Let Me Not Wander

God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. (NIV) The idea is here that the faith from before combined with the faith afterwords, makes a perfect picture. Together with them the circle of faith is completed.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. (NIV) This great testimony to those who chose to live their lives by faith, is for us to read. We can see here that they were commended for their faith, a faith that was never fulfilled. It never received what it was hoping for, it believed without seeing. Our faith is much the same. We have God's Word, but we do not have Him here with us. We are asked to believe, without seeing. May your faith be the substance and the evidence of the promise. May you truly believe today.

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection . Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Even though I try to do a verse a day, I could not seperate these verses. It...

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. (NIV) God is so amazing. Here we have a woman who had been a prostitute, and she has made it into this Hall of Faith . She is also mentioned in the lineage of Jesus. We shouldn't be surprised at this, though. We serve a God who saves, a God who changes lives. We serve a God who, I believe, enjoys taking the muck and the mire of this world and using it to bring glory to his name. No one ever needs to worry about where they have been. God is bigger than any sinful choices that we have made, and the blood of Christ can cover all sins!

By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. (NIV) Marching around that city would have taken a great act of faith. The act of a group of that size, acting as one, in faith, was amazing. This kind of thing doesn't happen very often, and it is well deserving of the Hall of Faith. Are you part of a group? Is there anything that you are needing to accomplish that would require this kind of faith? Then, march together. Believe that God will do what He has promised.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. (NIV) Most assuredly one of the highlights for the Children of Israel during their exodus, is this event. There are so many times that they fall into other things like idolatry, murmuring, complaining, fear, more murmuring, disobedience, etc. Their journey to the promised land is marred by so many bad choices. ...like many of us. I can remember as a child hearing about the Israelites traveling in the wilderness and thinking how they were such slow learners. I mean, how could they watch a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night lead them, and then turn around and start complaining that God wasn't going to take care of them. I used to think that was ridiculous. At least I used to think that. I know that our own lives are very marred by wrong choices as well, but as I read this passage, I was struck by the thought of how God has remembered their fai...

By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. (NIV) God had made a promise. He had promised that if they put the blood on the door posts, then they would be saved from death. Were they trusting in the blood? No. The blood did not have any magical powers that would repel angels of death. This is not some formula that needs to be followed. They were putting their faith in the promises of God. They were trusting in who God is . Our God keeps His word. His promises are true.

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. (NIV) Oh, he knew that the king would be mad, but that didn't stop him. There was another player in this scenario that was blatantly evident to Moses. It was God whom he feared. History is full of people who did not fear an earthly king. People who stood opposed, not because of a political concern, but for the sake of Christ. People who stood even when death was evident. In your life today, do not fear the kings, fear the ONE TRUE KING! Honor Him above all else. Don't be afraid of what the people of eart can do.

He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. (NIV) I find this verse interesting because of the mention of Christ. The writer of Hebrews is making this amazing connection between Moses, choosing to be identified with the people of God, and this shared disgrace with Christ. There are only two sides. You can be on the side of Christ, on the side of His people, on the side of what is right, or you can align yourself with the world. There are no in-betweens, no third sides. Look ahead for your reward. Don't put your treasure in the things of this world, for where your treasure is, there will your heart also be.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. (NIV) Moses had the chance to align himself with the rich and the famous. He had the opportunity to really make it in this world. To be the son of Pharaoh's daughter, the possibilities could have seemed endless. The world wants to paint that picture for us. A place that is endless in possibility. But Moses knew that the pleasures of sin only last a season. He knew that to truly have endless possibility, it would require the alignment with the people of God, so that is exactly what he did. How did he know to do this? How did he know that he couldn't continue on with pharoah? The answer to that is Faith . It was faith that brought sight to this man. It is faith that will allow you to see clearly in your decision making process. Some other thoughts about this pas...

By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. (NIV) My first thought when I read this was, "Well, what parent doesn't think that?" Most parents think that their child is no ordinary child those first three months. I know that I still think of my two boys as extraordinary. I know that the creator God has designed them in a unique way. I know that they have talents that have been given to them to serve the King. I may not get the chance to see my son stand toe to toe with a pharaoh of Egypt or call down plagues, but I do think that I will get the chance to see them serve their purpose. I also want to point out that Moses' parents hid him for those three months. They didn't flaunt him, the chose a course of action that was very practical. Some would have you think that if it isn't flamboyant and take unnecessary risks, then it isn't fai...

