WATCHWORD:
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:1-6
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26-28
Meditation:
Uncommon Faith
You may have heard this before: Man hiking high in the mountains is suddenly surrounded by fog. He slips and falls over a cliff. At the last desperate moment, he grabs a limb and hangs on. He calls out, “Help! Is there anyone up there?” A voice from the fog tells him, “This is God, I am here to rescue you. Now, do what I say. Just let go, I’ll catch you.” The man thinks about that, then calls out again, “Help! Is there anyone else up there?”
Trusting God is sometimes difficult. That is especially true when we are called to do something that we resist. Sometimes our faith is in conflict with our common sense, or our comfort levels. You hear the Apostle Paul telling you that “all things work together for good…” and you wonder. Jesus tells you to “sell all you have and give to the poor” and you think, that can’t be right. That would make me one of the poor.
Let’s face it, common sense and faith are as different from each other as today’s news is from the Good News. Oswald Chambers has this to say about common sense and faith: “For every detail in life, there is a truth God has revealed by which we can prove in our practical experience what we believe God to be. Faith is a tremendously active principle that always puts Jesus Christ first. The life of faith says, “Lord, you have said it, it appears to be irrational, but I’m going to step out boldly, trusting Your Word.”
I think that God is merely a concept, or a page out of mythology, until we know Jesus. When we trust him, and have faith in him, we immediately have something that is real, and our faith it is limitless. In trusting Jesus, we turn our intellectual faith into our personal possession, because the nature of faith is to make the object of our faith very real to us: God with us. So be it.
Bulletin Board:
Common sense facts:
Mathematics is 90% common sense. The other half is intelligence.
You know that tingly sensation you get when you love somebody? That’s common sense leaving your body.
Favorite Verses:
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
Closing Prayer:
God, I pray that You will meet us today and help us remember Your teachings. Let Your Holy Spirit “write love and faithfulness on the tablet of our hearts” that we may win Your favor. Let it be unto us, Lord, so that we may have long years, peace, and prosperity as is written in Your word. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
