Saturday, December 21, 2013

The Gift

Looked at a common word with wild potential this morning:  faith.

Hebrews 11, of course; that beautiful Hall of Faith passage.  I saw all the 'usual':

Faith produces amazing stuff from nothing.  It is the essence of creation in fact.  What is...is not faith.  What is not...now that is some amazing stuff.  My heart soared along with the things that faith produces:  righteousness, deliverance, reward, hope, perseverance, pleasure for God, victory, obtainment of promises of God, strength...life itself.  Faith is the key to the prayer:  thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.  Faith brings heaven to earth.

Faith brings some other things too.  The end of Hebrews 11 is not so popular.  Sincere faith also brings mockings, beatings, imprisonment, torture, affliction, destitution.  Faith is contrary to the world we see; the gift is often rejected like the Giver.  BUT faith counts on what is really real, not just what is seen.  Faith counts on what is coming, not what is.  Faith looks forward to the 'city built by God...prepared with love for the faith-filled.'  Faith is not about living comfortable; it is about living Christ!

Christianity is not a crutch.  It is a life lived with all the weight on Jesus Christ.  It is a life lived with the understanding our best will never be enough to do what we desire...but that better than what we desire is already ours.  Faith is a gift we crave...and the Father gives it if we seek it with all our heart. Faith is a gift to be shared!   May the gift of faith be our most treasured possession.

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