Tag: Devotion

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 1

Mary of Bethany, parts 3&4

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adapted from She, Volume 1, p 43 – 46

Read: John 11:1-45

So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. …Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

John 11:20 and 11:32

Whatever it was that kept her at the house no longer mattered when Martha returned and secretly let her know that Jesus had come, “she got up quickly and went to Him”.

Mary of Bethany serves as an example of how we must not delay in coming to Him.1

As we saw in the previous post, when Martha ran out to meet Jesus, Mary had remained at the house. We do not know the reason; it could have been a number of things. Some commentaries suggest that she didn’t know He had returned or that she was still caught up in her mourning. I tend to think, knowing her previous desire to remain at Jesus’ feet, that she remained behind only because she did not know He had arrived.

Now, when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at His feet and said to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved in spirit and greatly distressed. 34 He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They replied, “Lord, come and see.” 

– John 11:33-34

Mary had laid her grief and faith at the feet of Jesus

What Jesus did in response to her sorrowful spirit and faith-filled words – was born out of compassion for her sorrow but also from His agitation that Mary (and the people with her) had something to be sad about – as we read in verse 35, “Jesus wept” … and then commanded: “Take away the stone.” … 43 When he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!… and Lazarus came out.”  It was a miracle that not only delighted Mary and her sister, but it brought many people to faith in Jesus.

Mary of Bethany serves as an example of the difference Jesus can make in our lives when we are willing to fall at His feet. 2

Reflection/Application
  • What can you bring to His feet today?
The More We Know

“Can you imagine seeing your Savior cry because He cares for you that much?” When I read this question in today’s study guide, I couldn’t help but think of 1 Peter 5:7. It is one of my favorite go-to verses in all of Scripture, which says, “Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.“ I believe what we see Jesus do in response to Mary’s and the other mourners’ sorrow is a beautiful example not only of the truth of Peter’s statement, but also of how deeply Jesus truly cares.

  1. She, Volume 1, p45 ↩︎
  2. She, Volume 1, p46 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues, Quiet Time

Choosing The Jesus Way

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Based on the LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues,/w3d2

Read: MICAH 3:9-12; 4:1-5 and 4:10-12
Bad morals corrupt good character

Today’s journey through Micah reveals an unflattering picture of God’s people and disturbing news of what was to come. Israel’s leaders had forgotten the God whom they were committed to serve. Micah writes that they hated justice and perverted all that was right. They were building Zion through bloody crimes and Jerusalem through unjust violence. Legal cases were decided on bribes that the leaders received, even the priests proclaimed rulings for profit, and the prophets read omens for pay. As if this corruption was not bad enough, despite the fact that devastation and destruction were already wreaking havoc within the nation, the leaders continued to claim to trust the LORD and were telling the people, “The LORD is among us. Disaster will not overtake us!”

What About You?

We, too, face a similar choice. In a world that says that serving self and doing what seems right to you is the most important, we must, as Joshua told the people in his day, decide whom we will serve. Will we serve self or God? Take a moment to think about your own heart. Are you willing to set aside your wants and desires to follow what God may be calling you to? Are you willing to put others first over getting something you want? Is your heart’s desire to make the name of Jesus known over building your platform or building your own renown? It’s a choice we all must make.

Our God Who Pursues/LGG Journal p99
The hope of Future Days

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. 2 People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. 3 The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore 4 Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise! 5 Though the nations around us follow their idols, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.

Micah 4:1 -5

The Temple Mount/Mountain of the LORD’S House written about by Micah: A hill in the Old City of Jerusalem that has been venerated as a holy site for thousands of years, including in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The Jesus Way

Admittedly, serving oneself or garnering the applause or approval of others can be pretty enticing. Goodness knows I have succumbed to those choices more than I care to admit, but I can tell you it generally led to disappointment or heartache. Choosing the Jesus Way isn’t always the easiest, most desirable, or most comfortable way, but it is most certainly the best way, for it leads to immeasurable blessings and joys.

As I wrote that last sentence, A group of women I used to lead on Sunday mornings came to mind. The name of our group was JOY, which stood for Jesus … Others … You. Seems like a great acronym for our focus today. Jesus first, then others, and then yourself. Whether it is in serving or living out our day-to-day lives, or even in our prayer lives, pay our eyes to stay on Jesus, the One we chose to follow.

23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

Luke 9:23-24

But I say love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Matthew 5:44

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Mark 12:29-31
Prayer of Response

Father, do not let us be like the leaders of Israel, who forgot their commitment to serve You and Your call on their lives to serve the people. Help me to remember Jesus’ similar call to let go of my life and follow Him. It isn’t always easy, but You knew that, and You sent the Spirit to empower us to do all that You have called us to do. Holy Spirit, keep my focus Heavenward, guard me from the distractions of this world and the enticements of the flesh. May I be known for living a J.O.Y.-focused life: Keeping Jesus first in all things and serving and loving others before myself. In the name of Jesus – I pray and believe – Amen!