By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. (NIV) Joseph held to the promises of God. He knew that the Israelites would not stay in Egypt. He knew that eventually they would leave. When he spoke of it, he spoke of something that would happen, not something that could happen. He knew this with such assurety that he even told them to take his bones with them.

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. (NIV) Jacob, the deceiver, had changed over time. No longer is he trying to work everything out himself. Instead he is fully dependent on the God of his father and his grandfather. Now, in Egypt, he blesses Joseph's sons. He wants to pass the promise down, so that they might live by faith. He worships God, not laying down, because Egypt is not his home. He leans on the top of his staff, ready to go.

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. (NIV) Isaac had not forgotten the promise. He spoke of the future of his sons by faith. He believed that God would fulfill his promises, even though the promise had not come true yet. I can remember as a child, thinking to myself about this promise. Here Abraham had been promised that his offspring would be numbered like the stars, then he only had one true son. After him Isaac, also a recipient of this same promise only has two sons, and only one of them is recipient of the promise. I can remember thinking to myself how difficult that would be for them to really believe that. Nearly three generations go by and there is still only one person that is recipient to the promise. If it had been me, I would be seriously questioning the process. How are we going to fulfill this promise if we can't get more than one guy?! God's timing is perfect though. Now we can see the fulfillment of that promise. We can un...

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. (NIV) Here we see again Abraham's great faith. He believed God's promise, no matter what else came along, no matter what else God would tell him to do; Abraham was going to stand firm in the promise. He knew that what God said -- He did. The story of Abraham taking his son to the mountain to offer as a sacrifice, has been told for ages. It has almost become the key example of faith and obedience, which go hand in hand. You cannot have faith without obedience. James puts it this way, "...faith without works is dead, being alone." Abraham was dedicated to obedience to God. Abraham was also a father that was...

Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (NIV) My favorite part of this verse is when it says, "Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God..." I know that there are times that I have felt ashamed to be hanging around with certain people. When I was out in public with them, I felt a little embarrassed. Maybe it was how they acted, or the way they looked. Whatever it was, my pride hindered me from wanting to be seen with them, because I did not want to be associated with them. Sometimes that is a good thing. There are certain people who you would most definitely not want to be associated with, but it is not like that with God. He is not ashamed to "be seen" with us, even though He is so much higher than we are. When we go out in public, He has no problem branding His own name on us. We have sought His city, a heavenly city, therefore He has ...

If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. (NIV) This verse reminds me of Lot's wife. You remember that story from Sunday School, don't you? Lot's family is fleeing Sodom at the warning of the two angels. One of the last commands that they are given before they leave is, "Do not look back!" As they are running across the hills the towns are being destroyed by fire and brimstone. Lot's wife takes a glance back and is suddenly turned into a pillar of salt. Lot's wife wanted to partake in Sodom, she wanted to live there and partake in that kind of life. Even though leaving meant salvation, she still longed for what she was leaving. So she became a partaker in their fate. People of faith do not look back. They look for and long for the country to which they are heading. If they would have looked back, they would have gone back, but faith does not look back. When we choose to leave this world and ...

People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. (NIV) This is referring to the previous verse where Abraham considered himself a stranger and an alien in this world. This is an important understanding of this world, that it is not our permanent home. Many don't believe that. They believe that this is it, that this is "...as good as it gets." Abraham and the others that live by faith, demonstrate that they have a better understanding of reality when they are seeking something permanent, something real. Do not put your hopes and dreams into things that will not last. Choose to, by faith, seek a country that will last, that you can call your home.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. (NIV) When Abraham died, he only had one child. The promise was for descendants like the sands of the sea, yet he had only one. To many, this could have been a difficult thing at the end of life. To trust and trust and trust, and never see the promise fulfilled. Abraham did not despair. Even though he tried to handle things himself from time to time, he ultimately lived a life of faith. In fact, he had such faith that he treated the promise as if it had already been fulfilled. He welcomed those things. He fully recognized that this world is just a place that we are passing through. We are pilgrims, on our way to a better country, a better city. We are aliens and strangers here. Oh Lord, open my eyes today. Peel back those scales and allow me to see this world f...

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. (NIV) In Galatians 6:7, Paul tells us, "Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham." When God promised that through Abraham there would be children without number, we were included in that as well. We follow in our father's footsteps if we walk in faith. Jesus even tells us that there will be many who sit at the feast with Abraham. What an amazing moment that will be. When we can see a man who truly lived by faith, who we have read about and studied. We will one day sit at a feast with him. Choose today to walk by faith. Don't simply make your decisions by sight alone. Of course we need to be good stewards and make wise choices, ...