A friend sent this to me this week to encourage me in my fight for faith for my future:
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
The ESV note: "assurance, also translated confidence.... by defining faith as assurance and conviction, the author indicates that biblical faith is not a vague hope grounded in imaginary, wishful thinking. Instead faith is a settled confidence that something in the future--something that is not yet seen but has been promised by God-- will actually come to pass because God will bring it about. Thus biblical faith is not vain trust in the face of contrary evidence, not an unknowable leap in the dark, rather, biblical faith is a confident trust in the eternal God who is all-powerful, infinitely wise, eternally trustworthy-- the God who has revealed himself in his word and in the person of Jesus Christ, whose promises have proven true from generation to generation and who will never leave nor forsake his own. Such faith in the unseen realities of God is emphasized throughout ch. 11 and has provided confidence and assurance to all who receive christ as their lord and savior.
I can often feel that our upcoming church planting adventure is a "unknowable leap in the dark". In reading this I grew confident that my fight is not for the unseen that may never come to pass but rather for the unseen that will come to pass because God has promised it to. I will not find a promise of God guaranteeing us success, as measured by the world, as church planters, or a nice comfortable life in Peoria. No there are no such promises like that. But he has promised to never leave, he has promised His grace to be sufficent for each and every day, he has promised to work all things together for my good and he has promised that "all light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (2 Corth 4). So as I fight for faith I can know that my fight is to believe real promises of God. For those will all come to pass.
2 comments:
thanks for posting this tara. another rich truth for me to meditate on. we had our last cg last night, and i've been tempted to fresh sadness/unbelief about the future. this was a perfect reminder about God...
glad you were encouraged.. such great truths coming from your blog as well.
this is a month of "lasts" for us too. praying for you!
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