Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Faith”
Our Bible verse for today: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Faith is a deep sense of confidence about things not seen.
Every baseball fan knows about the Baseball Hall of Fame located in Cooperstown, NY.
If you go there you will see displays, memorabilia, and films which tell the stories of the greatest athletes to ever play the game. It is inspiring and motivating.
Hebrews chapter 11 has often been called “The Faith Hall of Fame”. Here we find the stories of some of the all time greats of the Christian faith; people like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab, Samuel, David, and so many more. For those of us who would like our own faith to be deeper and stronger, this Hall of Fame is also inspiring and motivating.
In verse one of chapter eleven the writer tells us that this kind of faith involves being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. He’s talking about a deep inner sense of confidence, a firm conviction that is not based on things in the visible world. It’s a deep trust in God and in His promises that leads us to live in ways that may be contrary to the conventional wisdom of the world.
Billy Graham once wrote that, “Faith is not anti-intellectual. Faith simply reaches beyond the limits of our five senses.” This is an important point. The kind of faith being described here is based on an understanding that reality involves more than just what our five human senses are able to detect.
Even though faith in God and in His promises requires us to embrace a reality that is beyond the capacity of our human senses, doesn’t make it any less real. Other worldly though He may be, the evidence for God is actually very strong. The results of it can be seen in the lives of those who have had the deepest faith in Him. That’s why God gave us this chapter in Hebrews.
I encourage you to set aside some extra time today to slowly read Hebrews chapter 11. Take a walk through the Faith Hall of Fame. Let the examples of those giants of our faith be a source of inspiration and motivation for you.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 