WATCHWORD:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 NIV
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. Hebrews 11:1 Living Bible
Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen. Hebrews 11:1 The Voice
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 Revised Standard Edition
Meditation:
Proof Positive!
The musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, opened on Broadway in October 1971, to opposition and criticism from various religious groups who also filed suits preventing the performance in various theatre sites world-wide. The album, Jesus Christ Superstar (Album), was a big seller, as was the film version, Jesus Christ Superstar (Film).
I purchased the album a year or two after the theater performance and still have it. It’s a bulky thing, by today’s standards, black vinyl, 33 1/3 RPM, 12” wide. I have nothing to play it on and, I guess, in the back of my mind, I hold out hope for its increasing value. (Make an offer? 😇 )
What is my point in raising this and providing two stanzas of the lyrics, below? The answer is found in those verses: “Prove to me that You’re divine, change my water into wine” and “Prove to me that you’re no fool, walk across my swimming pool”. Herod didn’t believe until he had proof positive.
Was there ever a time in your faith walk where you struggled, trusting something you could not see, or stories you had heard or read of Jesus healings, miracles, walking on water, etc. and you wanted to be there to confirm it? I just finished writing a story of a traveling merchant who heard those stories of Jesus’ ministry, saw Him and heard His lesson there on the hillside and then witnessed the feeding of a crowd, eating the bread and fish, and yet, he doubted.
Have you ever heard, “There is no faith in Heaven”? The first time I heard that from a pastor-friend of mine, I was shocked! How could that be? No faith in Heaven! What the heck! It took a while, but it finally sunk in. Of course. If I am experiencing Heaven, holding on to my Savior’s hand…that is beyond blessed assurance, faith not required.
Some atheists have defined “faith” to mean belief without evidence. Hebrews 11:1 reflects a different picture of faith. If you look at different versions of that passage, three words stand out: confidence, conviction, and assurance. Basically, we believe.
The bedrock of our faith is Jesus Christ, son of God, a key part of the Triune God. I don’t think we can argue with that. Maybe the bedrock of our belief in God and in Jesus Christ, until we are holding his hand, is the strength of our faith. We don’t need to see him changing water into wine, or heal a leper, or walk on water, because we believe in the resurrected Christ. Period. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
Two stanzas from Jesus Christ Superstar, lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
So You are the Christ
You’re the great Jesus Christ
Prove to me that You’re divine
Change my water into wine
That’s all You need do
And I’ll know it’s all true
C’mon King of the Jews
So if You are the Christ
You’re the great Jesus Christ
Prove to me that You’re no fool
Walk across my swimming pool
If You do that for me
Then I’ll let You go free
C’mon, King of the Jews
A Prayer When We Are Overwhelmed:
Lord, when my heart is overwhelmed, overwhelm me with Your peace. Lead me to You, my rock. Guide me to Your Word which gives me strength and refuge. Help me not to run to lesser things. Draw me to run to You first. Help me get into the habit of taking my “overwhelmed” and placing it under your will. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
