Scripture
Hebrews 11:1-3, 6;
Psalm 46:1-3, 8-11
Now faith is the
assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. —Hebrews 11:1
11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen. 2Indeed, by faith our ancestors
received approval. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were
prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are
not visible. . . . 6And without faith it is impossible to please
God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he
rewards those who seek him.
46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very
present help in trouble.
2
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should
change, though the
mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its
waters roar and foam,
though the mountains
tremble with its tumult. Selah....
8 Come,
behold the works of the LORD;
see what desolations he
has brought on the earth.
9 He makes
wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and
shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
10 "Be
still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the
nations, I am exalted in the earth."
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our
refuge. Selah
In the movie Miracle on 34th Street, Doris is an event
planner for Macy's. Doris is certain that there is no Santa Claus, and she
makes sure that her little girl doesn't have any reason to believe in him
either. Her carefully ordered, executive world made sense only when things were
structured in a "what you see is what you get" sort of way. There was
no room for things that could not be explained. However, by the end of the
movie, Kris Kringle has given her reason to think that maybe she was wrong. She
finally says, "Faith is believing when common sense tells you not
to."
Like the character Doris, we struggle with things that we
can't reason out. We want scientific explanations, numbers,' and
statistics—things that are measurable. Our world doesn't give much credit to
things that don't seem "logical." Again, like Doris, we who are in
the church have learned that what we have experienced sometimes trumps what we
think we know of how the world works.
We often think of faith as if it were some sort of
intellectual doctrine, but this chapter of Hebrews shows us something else.
Faith is trusting in the promises of God. Faith is not something we believe but
something we practice.
The writer of Hebrews gives us a two-part description of
faith. First, we hear that faith is "the assurance of things hoped
for." Faith has a confidence right now about what the future holds.
However, there is a second part of faith: "the conviction of things not
seen." Christians realize that there, is a big difference between what we
see and what is real. When we look at the world, it seems to be a place of
utter chaos and destruction. As we glance through the headlines, it's tempting
to wonder, "Hey! Who is in charge down here?" What we see tells us
that the world is a corrupt and dangerous place. What is real is "that
though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet." ("This
Is My Father's World"). When we look at ourselves, it's easy only to see
our faults and failures. What is real are God's words to us: "I have
redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine . . . you are precious in
my sight, . . . and I love you" (Isa. 43:1, 4). Our faith allows us to see
the evidence of God's presence in our world even when our present realities
cloud our sight. Faith affords us the opportunity to look at the world through
the eyes of hope.
At first, reading the "Faith Hall of Fame" list
that we see in Hebrews can make us feel like we will never measure up. But when
we look again, we see that the people who are hailed as role models turned away from the
world's standard of greatness. Noah built a massive boat in the middle of a
desert because God told him he'd need it. Abraham and Sarah heard the words
"Go to a land that I will show you" and went without the careful
planning that most of us would prefer. And don't forget that Abraham was ready
to sacrifice Isaac at God's direction; Abraham knew that God would provide. We
would call the Department of Children and Family Services on him! These giants
of the faith are held up before us because they were all ordinary enough, but
they knew that God was extraordinary.
For many of us, a Psalm we turn to for comfort is Psalm 46. The psalmist eloquently spells
out that which we most need to be true: that even though God's "got the
whole world in His hands," "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He
watches me."
The writer of Hebrews would have appreciated the psalmist's
words, because they show us what faith in action does. We often think of the
Psalms as lovely, poetic renderings of a life that nowhere matches our
experience. We think of them as idyllic and safe. But who would say, "God
is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (v. 1) without
having known God's deliverance? The psalmist has known a very dangerous time.
Because he was kept safe, he believes that God sees his trouble and answers his
call for help.
A young girl once told a friend, "Faith is like your
birthday. You don't know exactly what you're getting or what the cake will look
like, but you know it will be good because it always has been before. I always
want to believe there is something good out there."
When she died in an accident at the age of 20, those
attending her memorial service expressed how much her faith in God had helped
them through their own storms. Many people would have called her an optimist,
but it was more than that. She had seen God's hand holding her, and she was
completely convinced of God's goodness.
Christian faith is knowing that we are held "gently in
the palm of God's hand," even when it feels like we are in the pits of
hell.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
How has your life changed because of your faith? What has
your faith cost you?
Where has "reality" come into conflict with your
faith? When have you been called to trust in something that didn't make logical
sense?
Of the people mentioned in the "Faith Hall of
Fame," with whom do you feel you have the most in common? Why? With whom
do you have the least in common?
PRAYER
Living God, thank you for your faithfulness. Teach us to
have the faith of our ancestors who trusted in your promises. Remind us that
faith is not something we talk about or believe but something that we practice.
When storms threaten to undo us, help us to see that you are our refuge and
strength. Draw us close to you. Amen.
Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.
From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.
