Scripture: Hebrews 11:36-40
Faith is the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
For some:
faith saved people from a flood,
made people move into a new land,
had a child even though she was old,
believed in blessings for future generations,
conquered cities,
welcomed foreigners,
shut the mouths of lions,
escaped death by the sword,
turned weakness into strength,
and people came back from the dead.
But others:
were tortured,
jeered at,
their backs were cut open with whips,
they were chained in prisons,
died by stoning,
sawed in half,[d]
killed with the sword,
and others were oppressed and mistreated.
Which list of faith characterizes your life? Has either scenario caused your faith in God to diminish? Sometimes life is going too well to believe in God. Other times we wonder why a good God would allow us to go through such terrible things.
When we have faith in God no matter what we face in life, we are right in the sight of God (Hebrews 11:39). We can face anything life throws at us because we have hope in a better life after the resurrection (Hebrews 11:38). We might die on earth, but no one can stop us from receiving eternal life in heaven. God doesn’t step in to end all the suffering because there are more people that need to make it to heaven as well. When we are faithful to God through life’s good and bad circumstances, we are proclaiming to the world how great our God is. We are proclaiming just how much we trust him.
What are people learning about faith from your life?