By Faith!

I’ve been thinking about my posts last night—or should I say this morning?—and felt that they directly apply to the study in Hebrews that I am conducting in FCA. This week’s topic is on Hebrews 11. The author writes about faith, and a series of great men who lived by faith and were justified. He starts off with verse 1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” We then get a brief history of all the great men of the Old Testament. I thought to myself last night as I jotted down a few notes for the FCA meeting, “I doubt all those men were overjoyed by their situations just as I am mad at mine. Yet they lived by faith and trusted in God and look where they ended up.” It’s true, here I am feeling like I’ve reached the end of my rope, yet if I just hold on to God’s strength I can and will rise up. The writer talks about Noah, Abraham, and Moses. All those guys had an abundance of issues. Noah lost his home and friends. Abraham couldn’t have kids until he was old, and was told to sacrifice one of them to test his faith. Moses was kicked out of his country and commanded to lead the Israelites through the desert for 40 years (which was no easy task in itself). These men didn’t live in the lap of luxury—rather they were shunned by it. No, they went through hardships, many much more severe then mine. Does that belittle my (or your) situation? No, but it shows that the trials we endure have a greater purpose, they are here so that we may grow in faith and live as examples for others, that we too may be men and women of faith. The week is nearly over, but next week try to be a man or woman of faith. Use the bad in your life and turn it to good, glorify God by your actions—you may be surprised by where you end up at the week’s end.