"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1
It's a new year, and from the beginning, can I ask you a personal question? What do you want to accomplish in 2022? More importantly, how do you plan to live? This year, I am asking God to strengthen me with His hope! I love the idea of being strong in Him. Not only that, I love the idea of knowing Him and trusting Him. In short, I want to be a person who loves God more and more. I bet you do, too! So, how can it happen? Hebrews 11:1 gives insight into this question. It happens as we live by faith!
What is faith, and how is faith demonstrated in our lives? Faith believes that God is real, He has a plan for our lives, and we can trust Him no matter what. (Especially during hard times!)
In Hebrews 11, a list of faith-filled people is mentioned. These people lived by faith when their backs were against the wall, and the call of God was big in their lives. If you haven't read Hebrews 11 in a while, give it a read. I recently did, and one verse jumped off the page at me. It says of the men and women listed, "... whose weakness was turned to strength." (Hebrews 11:34) When I read that statement, my heart jumped. I long to be a person who has spiritual strength!
This verse made me stop and think. The people mentioned in Hebrews 11 demonstrated incredible faith during their lifetime, especially in hard moments. Noah built an Ark. Abraham left his homeland and settled in the Promised Land. Moses led God's people out of Egypt. Rahab welcomed the spies. And, yet, the Bible says of them, "All of these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they welcomed them from a distance." (Hebrews 11:13) What does this mean? Hang on because it is powerful!
All of the people listed in Hebrews 11 were looking forward to God's redemption. The promise of a Savior. As a result, they died clinging to hope that what God promised would come to pass.
We know the story. Jesus came, died, and rose again. He changed the course of human history and made the way for us to be in a relationship with God. Now, we get to live out the difference Jesus makes in us. In short, we get to live by faith!
So, for you and me, what does it mean to live by faith? Not only that, how can our faith be strong until our last breath? The answer is found in cultivating a daily walk with God. Why?
Faith is not developed in a one-time event. Rather, faith is developed through a process that begins at salvation and continues until Jesus calls us home. Faith is a journey requiring strength from the Lord.
Like the people listed in Hebrews 11, we encounter daily opportunities for our faith to grow. Maybe we are called to move to a new city or change jobs. Maybe we are given a task too big for us to accomplish in our own strength. For some, an unexpected diagnosis requires faith. Often moms and dads display faith when their children struggle.
All of these moments provide opportunities for us to live by faith. As we demonstrate faith in these moments, we deepen our trust in God as we claim His promises for now and for eternity. Living this way positions us to have this said about our lives, "whose weakness was turned to strength."
What are you going through today that requires faith? Sweet friend, hold on to these truths!
God loves you, and He has a good plan for your life! The situation you face does not overwhelm or surprise God. He is with you, and the Bible provides hope-filled promises and precepts in the midst of it all!
This season will not last forever! (Can I get an amen?) God IS at work. He IS on the move. You ARE making spiritual progress. And… God WILL use all of the hard circumstances to bring you closer to Him and help you be more sensitive to others.
Faith helps us be thankful because we know and believe that God is present, active, and providing. Putting our eyes on Jesus causes us to look forward to the day when we will be with Him. This results in our faith being strengthened, knowing that our current season is not the end of the story!
His strength can take the place of our weakness. Our faith can be saturated in the hope that God's promises will come to pass. 2022 really can be a year that results in a deeper faith as our lives proclaim that God is real, He has a plan for us, and we can trust Him no matter what. Happy New Year!
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