The strength of my faith is revealed not when I get what I want–but rather when I trust God even though the situation looks hopeless.
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Scripture
Hebrews 11:13
“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”
Observation
Hebrews 11 details the lives of some amazing heroes of the faith–men and women who put it all on the line, gave up the illusion of safety and security in their former life, and stepped out boldly into the greater security of a life surrendered to God. Many of them died without seeing the fulfillment of their faith–yet Paul commends them for living a life of strong faith, despite them not having yet received the promise.
Their faith was proven–not by the fulfillment of that which they awaited, but by their faithfulness even while the promise remained unfulfilled.
Application
It’s easy to develop a distorted view of faith.
“If I just had enough faith, then God would…”
“If you just had enough faith, then the situation would have turned out differently…”
The truth is that God is faithful, and my faith in Him is not misplaced–no matter whether I see the fulfillment of the promise yet or not. His promises are true, and His word is unfailing.
The testing of my faith is not a measurement of whether I have enough faith to produce the outcome that I desire. If my faith could produce the desired outcome, then I would be the hero of the story. God alone can bring the fulfillment of His promises–and my faith in Him is proven when I choose to trust Him even though the situation is messy, impossible, unfixable, and out of my own control.
This is the kind of faith that can move mountains: Not because I have any power to move mountains on my own, but because true faith in God acknowledges Him alone as God, and keeps my heart submitted and centered on Him. When my heart is properly aligned in this way with Him, then He is free to move mountains, bring the dead to life, fulfill His promises, and accomplish all of the things that I cannot accomplish.
The strength of my faith is revealed not when I get what I want–but rather when I trust God even though the situation looks hopeless.
Prayer
God, thank you for who you are. Thank you for being more than enough to handle anything that life could throw at me, and for being faithful and true. Thank you for your promises in my life!
Help me to trust you in every circumstance. Not merely when things are going the way that I want, but also when I don’t see any solution or chance of success. Thank you for proving yourself time and time again in my life!
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