How you doin? So even a sadder day for USA hockey yesterday. Lucky for me I assumed their final game was this morning and I missed their debacle vs. Finland. I did have a great, productive, and fun day outside with Stacey and the kids yesterday. It was in the high 50's, which was just beautiful weather. We topped our day off with good Christian fellowship. Hebrews 11 today.
This chapter tells stories of tremendous faith and the result of faith. It talks about several great men and women of faith in the Bible. Verses 1-2, "Now faith is the [a]assurance of things [b]hoped for, the[c]conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old [d]gained approval." I like the connection of faith, hope, and conviction here.
Verses 5-6, "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Three things stood out in these verses. 1) Faith pleases God, 2) it's impossible to please Him without faith, 3) we must believe that He rewards those who seek Him. This makes me think of Psalm 14:2,
"The Lord looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God."
"The Lord looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God."
I need faith, that comes from Christ, and believe that there are rewards for seeking Him. The rewards in heaven are WAY more important/valuable then rewards on earth.
Verses 8-19, speak of Abraham's faith. I'm always amazed at Abraham's faith. Verses 13-16, speaks of seeking a heavenly country and knowing we're strangers and exiles here on earth. SO GOOD!!!!!!!
Your going to need to read verses 32-38 to put these next verses in context and to understand their value. Verses 39-40, "And all these, having [y]gained approval through their faith, did not receive[z]what was promised, 40 because God had [aa]provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect." WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!! God is so good. He has provided something better for us. Seeking His Kingdom is a better option. I believe this is a spiritual paradox. Once I'm after His heart and His Kingdom, He'll give my heart's desire here on earth and even more in heaven. COME ON!!!!!!! Gain approval by your faith today.
PS As I was talking with Stacey about our reading today, I received a bit of understanding. Verse 40, "because God had [aa]provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect." Jesus fulfilled the Law. The Old Testament characters of tremendous faith like those mentioned in Hebrews 11, were under the Law and old covenant. They acted on/in faith of a promise or covenant that they never received. Their faith is made perfect through our acceptance, believe, and faith in the better promise or covenant that we have been provided through Jesus. So, "apart from us they would not be made perfect". In the same way that apart or without Jesus, the Law would not have been fulfilled. Have some faith, believe, and acceptance in the "something better" today.
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