Lessons of Faith (Part Two)

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for

and assurance about what we do not see.

This is what the ancients were commended for."

Hebrews 11:1

I stand on the precipice of a great void, unable to see even an arms' length in front of me.  What lies below at the bottom of this drop-off?  Will I survive?  What is the purpose of this journey?  The questions pummel me as I contemplate my options.  Even though I could turn around and walk away, I know in my heart of hearts where God is leading me.  He is calling me forward, into the foggy unknown where He is waiting.  

Faith is blind obedience to the will of God, trusting Him without knowing how things will turn out but believing in the One who leads me and has an amazing plan for me.  Today we plunge forth into the second part of a four-part series into the lessons of faith.  Let's take the leap together!

Forward Focused

He and his wife packed up everything they owned, preparing for travel the livestock they had accumulated, informing the workers and servants of the upcoming journey, and saying good-bye to parents, extended family, friends and neighbors.  Abram and Sarai, along with his nephew Lot, were moving to an unknown destination.  There would be no forwarding address, no thoughts of their new home to spur them on, and no idea how far their journey would take them.  All they knew for certain was that God had said, "Go."

And so, they went.

I often wonder how Abram and his wife were able to obey so readily in the face of such a lack of details.  I want to know why, when, where, with whom, and how far before I'll even consider such a step.  Abram, however, was forward focused.  He was not concerned with his comfort in the here and now.  Instead, he kept in mind the temporal state of his present circumstances and drew his attention to the future where there was a, "a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God." (Hebrews 11:10)

Keeping such an eternal perspective will keep me going when I don't understand what's happening, or I don't like my circumstances, or I feel tired and worn out.  My life now is only a shadow of things to come.

Since He is such a grand architect, I can also trust Him with the plans He has for this life.  When God calls me into the unknown where there are no details revealed, I can confidently step forward based on God's ability to plan and build something beautiful.

One of the lessons I can learn from Abram is to keep an eternal perspective, giving me the hope to go on and the courage to walk by faith.

Promise Keeper

She was an old woman, well past the age when her ovaries would still be fertile.  All her friends were enjoying grandchildren, but she was still waiting.  Even though conceiving and bearing a child at the age of 90 was medically impossible, Sarah believed God and knew He would keep His promises.  

Even though Sarah's first reaction was to laugh at the absurdity of God's pronouncement of her impending motherhood, she did come around and believe the words God had spoken to her.  (Hebrews 11:11-12)

It is easy for me to have the same reaction as Sarah, looking only with my eyes of flesh.  If, however, I keep in mind God's character, I can live in peace with the assurance that what God has proclaimed will come to pass.  

When He says I am more than a conqueror when it comes to all the hard things I face in this world, I can trust Him at His word and live with the quiet strength of a victor. (Romans 8:37)

When He says that He will always be with me, never turning His back on me in disgust or frustration, but staying by my side, I can trust Him at His word and stay within His shadow as He leads me down the quiet path.  (Deuteronomy 31:6)

When He says I am valuable to Him and that He will never take His eye off of me, I can trust Him at His word and treat myself as the treasure I am.  (Matthew 10:29-31)

The lesson I can learn from Sarah is to trust God as the keeper of His promises.

Aliens

I met a woman a few years ago who is from Bangladesh.  Even though she's lived here for many years, she still conforms to the customs of her native land.  The food she serves, home decor she prefers and clothing she wears all favors her beloved homeland.  She has not been Americanized despite living in the United States for 20 years.

In much the same way, the people mentioned in this Hall of Fame of Faith found in Hebrews 11 consider their life on earth to be temporary and heaven to be their real home.  Consequently, every decision they made in response to God's calling was colored by this fact.

If I thought of myself as an alien in this land, refusing to adopt the ways of this world as my own, then I would stick out as much as my Bengali friend does.  Instead of considering it a great sacrifice to live in poverty, prefering a life of wealth, for instance, I would then think of my neediness as a way to share in the suffering of others and reveal to them the source of true riches found in God's kingdom. (Matthew 6:20-21,  31-33)   

As a substitute to living with a martyr's attitude due to my poor health and constant pain,  I would think of my distress as a tool in the hands of a loving God to mold me into the image of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

In place of thinking of my place in life as a burden, I can seek God's plan for the time I have left on earth, knowing what is to come will more than make up for it.  (Ephesians 5:8)

The lesson I can learn from people of great faith is to think of myself as an alien in a foreign land with heaven as my true home.

Walking in faith is never easy, but it is possible with Christ.  I can learn much by studying the lives of those who came before me who encourage me to keep my focus on my future reward, to take God at His word, and to consider myself to be a stranger in a strange land.  In this way I will grow in my faith as I grow closer to my Father.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep focused on my heavenly reward.

How am I too focused on the here and now?

When do I tend to get too comfortable in this world?