Scripture
Our verse for today comes from Hebrews 11:39, ” And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise. “
Background
How long will you stick with something? It depends, doesn’t it? On a lot of things. It depends on what it is, on why you are doing it, on what the expectations were going into it, and countless other factors. But the bottom line may be that it depends on how much you believe in it. How much faith you have in something can be motivation enough to completely determine your willingness to endure or give up. As long as you still believe in the purpose or the message or the cause, the challenges or setbacks that may come are seen as merely stepping stones on the path to where you are going. But if you do believe, if you still have faith in something, how far are you willing to go? It’s easy to say that we would stay the course to the very end. But what if at the very end, that’s all that was there? What if your faith led you to go, then stay, to wait, to receive, to build, give offerings, hide, fall, refuse, worship? What if you subdued kingdoms, stopped lions’ mouths, quenched fire, escaped death, turned away armies and escaped the sword? What if you were tortured, mocked, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, stabbed, tormented, wandered, and sawn in two? And after all or any part of this, when you came to the end, what would you do if what you were promised, what you had hoped for and believed in, was nowhere to be found?
Application
Well, as dramatic as that may sound, and as ripe for a Hollywood ending as it may seem, there would simply be only two options. If you had done and been and endured any part or more than these, and your faith in Christ had been your motivation, your hope and your source, then God would be pleased, and your life would have obtained a good testimony. If not, then too bad. The heroes of Hebrews 11 are remembered because their lives and actions were based on faith in God. Their deeds were of worth because of who they believed in. It’s a big difference. And it’s the only difference that matters. If you want to someday see what you cannot see now, then do everything you do by faith.
Charge
As we seek Him today, be sure that you are trusting in God alone and not in the works you are doing for Him or the causes you belong to for Him.
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Author – Rich Holt | BCWorldview.org
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