Obviously, as a writer, I love stories! This is one of my favorite ones to tell:
"A woman had a dream. In her dream there were three women crying. Jesus walked to the first woman, put His arms around her and hugged her. Then He went to the second woman and patted her on the shoulder. Finally, He walked past the third woman.
The sleeping woman woke up disturbed, so she prayed, "Lord, why did you show the first two women affection, but walk right past the third woman without so much as a word?"
The Lord's response was this, "She knows Me so intimately, and trusts Me so completely, that she no longer depends on My voice, loving glances, or other signs to know I love and accept her. She's not dismayed or discouraged by any circumstances I allow in her life. She trusts Me when common sense, reason, and every subtle instinct of the natural heart would rebel, because she understands that what I allow for her now is preparing her for eternity...I am sometimes silent for your sakes--that you will learn to trust Me with pure, Spirit-taught spontaneous responses. I want you to respond to My love apart from your circumstances." ~Streams in the Desert
Faith! When God mentions something one time, it's important. Faith is used 33 times in the book of Hebrews, so I know that means faith is a high value to God. He tells us that without faith it is impossible to please Him!
Here are some of the treasures you can find about faith from the book of Hebrews in the New Testament:
Believe what God says (Hebrews 4:2)
Draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, because He took care of your sins! (Hebrews 10:22)
Our faith will speak even when our life here is over-think of the thief on the cross! (Hebrews 11:4)
By faith-believing God, we like Noah become heirs of righteousness (Hebrews 11:7)
Faith considers God is faithful and so receives many blessings that are humanly impossible (Hebrews 11:11)
Faith continues on even without receiving in this life what is promised, seeing them from a distance (Hebrews 11:17)
Faith looks to the promised future (Hebrews 11:20)
Faith is courageous (Hebrews 11:23)
Faith passes through difficulties intact (Hebrews 11:29)
Faith fixes its eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)
F.F. Bruce describes faith like this, "Physical eyesight produces a conviction or evidence of visible things; faith is the organ which enables people to see the invisible order."
We interact with the material world with our five senses, but we also live in a spiritual world. Faith is the sense by which we interact with the spiritual world. Faith is spiritual sight and it is confidently obedient to God in spite of circumstances and consequences.
Now any kind of faith is only as good as its object. The object of our faith is Jesus, who will never leave us or forsake us; who will present each one of us holy and blameless before God the Father; who is the Author and Perfecter of our faith!
Let's keep our eyes fixed on Him!
Photograph by Claudia Lauro
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