HEBREWS 11
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones [v. 22].
OBSERVATION
Joseph experienced a lot of heartache and loss – extended time away from a family that betrayed him in a land of foreigners. As his life ended, the Lord spoke to him of what would happen to his family, the Israelites – and instead of complaining about the coming hardships that God would allow, he spoke of God’s faithfulness in removing the people from those hardships. He trusted God in the midst of knowing that things wouldn’t be very pretty for his people.
RESPONSE
Knowledge is power, they say. Yet, if I know of impending trials, I am more apt to ask why it must happen, rather than speak of God’s faithfulness through the trials. Our picture of how life should be has a tendency to warp our view of God and his faithfulness. Instead of demanding that God meet our expectations, we should shape our expectations to meet God’s faithfulness. He has been faithful from before there was time – why would we expect anything different?
PRAYER
Father – as I reflect on your grace in my life, forgive me for demanding you to “fix” things, instead of striving to understand your faithfulness and love for me in the middle of the pain. Show me what it means to trust you and walk by faith no matter what it looks like, no matter what the pain feels like. I am yours.
HEBREWS 11
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on his staff [v. 21].
OBSERVATION
Jacob went many years without knowing that his son Joseph was alive – he didn’t know that Joseph had children. Yet, God’s greatest blessing in his life was the opportunity to see those grandchildren and bless them, honoring God with his last breath.
RESPONSE
It would have been too easy for Jacob to be bitter toward God and his other sons because of how much of Joseph’s life he missed out on. Certainly he spent all of that time grieving the loss – but when presented with the opportunity, he fully participated in the event, doing what most honored God instead of complaining about what he missed out on.
Again, I must question my ability to do that – to trust God enough to believe that he knows what he’s doing when something drastic happens. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a son, only to find out it was my other children who got rid of him. I can’t imagine that in that moment I would hold much more than grief and bitterness in my heart.
Me, me, me. I, I, I. Clearly selfishness works against walking in faith as our forefathers did. Obviously Jacob wasn’t perfect, but he still walked in faith.
PRAYER
As I reflect on my life God, I am overwhelmed by the constant provision of blessing you have given me. I have not had to experience something as traumatic as what Jacob had to endure. Give me strength and courage, wisdom and knowledge to walk in faith in the midst of trauma and pain. Show me, by the word of your truth, what it means to trust and obey.
HEBREWS 11
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future [v. 20].
OBSERVATION
Jacob steals Esau’s blessing by lying to his father, Isaac. Isaac blesses Jacob on accident, but still blesses Esau with exactly what the Lord intended the whole time. It may seem like an accident, but God orchestrated the events so they would work out in the way he seemed fit. And Isaac played his part in that, seemingly without knowing what was really going on – but he was faithful to bestow the blessing God asked him to give to the correct party.
RESPONSE
Even my best intentions generally turn out to be accidents. But if Isaac’s accidental blessing of Jacob was an act of faith, why not the accidents that occur in my life? Is it really an accident? Of course not – but it makes you think. God is always orchestrating events, conducting the way he wants things to turn out. Even in the midst of our free will, God’s sovereignty directs our lives.
PRAYER
It might not always make sense to me, God, but I will choose to trust you. When things don’t go my way, or they don’t work out as I intend, I will continue to live by faith, believing that you know what you are doing rather than crying out against you. You are the faithful one and for forever you have done an amazing job at working things out for your glory. I choose to trust you today.
HEBREWS 11
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death [v. 17-19].
OBSERVATION
Abraham traveled three days, knowing that at the end of the journey he was going to kill his son to honor God. Three days of pondering what God was trying to prove by having him kill his son. Three days of wondering what kind of God he was living his life for. Three days of dreading the moment his son looked at him with fear in his eyes as he brought the knife to his body. But he was willing, to the point of commencing the sacrifice, he was willing to do whatever God commanded.
