everyone!