I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek. 17For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “- The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17
On the first day of the tour of the Holy Land we stopped at a buffet, this place is the first time I used the shekels. Little did I know that each item charged individually, I budgeted $20.00 per day, image my surprise when my total rings up $16.00. Seeing the Holy Land a dream come true, we did the hokey pokey in the Dead Sea, however, I never could understand the money so my definition of faith….
Faith we all have faith. Everyday you sit in a chair, your faith that the chair will hold your weight. When you start your car, you have faith that the car will take you to your destination. Beloved, we have only one legitimate faith object and that’s God. Of course, we place our faith in Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 11:1-2, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in the days of old earned a good reputation.
Chapter 11 shares great examples of faith. God created the universe from his command, it came from nothing as it says in verse 3. Abel brings in faith an offering that is more acceptable than his brother Cain. Enoch walked with God, he walked so closely, his faith so strong that he did not die.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death. He could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11: 5-6
Beloved, Noah had faith in God he builds this large boat to save his family from the flood. He listens to God and did as God told him, he faithfully warns people about something that has never happened before, do you think he’s ridiculed?
Abraham walked in faith after waiting for Issac. Abraham never question God’s instructions to sacrifice his only son but God provided the sacrifice. Abraham’s faith so strong believing the God would resurrect Issac. But God saw how much love Abraham had for God that he would sacrifice Issac so God provided the sacrifice.
The parents of Moses hid him for three months in faith, the bible in verse 23 says they saw that God gave them an unusual child and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command. Moses refused to be called the son of the Pharoah’s daughter.
It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. Hebrews 11:27
In verse 31, it was faith of Rahab the prostitute that she was not destroyed with the people of her city who refused to obey God. For she had help and befriended the spies sent by God. So many examples of faith in Hebrews chapter 11. Not to mention the rest of the bible, remember the faith of the friends that healed the paralytic man in Mark 2.
And my definition of faith had to do with shekels, everywhere you went in the Holy Land there were souvenir’s available, the shekels’ could be change or dollars. So I would open my hand with shekels in dollars and change and let the vendors take the amount of money they needed for the souvenir. This is faith, blind trust or stupidity, I prefer faith.
Beloved, how does your faith walk look?
Life Lesson: Without faith in Jesus Christ, fear feed our soul.
Song: Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Father God, thank you for your Word, for Jesus, that faith becomes action when we place our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Thank you that you are God. That we are children of God and saints because of your son. Oh Lord, thank you for the examples of faith, so that when my faith waivers I recall answers from your word. Increase my faith Lord and that of my sister as we walk daily reading your word, memorizing, praying and seeking to do your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen
