Fall Back Into Faith Fridays - Part 1 Faith

Last fall, I hosted a working women's bible study downtown.  Because of location issues this year, I was not able to host the bible study again.  But then it hit me, do it online this fall! 

The reality is, so many of the women that wanted to come would have a last minute conflict come up with work, so the group was always revolving and changing from month to month.  Everyone can get on the Internet during the day though! 

So every Friday this fall I will explore a scripture passage that has to do with one of the topics we studied last fall:  Faith, Family, Fortune, and Fun. 

Faith encompasses everything that we believe and that sustains us.  I am a Christian so my faith is in Jesus Christ and the passages we study will be from the Bible.  Family covers everything from a husband and kids to your parents, siblings, and extended family - those family members who are a part of your life in whatever stage that may be right now.  Fortune means our money.  The money we make, our job, and the money we spend, which often covers our struggles with false gods.  Finally, fun includes everything from our friendships to what we do with our time. 

I would love it if you would join me on Fridays, the post will always be up by lunch, and study the scripture with this community.  I know commenting on blogspot can sometimes be a challenge, but if you can't comment here, feel free to do so on Facebook.  I would love hear what God reveals to you during this time. 

Because of the introduction today, we will start with a short, but powerful, verse on faith, Hebrews 11:1-2:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

This is what the ancients were commended for.

The chapter goes on to list the faith of Old Testament greats and how they were still living by faith when they died even though they had not seen all of what God promised.  Then the author goes on to say, "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."  Then, in closing the chapter, we are reminded, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."

Some days it is hard to have faith.  Some days we look at our circumstances and wonder where God is.  Some days we doubt it will get better.  Or we struggle to continue to believe against all odds. 

The New King James translation of that first verse in Chapter 11 says faith is "the evidence of things not seen." 

I am having a good day.  But I have had some bad days.  And I know that I will have them again in the future.  Storms will come.  Battlefields will arise before me.  Faith requires having confidence in what we hope for even if the evidence does not bear it out in the present moment. 

Hebrews tells us that God has planned something better for us.  God (creator of the universe) has planned (way in advance He designed what cool things are going to happen) something (we can't possibly imagine what it is) for us (that's right, you and me).  We just can not see it right now.  But you're in good company - Noah was in the same boat (pun intended), Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and the list goes on and on.

Whatever storm is assailing your ship today, please do not give it the power to topple you and your faith.  We serve a God that stills the wind and storms.  Have faith.  He has something better planned for you. 

For further reading:  Hebrews 11, Ephesians 3, II Corinthians 5