"Faith Is the Victory" November 20 Readings: Ezekiel 45-46, Hebrews 11:15–40, Psalm 127, Proverbs 28:15–16

Today's Readings -  Ezekiel 45-46, Hebrews 11:15–40, Psalm 127, Proverbs 28:15–16

Devotional 

Imagine what you could do if you just had more faith!

That's what the spiritual shysters tell you. Work up a little more confidence, positive confession, words of affirmation, or however they define faith and you can have whatever you want. Faith, defined as they define it, is a guarantee of a positive outcome. You will get all you want, have your hopes and dreams fulfilled! All you have to do is have faith.

But those who think this haven't read Hebrews 11. Frankly, they haven't read the Bible, except for a few verses they have lifted out of context, but we will focus on Hebrews 11 for today. In yesterday's readings, we learned a little about the nature of faith. Faith, which verse 6 tells us is essential - without it we cannot please God, is living on the basis of what God has said, even when you cannot see it as true. Look at verse 1.

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.

The "Hall of Faith" passage goes on to talk about man after man who did what God told him to even though the circumstances of the world made it look like God's word could not possibly be true. Abraham, Moses, and many more are commended for walking by faith and not by sight. Faith isn't about working up some kind of confidence or wishful thinking so that you can get what you want from God. It is about walking in obedience to God in spite of circumstances.

But wait, someone says. Verses 33-35 describe people of faith in glowing terms.

"...who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead, raised to life again."

Look at that! Faith enabled them to win great wars, conquer lions, escape the sword and fire, gain strength and become mighty. Women even received their loved ones back from the dead. That's what I'm talking about! That's faith. You believe well enough, hard enough, big enough, and you get what you want.

But we need to read on. Yes, sometimes obedience to God enables us to win great victories. Sometimes we stand at the top of the mountain in glory because of what God has done and it is our faith in God that has enabled us to get there. But verse 35 continues, and through verse 37 reveals a very different outcome of faith.

"Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated..."

No great victories for these folks. These were the ones who knelt on the beach, refusing to renounce their faith while they were beheaded! The "sawn in two" refers to a tradition about Isaiah and how he died, but it speaks of a myriad of faithful men who died rather than compromise their faith. These men wore animal skins, were destitute and mistreated.

Evidently, they didn't understand how positive confession works?

That's the point here. Both groups were people of faith. By faith, some won victories. By faith, others died as martyrs. By faith, some succeeded. By faith, others failed! By faith some got rich; by faith others lived in poverty. Faith is not about guaranteeing an outcome, but about believing God and walking in obedience to him, no matter what comes.

May we be men and women of faith - whether we succeed by faith or suffer in faith. May we trust God and walk in him!

Father, I want to be a man of faith, trusting you and walking in you, no matter what. If I succeed, I trust. If I fail, I trust. 

Think and Pray

Do you walk in faith, believing in and obeying God?