RESPONSE
My wife and I have talked a lot recently about “losing” one of our daughters to death – how hard it would be, how difficult it would be to understand. I cannot imagine being in Abraham’s place and proving myself faithful to the faithful God. But Abraham trusted God would keep his promise – that through Isaac, Abraham’s offspring would be innumerable.
When God promises something, I have to stop trying to figure out how it is going to happen and simply trust that it will happen the way he wants it to. Otherwise, I try to make it happen in my own way (much like Abraham sleeping with Hagar, who gave birth to Ishmael). But that will be the wrong way, every time – because I am not God. I am just a man. But God is faithful, good, and right…all the time.
PRAYER
God – show me your ways. I surrender my way of thinking to you and ask for your revelation. I know that you are good and can be trusted. I also know that things will not happen the way I think they should; but I acknowledge, too, that I am not you. I am not the creator, the one who saves, the one who delivers, or the one who sets things right. You are and you are faithful.
HEBREWS 11
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them [v. 13-16].
OBSERVATION
Interestingly, Abel, Enoch, Abram, Sarah, all lived by faith but never got what God promised. Instead, they saw what was going to come, but never got to taste it themselves until they themselves tasted death. Instead of pining away for God to give them all the wealth and power they needed where they currently lived, they trusted God to provide what they needed, when they needed it, for the current conditions, knowing that one day, they would be with him and everything would be different.
RESPONSE
The problem, for me at least, is I want God to change it NOW. I don’t want to wait for heaven, I want him to make it all good in the way that I picture it to be all good. I’m building my kingdom and my wealth here and I need him to fix it here too!
The error of my thinking is clear (and exaggerated, in case you didn’t pick that up). But too often, I do live that way, asking God to fix what I “need” now. The other night I was pondering the question I had been asking God for a while, “What are you doing?” when the simplicity of the answer came to me. And it was so simple I was thankful. I didn’t need a complex answer, though that was what I was looking for. God, though he is great, powerful, mighty, and strong, is simple – simple in that nothing is too complicated for him and his grace overwhelms all of our fears.
What does it mean to look forward, rather than clinging to what I have now? I don’t know – but I’m learning to embrace it.
PRAYER
God, your love is better than life, and I will praise your name all of my days. Thank you for the simplicity of what you are doing – thank you for showing me the error of my ways and forgive me for believing that I can do it better than you. Show me your great kingdom here on earth as it is wherever you are. I love and trust you God.
HEBREWS 11
And by faith, even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore [v. 11, 12].
OBSERVATION
Sarah’s faith came from the fact that she believed God to be faithful. Certainly she laughed when she first heard the idea, but she believed, and it was credited to her as faith, because she trusted God’s faithfulness.
RESPONSE
I suppose this is the key to faith – trusting God’s faithfulness. And in fact, he has been faithful from day one. I guess we too often view God through our human eyes, portraying God as a man who is not faithful because we are not faithful. But God is – every action he makes is in accordance with his righteousness and his love for human beings. When it becomes about God’s faithfulness, not our own, everything about faith changes.
PRAYER
Father – I realize my omission of your faithfulness in my life. I realize that I, too often, have trusted myself (who is not faithful) rather than trusted you (who has always been faithful). Open my eyes to see your faithfulness, your righteousness, your promises fulfilled. There is no one like you; you are one of a kind and nothing comes close to matching your faithfulness. I trust you.
HEBREWS 11
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God [v. 8-10].
OBSERVATION
This is probably one of the least talked about aspects of Abraham’s life – the fact that God called him out of where he was and sent him to where he wanted him to live. Hundreds of years before it would come to fruition (picture Christopher Columbus “discovering” America in the late 15th century) Abraham was told to leave the place he had always known to inhabit a place he’d never experienced.
RESPONSE
And I catch myself thinking, “Umm…no. There’s no way!” I like what I know, what I’ve been a part of, what I’ve experienced. Want me to move somewhere with a friend I’ve always known? OK! I can do that! But to go somewhere I’ve never known with only my family following me…there’s too much fear there for something like that.
