Published 11/18/19
Read Hebrews 11:32-34
"And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets--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."
Reflect
What is faith? Is it the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen? Is it the evidence of things we cannot yet see?
The writer of Hebrews addresses the topic of faith directly. "What is faith?" he asks. "It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see" (Hebrews 11:1, NLT). "Confident," "assurance," "evidence"--there are three words we don't usually associate with faith. And they certainly don't mean "blind."
Through the rest of chapter 11, the author of Hebrews tells story after story of people who acted on this confident assurance that God was in control. And all this assurance rests on the fact that they knew God's character. It's true that didn't always know the specifics of what God would do in the future, but they knew God well enough to trust Him.
As we read the Bible and daily allow God control of our life, we'll learn to trust the character of God. We'll learn the truth of God's promises to love us always, to provide for us always, to work all events out in a way that is good, both for us and for God.
Pray
Lord, thank you for loving me, guiding me, and protecting me. Please give me the confidence I need to trust You. Amen.