As I sat and thought about this whole blog thing, I was a bit overwhelmed with what type of material I wanted to write about. Sitting. Thinking. Feeling like I had nothing of quality to write about. There was no substance to the ideas I tossed back and forth in my head. I prayed that God would reveal something to me. That He would reveal anything to me. That He would show me what I needed to write about. The afternoon went by; I felt I looked for a topic as if I had lost it. The day soon flipped the page to evening, and it seemed this blog entry was going to have to wait. This blog was never intended to be just mine; I would wait on Him.
My colleague and I made a plan to go to a minor league baseball game here in town. We found ourselves excited to get some fresh air. We pulled into a sardine-packed parking lot where an aged man guided us to the back corner. I reached down to grab my sunflower seeds. My head arose. There it was right in front of me. Eight simple characters: FAITH IS. Tickled at the situation, I paused and really thanked God for something so simple, but so profound.
The Faith Tunnel was always the popular station to go to. Picture walking into a room with complete darkness. They get you inside and close the door only to turn on high-powered fans and let you feel the power of the air blowing through your hair. The lights almost always came on too early and were followed by the story of how we cannot always physically see the power of God, but we can feel Him. As a young child, the teachers always knew when I was confident with an answer. If I felt I was right, my arm was stiff as a board and with my declining confidence came the declining angle of my arm. “What is this called, class?” they would ask and without thinking, my arm always shot up. “It is faith! We can’t always see God like we see our friends, but if we believe in Him, He will always be there for us.” It was the answer I felt my mom could post up on the refrigerator and a truth I still proclaim today. Now, my answer has become more profound and my arm has become straighter. Unfortunately my VBS days are over, but it is a truth I think we must be reminded daily. When you break down the question that license plate stirred up in my heart, I think faith is a lot of things. Ultimately, faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). In a world primarily built around scientific facts, where all things are tested and retested, faith sounds ridiculous to some. But that, at its core, is faith.
A coach once told me that Hebrews was the biblical “Hall of Faith,” and, being a sport fanatic, it always stuck with me. We could sit here all day and break down the true meaning of what Hebrews really proclaims, but below are the main points that Hebrews tells me:
Faith is Rational: By faith, we realize that the universe did not create itself but that it was designed by the Creator.(Hebrews 11:3)
Faith is Trusting: Though he had never seen a flood, Noah obeyed God and built an ark (Hebrews 11:7). Abraham left without all the answers but clearly trusted the unseen God and realized that He was a vital component of true faith. (Hebrews 11:8)
Faith is Choices: In a world of materialism, we have a lot of choices we must make. We ultimately must ask ourselves: Is temporary glee ruling over our eternal salvation? Moses chose heavenly riches over the treasures of Egypt (Hebrews 11:6) and received the forever we seek.
Faith is Action: Though many see faith as a mythical creature, this chapter reveals that faith is an order to act. By faith, Abel (v4), Noah (v7), and Abraham (v8) all obeyed the Lord.
We read that "without faith it is impossible to please Him [God], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Faith, absolute and unshakable trust that God's promises are true, is essential for entering God's Kingdom. We must be encouraged by the fact that God is not ashamed to be called our God; He has prepared a city for us (Hebrews 11:16). That promised eternal city takes faith to reach.
Be Great Today!!
