HomeWord - December 10, 2012

Faith Is…

This devotional was written by Jim Burns

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.... 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

What are you doing right now that you could not do without the help of our supernatural God? When we think of the word faith, we often think of the most incredible miracles we've ever heard about. I don't know about you, but I believe in those kinds of miracles of faith. Sometimes God chooses to heal a person with cancer or whatever physical problem he or she has. In fact, I've even heard of God giving a van supernatural extra gas mileage when a group of people were smuggling Bibles into a country where God’s Word was forbidden. There are other times when people have just as much faith but God chooses not to heal or to do a miracle.

Faith also describes what ordinary people have when they do extraordinary things with their lives.

Faith is Bob Wieland walking across America on his hands because he has no feet! Faith is Tammy Fong Heilemann moving from California to Kompong Cham, Cambodia, so that she can help young girls escape the quagmire of prostitution and turn their lives around. Faith is Rebecca St. James declaring before the world that she will remain sexually abstinent until she is married.

Faith is Ted choosing not to cheat on his geometry exam. Faith is 18-year-old Rachel deciding not to abort her baby. Faith is Mitch telling his Jewish parents that he has accepted Jesus as Messiah.

Faith is not doing something when everyone else is doing it or doing something even when no one else is doing it. It’s not getting drunk even though you are in college and want to be accepted in the fraternity. It’s walking away from riches because God’s call on your life is to be a missionary. It’s waiting for the right man to marry even though your biological clock is ticking. Faith is placing all that you are, all that you can be, and all that you do in the hands of God.

What are you doing in faith right now? Take a moment and ask God to make you an ordinary person doing extraordinary things for Him.

GOING DEEPER:

1. How does Hebrews 11: 1, 6 relate to your life?

2. What areas of your life could use a real "faith-life"?

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 71:1-8