"If I Only Had Faith" December 7 Readings: Hebrews 11

Today's Reading - Hebrews 11

Background

Faith. - we talk about it, but do we really understand it? Hebrews 11, the "Hall of Faith" explains what it is and what it looks like. 

Devotional - If I Only Had Faith

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 assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things 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 through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection."

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.

Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, 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 I faith, believing in and obeying God?