I suppose you could argue that it wasn’t that different for Abraham from what he’d already known. Except then you could be killed without hesitation for crossing some random king’s territory! Abraham’s trust proved that he was willing to do anything for God, no matter how crazy it sounded.
PRAYER
Father – I want my life to be a reflection of Abraham’s. I want to experience life as he did – willingly venturing forth, following your word and direction, eagerly exploring the life that you have granted. Show me your direction and give me the courage to walk by faith, going where you lead and staying where you show me to stay. You are all I need.
HEBREWS 11
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith [v. 7].
OBSERVATION
Noah built an enormous boat at a time when there were no boats. He did this not only because he believe God, but because he had a “holy fear,” a fear that was set apart from other fears. A healthy fear established in his heart a trust for the most high God. By maintaining that fear, he established himself and his family (as well as the generations to come) in righteousness, the righteousness of God, the righteousness that comes from living by faith.
RESPONSE
I cannot imagine being asked to build something that did not exist so that God could do his work – yet, this is what God is asking each of us, everyday of our life. To trust him, to live by faith according to his faithfulness, is an enormous thing that the world looks at everyday and says, “You’re crazy!” So, in a sense, we are like Noah, if we do indeed live more by the faith of our forefathers rather than the knowledge of the world. Can you believe? Will you believe in the way that Noah did, in the way that Enoch did, in the way that Abel did?
PRAYER
Father – your word never ceases to amaze me. Your love and your light shine through every word and every phrase. I am amazed by you and your grace. Show me how to be a Noah, an Enoch, an Abel. Show me how to live by faith. I trust you, for your love, for your life, for your wisdom in these days. You are doing a good thing and I hope in your faithfulness. Do what you will in my life. I choose you.
HEBREWS 11
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him [v. 5, 6].
OBSERVATION
Enoch is a little talked about man, primarily because his role in the Old Testament is seemingly so small. But if anything, he should be thoroughly examined, more often than not. But because he was so committed to God, so trusting in God, his life is hardly mentioned. Except for the most important part – his faith, which pleased God so much that God spared him from death and just took Enoch to be with himself.
RESPONSE
Isn’t that what our lives should be like – just one day, poof!, and you’re gone because you lived so incredibly by faith? Of course God doesn’t seem to do more than one thing the same way and the realities of our lives play into this idea…but truly, if we lived by faith, as Enoch did, what would be different about life on earth? What would be different about other’s perceptions of the Christian? What would be different about how we interacted with one another?
Resoundingly, we should all answer, “Everything!”
PRAYER
Lord – this simple servant of yours, who only gets a few sentences worth of the lime light in your word is such an inspiration. Teach me to be an Enoch – to live by faith in a way that pleases you, knowing that you reward those who earnestly seek to be with you. Shred the garments of this world from my life and invest yourself in me. I whole-heartedly give myself up to you and your ways.
HEBREWS 11
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead [v. 4].
OBSERVATION
Abel simply brought what he knew would be honoring of God – it didn’t matter what it was, just that it was the first and the best of what he could bring. He did that by faith, by believing that God would receive it. Cain brought his second-hand offering hoping that God would receive it. God commended Abel, but cursed Cain. And though Abel died shortly after that while Cain went on to live an extended, torturous existence, Abel’s actions still speak out to us, Abel’s faith lives on.
RESPONSE
How often do I hope the way I live life will be pleasing to God, rather than knowing that how I live pleases God? More often than not, because I would rather live to please myself, to make myself happy and satisfied. I am a Cain – rather than bringing what I know God wants, I bring something I hope he will be OK with.
PRAYER
Father God – your ways are so astounding to me…there is nothing like them – with your majesty and glory so evident in how you are all the time. Show me how to adapt my heart to your ways, to seeing you and what you desire from the view of love rather than duty. Thank you for your word and truth – show me your ways, clearly and with abundance.
