The Substance of Things Hoped For...

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.--Hebrews 11:1-4



To My Sweet Daughters:

I began memorizing Hebrews 11 this morning while walking.  Truly our Lord blessed my heart tremendously with these few verses.  I am also reading in Genesis (albeit slowly) and have reached the end of chapter 14 and read a small section in the very beginning of 15.  This is where Abraham refuses to take anything from the King of Sodom for defeating the king's enemies, rescuing the king's people and recovering the spoils. Abraham feared the ungodly King of Sodom could then say, "I have made Abraham rich." Instead, Abram wanted him to say, "God has made Abram rich."  He wanted  His God to get the glory!  Abraham wanted people to look at him and say..wow..."Look at what God has done for him!  Oh, that we could trust our God like this..I pray that by faith we all could walk this way!  That we would walk holy before Him.  That we would put away self seeking, covetousness and selfish ambitions and that our overwhelming desire would be to glorify our Father in Heaven in both our words and our deeds. Here is the section of Scripture from Genesis:

Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself." But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich'—except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."

Read on!  Read on! Here is the first verse of Chapter 15:

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."

Aaah...Abraham had refused the riches of the world...of Sodom...and was rewarded by Jehovah with not only His very presence but also protection and much wealth!   Seek God, girls.  Seek His desires for you.  Seek His very presence to be with you always...throughout every moment of your day.  Allow Him to be your trusted friend and confidante.  As you take steps of faith with the desires He Himself has placed on your heart, you will find that He truly is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  I am always surprised when the blessings come and don't always see what prompted them, but He is faithful to show me.  When He does, His love and kindness in Christ Jesus, His Son for my little mustard seeds of faith bring tears of joy and gratitude to my eyes.  The power lies not in the strength of my faith but in the grace of God.  The power comes from the God in whom that faith relies.

As I meditated on these precious verses from Hebrews 11 and chewed a bit on what I had read in Genesis that morning, I understood with a little more heart knowledge about faith.  He showed me various prayers and desires I had shared with Him by faith over the past 16 years.  He also showed me the results.  I was overwhelmed right there on the walking path with His goodness and mercy toward me. My favorite was my prayer that had immediately followed my conversion.  I can remember praying that He would not ever take His word away from me...that I would always love it as much as I loved it at that moment.  By faith that prayer reached way into the future...His Word has been my strength and my song for the past 16 years.  I do not go anywhere without it.  It  is and has always been what I choose to read even when there is much else around.  He has answered this prayer exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask or think, and the result has brought much fruit in my life as well as my family's. 

True faith is confident obedience to God's word despite how things look (they may look impossible)  and despite what the consequences may be. (They may not be pleasant.)  It is obeying even to our own hurt. We trust Him for the outcome because we believe that He will do what is right and what is best for us.  True faith believes God.  When I pray rightly according to His desires and not my own, I grasp what He has for me in the future by faith.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for.  It is the evidence of things not seen.  Biblical hope is sure and certain..not like the hope in this world.. Biblical hope is as good as if you have it already have what you prayed for right in front of you. It is how the elders obtained a good testimony. It is what fills our eyes with gratitude when we look back over the years that we have walked with Him.  What I saw and felt this afternoon was His divine witness in my life. How wonderful and encouraging this is to see.  What gifts He gives us as we meditate on His word.  Truly, faith allows us to do things that others cannot because we see the future with God's eyes.  We hold on to His promises as we depend on Him. We know that what God promises, He  performs.   Faith is our access to grace.  As we walk in complete dependence on Him, He does the work and by His grace and His power we obtain a good testimony! 

As I seek Him, He aligns my will with His.  His desires become my desires. What He wants I want.   God takes my prayers of faith,  and begins to work in my heart bringing them to fruition.  Many have take years to bear fruit, but God has not been mocked.  I have reaped what I have sowed.  Many times I have sowed in tears...but the reaping is always joyful.  Abide in Him...depend completely on Him and His strength...want what He wants...by faith live to please Him.  Allow Him to be your shield and your exceedingly great reward.  Keep your eye on the prize!!! He not only is the Rewarder but also the REWARD.

Love
Mom

“Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.” --Dr. J. Oswald Sanders