This morning I was reading Hebrews 11, the faith chapter. I saw something that I never saw before. The Word is like that…always revealing itself in truth and love. I love reading God’s hall of fame, and there is much that I have missed prior to this reading.
He starts the chapter by defining faith…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. “For by it the elders obtained a good testimony” Hebrews 11:2. This is so important, and I never really saw it before. There is a standard of faith. “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth” Luke 18:8? Have you ever wondered what God really wants of His people? Here it is. What God needs is our witness. Have you ever thought of this that God NEEDS something from us. He needs for us to support Him. He needs for us to cast our vote on Him.
The next thing that Hebrews shows us in Hebrews 11:3 is an acknowledgement of creation…the world was framed by the word of God so that the things which are not seen were not made of things which are visible. This is amazing to me. He is saying in verse 3 a repeat of verse 1 in a different sort of way. He is saying that at creation the earth was without form and void, His spirit moved over this, and He spoke the Word of God. This is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We all stand at a place of creating the unknown whether it be a relationship that is developed or destroyed by our words, whether it is an idea (thought / energy) that becomes reality like writing a book, building a business, making a garden…the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. This is so amazing. In the journey of faith that God invites us into, He is saying that the principles of creation are ours to use.
In today’s world, we call this a manifestation principle. Another way of putting this is “as a man thinks, so is he.” Proverbs 4:23: :Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of the heart flow the issues of life.” The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The power of life and death are in the tongue says Proverb 18:21. By the power of our tongue, we create…for good or bad.
Hebrews 11:4 tells us that Abel obtained a witness that he was righteous…God testifying of his gifts. “…and through it, he being dead still speaks.” His righteous act still speaks and testifies to God of righteousness. God needs our testimony / witness. “Know ye not that to whomever ye yield yourselves as servants to obey, his servants ye become whom ye obey, whether of sin which leads unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:16”
As I read through the faith chapter, the sweetness that I see from what is said by Paul about those listed causes me to see God’s heart of love towards His people. Paul ends the list of those we know and continues with the acts of faith that was credited to others and says of this group listed in the hall of fame “of whom the world was not worthy” Hebrews 11:38. God says that the world was not worthy of having these people in it. Does that touch your heart? It does mine.
I believe that we are each invited to call out of nothing God’s original intent for our lives. He gives us an amazing definition and shows us how He did it. He gives us the list of witnesses so we know it can be done and what it might cost. In Hebrews 12:1-2 it says: “Therefore we ask, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
We have been rescued from the camp of evil. He has shown us how to create (not the things of the world), but the things of heaven. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all that you need will be added (Matthew 6:33). The synergy of this calls forth the greatest creation of self and God’s kingdom. Praise God.
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