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I use the Life Journal Bible reading plan on my YouVersion app. Hebrews 11 was one of the chapters to read today. Often referred to as the Faith Chapter, this passage of scripture has significant meaning for me: it is the only chapter of the bible I have ever fully memorized. As part of my fourth-grade education in a small Christian school in Ocean Springs, MS, I had to memorize this entire chapter. That was a long time ago. While the content is still familiar to me, I haven’t been able to regurgitate the KJV version of that text for quite some time. Today, when I read Hebrews 11, it was with an all-new perspective. It was extremely powerful. So impactful, I created a collage of Post-It® notes.
Let me share the chapter:
FAITH
- Shows the reality of what we hope for
- Is the evidence of what we can’t actually see [yet]
It is impossible to please God without faith.
(That’s bold. It demonstrates how important is it that we have faith.
Who demonstrated it? How can we be inspired today?)
It was by faith…
- The entire universe formed at God’s command
- Abel brought a more acceptable offering
- Enoch went to heaven without dying
- Noah built an ark
- Abraham left his home country for another
- Sarah was able to have a child
Yet, not these “did not receive but saw it from a distance.”
(From a distance? Perhaps they saw it coming. It being the fulfillment of the promise they were demonstrating faith for.)
It was by faith…
- Abraham offered Isaac
- Isaac promised future blessing for his sons
- Jacob blessed each of Joseph’s sons
- Joseph said the Jews would one day leave Egypt
(A total of 430 years went by. That’s quite “a distance.”)
It was by faith…
- Moses’ parents hid him when he was born
- Moses refused to be called Pharoah’s grandson
- Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger
- Moses commanded Israel to do the FIRST Passover
- Israelites went through the Red Sea on dry ground
- Israelites marched around Jericho
- Rahab (Jesus’ great-great-great-great…grandmother) was not killed in Jericho
(Those historical stories are incredible! But that’s not enough. The “from a distance” continues.)
It was by faith…
(All amazing leaders who did great things!)
- Weakness turned into strength
- Overthrew kingdoms
And…
- All the prophets!
Some of whom were tortured or viciously murdered.
ALL OF THESE earned a good reputation–because of their FAITH
Yet
NONE received all God had promised.
They could not reach perfection WITHOUT US. (US!!!)
For God had something better in mind for us.
(read the chapter yourself now)
What about us?
What if we are the end of that string of events? What if we represent the people expected “from a distance?” What if when Abraham pulled on that string, our individual lives would be tugged- nearly 4,000 years later.
Could we one day be part of the appendix to that story started then. Could God one day repeat these words:
It was by faith…
- WIIWT shared the gospel with everyone in Columbus
- Churches were overfilled with new believers seeking more of the truth
- We did it despite the political, social and tradition barriers
Are we the ones “in that distance,” fulfilling the Great Commission in our city?
I believe we are. Let’s be like those and demonstrate continued faith!
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