Delight Yourself in the Lord Devotionals

Faith and Its Journey - Hebrews 11

One of my favorite Chrisitan artists is Beckah Shae. I first discovered her music through her song Faith Is, which is an upbeat reminder of Hebrews 11:1, which says, "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]." (AMP)

It was a struggle for me to read Hebrews 11 and not because I didn't have faith, but because I didn't understand faith the way that God views it. Years ago, when I was younger, I had a vision of myself and Jesus standing together, face to face, our heads bowed and nearly touching, as we both stared at the palm of my hand which was between us. There, nestled in the center of my palm, was a mustard seed, as small as can be. Softly, I said, "I have so little faith,"

With a chuckle in His voice, Jesus replied, "That is not your faith," at which time the scene broadened and I saw a very large, strong, and sturdy tree behind me. "That's your faith," He continued, indicating the tree. "That," He drew my attention back to the seed, "is your patience."

It bothered me, I'll admit, that Abraham is touted as a father of faith and is talked about in Hebrews 11 in glowing terms. Every time I would read about him here, I would tell God, "But, he didn't have faith! He and Sarah led to the birth of Ishmael, trying to bring things about in their own way!" It wasn't until a few years ago that God revealed the truth to me.

As a believer, we must realize that God doesn't sit there and minutely document all our starts and stops. God looks at our hearts, our intent, and He considers the end result. While Abraham and Sarah did, in fact, act human, that is not what God remembers when He considers their love and obedience. He considers the end results, the fact that Abraham and Sarah, human as they were, did, in fact, have and live by faith and that is what He tells us about in Hebrews.

How is your faith? Do you trust in all the promises of God, even in the midst of trials and chaos? Do you believe His word and that all things work together for the good of those who love Him? Prayerfully read Hebrews 11 and 12 and ask the Lord to show you how faith is moving in your life and trust in Him to not only help you reach the finish point of the race and celebrate with you, but He will also remember your obedience and sacrifice while overlooking your stumbles and falls.

Read all of Hebrews 11 and 12, Amplified Version, here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+11-12&version=AMP

Hear Beckah Shae's song, Faith Is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJOPsVOobmc