Faithbase

Friends, we are back in Hebrews chapter 11. This is known as the Hall of Faith, the Hall of Fame for the fathers of our faith, and it starts this way. Now, faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see. Faith is thinking of what we long for in the future, expect for, and being sure that it will happen, and that changes the way that we live today. It's a knowing that the things that we cannot see are in fact real, and it changes how we live today. Verse 2 says, this is what the ancients were commended for. This whole chapter is a laundry list of faithful people who changed the way they lived based on who they knew God to be, and it changed the entire course of history. In verse 8 and verse 17, we see our friend Abraham. He was called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance. He obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going. We kind of talked about that already. We read the story about Abraham when he was tested. Verse 17, he ought to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Verse 19, Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking, he did receive Isaac back from the dead. Abraham believed that God was able to do anything, that he was Almighty, Creator of the universe, and he could even bring someone back from death. This is faith in action, friends. This is faith responded to. This is the way that what we believe actually changes how we live today. How does what you believe change how you live today? How does it change the way that you live your life? I want you to sit with that. Take this to prayer and wrestle with this. Does your life today look different because of what you believe? This is the invitation to a life with God. It should not be something that we just have nice ideas about in our head. Faith is action. It is a response to what we believe about who God is. Read Hebrews 11, all of it. We see people who do extraordinary things, suffer great pain and loss and trial, all because they believe God and what he says. Consider this. Peace to you, friends.