Have Faith

I was trying to read the Bible. You know...just minding my own business. Here I am in Hebrews 11 and I'm reading about Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc. These are the people of faith. I don't know about you but this list has always felt a little unattainable. Noah? How many of us would build an ark all those years without even a rain cloud in the sky?

Then things got a little personal. After going through the "Big Names" I found that there were others. The writer of Hebrews says in 11:32, "And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of..." And I realize something. They are all "Big Names!" Sure we hear about the former ones a little more often but there were so many others who walked in those same shoes: the shoes of faith.

"And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again..." 11:32-35

So many others (many nameless) who were counted faithful and were able to overcome by their faith. What a list! I especially love the part where God says that they became valiant in battle. That means in the midst of the fight they (through faith) took care of some serious business.

The writer continues to speak of those who had faith but still went through torture, mocking, scourging, chains, imprisonments, stoning, being sawn in two, and being lonely. However, he said that they overcame by faith. Wait! They overcame as well? Yes, because they obtained a good testimony.

I can't promise you that everything you pray for will happen they way you want it to. What I can promise you is that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. I can promise you that God will never leave you nor forsake you. I can promise you that God is able to supply all you need according to His riches in glory. How can I promise that? Because God promised that!

You just need to have faith.

In the end - you will be named with those who obtained a good testimony.

May God increase your faith today.