Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. - Hebrews 11:1
In what we used to call Sunday School we now call Connection Groups in the church we attend. We are currently studying the Book of Numbers. This past week in chapter 13 concerning the 12 spies that were sent to scout out the land. Recall that 10 said it was too difficult, that there were giants in the land but 2, Joshua and Caleb, said the land was theirs for the taking and they should go and take it.
So back to Hebrews 11. The promise was that the nation of Israel would be free from being slaves to the Egyptians and be given a land of their own - flowing with milk and honey. That was the substance of things hoped for - but using their natural sight and wisdom they could not just see how it was possible. And so they lacked faith in God. Remember, this is the same God who parted the Red Sea. Defeated the Egyptian Army - the mightiest in the world at the time. The same God who provided food and water for thousands of people in the wilderness.
It is easy for us to sit in judgement reading about the failure of Israel to trust God - sitting in an air conditioned room with our Bible or iPhone in hand. It is quite another to be facing what the world would agree is impossible. Do you recall the story of God's call to Gideon? Gideon was in a wine press threshing wheat - just think about that for a moment. He was hiding from the Midianites when an Angel of the Lord appeared calling Gideon a "mighty man of valor". (Judges 6:12) I imagine that Gideon was looking around wondering who the angel was talking to! This was the same Gideon later who attacked an army with trumpets and torches.
Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” - Judges 7:20
It was God's intervention and Gideon's faith that won the day. In the same way - God was sending the people of Israel into the land of Canaan. But He was not staying behind. In fact He provided a visible sigh of His presence. Do you remember the story? The people chose to go with the 10 and not the 2. They minimized God's intervention on their behalf and chose to not believe He would do it again. They refused to cross the Jordan and so they wandered in the desert for 40 years until that disobedient generation had passed.
So I have a point to all of this. The point is about our faith, not theirs. Yours and mine. It goes back to the question asked in the Focus on the Family Truth Project study - "Do you believe that what you believe is really real?" Do you trust your faith in God enough to act on it when all you have is hope and a promise from God. (As if that were not enough!) Now you might give mental assent to the idea that you would but the proof in the pudding is "Are you willing to cross your river Jordan?" What are the giants in the land that you are facing today?
This natural life is uncertain. There is so much that you and I have no control over. That is why, as people born again by the Spirit, people of the Faith, we must keep our eyes of Jesus. Remember who our Father is. Remember the new life that we have been called to where ....
we walk by faith, not by sight. - 2 Corinthians 5:7
My prayer for you is ....
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. - Ephesians 3:17-21
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