UNHURRY HACK: ordinary people can have courage to step out in faith because we are equipped by an extraordinary God.
FIRST READ:
Psalm 46, Hebrews ch 11
I get stuck sometimes between faith and action, do you?
It feels safe to snuggle up with our Bible and read and pray, but what happens when God calls us out of our quiet time chair? God is not stagnant nor does he call our heart to dormant faith. The Lord calls us to faith in Him that is as alive and active as He is.
Faith has legs. Where are yours taking you? Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the hall of faith and records many lives who are remembered for their examples of faith in action. These men and women worshipped the Lord their God and when He called them to action, they obeyed. This is often the hardest part of our walk with God because it often requires us to leave our cozy comfort zones and go, do, & say something to glorify the Lord. Check out these action words:
By faith Abel gave, Enoch went, Noah built, Abraham left and believed and offered, Sarah conceived, Isaac promised, Jacob blessed, Jacob commanded, Moses’ parents hid their baby, Moses led and commanded, Israelites walked and marched, and Rahab protected. In addition, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets overthrew and ruled and received what God had promised them. They shut lion’s mouths, quenched flames, and escaped death (see Hebrews 11: 4-34).
This is the God we trust and serve too! Like you and me, these were ordinary people whom God equipped.
These men and women aren’t remembered because they were perfect or wealthy or loved by the world. Instead, they are remembered because they said “yes” to an extraordinary God. Likewise, their actions were not done by their own strength or merit, but by faith in Him.
We can walk with faith legs too! We are told, “their weakness was turned to strength” (Hebrews 11:34). This is true for us. We are told that Moses “kept his eyes on the one who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). This is our strategy as well. At some point Noah locked eyes with the invisible One and by faith picked up a hammer.
More than a belief system, faith is the evidence of what takes place in your heart. As believers, our faith is secure and anchored in Christ for all eternity, but faith is also intended for daily use. Unlike a dormant item stored in a bank box or vault for safe-keeping, our faith is meant to be lived out. God intended faith to be the active proof of what the world can’t see.
Faith shows the reality of our hope (Hebrews 11:1). Some Bible versions use the word confidence, assurance,or certainty. Each term calls us to live in the reality of God’s Truth. Measuring our attitudes and actions up to the Word of God provides a much needed “reality check” and allows our heart to live in the safety of the Lord’s care. Under His care we can learn to walk on our faith legs, one prayerful step at a time.
Walking with the Lord is so much more than a feel good verse of the day and a grocery list of prayer requests. One of my favorite all time Bible verses is Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God!" This word stillness is not stagnancy but is used to get our attention, as in "halt, breathe, eyes back on me."
This word calls us to relax and trust our Provider God because all victory and honor belongs to Him. Trusting the Lord begins with relationship and then continues through listening, learning, and living out His Word. These areas then give us courage we need for action.
-Faith has legs. Where are yours taking you?
-How will you respond to God? By faith will you follow Him?
-Start today in prayer:
Father God, you are Truth and my reality is found in You alone. I trust you Lord, and will follow you wherever you call me to go. Strengthen my shaky legs today and grow them into sturdy bold steps of faith for your glory. In Jesus Name, Amen.
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