The More We Know
The Jesus Way Devotional
The Jesus Way Song

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time

Love: The Foundation of All Strength

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I remember going to a conference where the speaker spoke on the love between God and His children being a reciprocal love. She used many examples, but the one that still sticks out in my mind was how she would pray or journal, naming all of the ways she had seen God show her his love – and she found herself responding at the end of the prayer – “I love You too.”

Friend, our relationship with God isn’t meant to be one-sided where He lavishes His love on us and we simply say thank you – His desire is for us to love Him in return. Today’s devotion is a beautiful illustration of what happens when we love God with all of our being. Click the devotional button for some wonderful encouragement =

Devotional

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Love, Quiet Time

The Love that Makes it Happen

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God’s love for us passes knowledge; it is vast and complete, and yet He urges us to lean into its impossible dimensions and to rest there.

Michele Morin / Living Our Days / August 9, 2018

One of the prayers I learned to pray for women in my life years ago, specifically those who have been/are in my life-groups, is found at the center of this nugget of gold I’m sharing today, borrowed from the archive of Living Our Days. The prayer comes from the pen of the Apostle Paul and is found in chapter three of Ephesians. – I pray it for all who come upon this post and read the words within – that you may understand that God’s love for us not only passes knowledge; but that it is vast and complete. May you learn to lean into its impossible dimensions and find rest there.

My Prayer for You  
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19

The following blog was originally posted on August 9, 2018

Big Pizza Love and the Recipe that Makes it Happen

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Ready or Not He Will Come

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Scripture: Our Roadmap for the Journey: Matthew 24 / SoAp: 42–44


Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready; because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:42-44. NLT

Observation and Application from the Journey

Whether this was your first time or the one-hundredth time reading Jesus’ answer to His disciples questions: “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” there is a lot to take in. I encourage you to read every word and to search trusted commentaries, like bibleref.com1 and gotquestions.org,2 for help in understanding Jesus’ words. However, the bottom line will always come down to this truth: It isn’t a matter of if He will come but when He will come, and we are wise to live each day as if that day is today,(my paraphrase of vs44).

The one who is ready is the one who has believed on the name of the Jesus, for only those who have believed will be saved. In Jesus’ first parable of Matthew 24:45-51, these are the ones found faithfully serving the Master when He returns. All others will be destroyed (vs. 51).

Jesus has promised to return, and He is the ultimate Promise Keeper. What He has promised, He will do. So while we wait for His return, Jesus wants us to live our lives alert to His coming. This doesn’t mean that we live in fear but in expectation. We live our lives on mission, with a purpose, and focused on advancing His Kingdom with the days we’ve been given. When we live the way God instructs us to live, we don’t have to worry about when Jesus will come back.

From the LGG Journal: Come, Lord Jesus, Come / p158

The return of Christ is always presented in Scripture as a great motivation to action, not as a reason to cease from action. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, Paul wraps up his teaching on the rapture by saying, “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:6, Paul concludes a lesson on Christ’s coming with these words: “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.” To retreat and “hold the fort” was never Jesus’ intention for us. Instead, we work while we can. “Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4).

The apostles lived and served with the idea that Jesus could return within their lifetime; what if they had ceased from their labors and just “waited”? They would have been in disobedience to Christ’s command to “go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15), and the gospel would not have been spread. The apostles understood that Jesus’ imminent return meant they must busy themselves with God’s work. They lived life to the fullest, as if every day were their last. We, too, should view every day as a gift and use it to glorify God.3


We will experience tribulations in our lives, as people have all over the world through the years. No matter what we face: persecution, sickness, war, oppression, famine, or abuse, our hope is in Christ. We will endure suffering as believers in Christ, but our hope is not in being saved from suffering. Our hope is in the sacrifice of Christ, in His atoning work on the cross, and in His resurrection power that we have when we believe in Him. When we have placed our faith in Christ, our future, and our eternity, are secure in Him. He is our hope.

From the LGG Journal: Come, Lord Jesus, Come / p158
Prayer of Response to the Journey

borrowed from the Love God Greatly Journal p158 of Come, Lord Jesus, Come

Dear Lord, help me live my life alert and ready for Your return. Please use me powerfully in the lives of those who do not yet know You. Give me a heart for the lost. I pray for salvation for those who are far from You and for those who don’t believe they need You in their lives. Please use me for Your glory in these last days as I wait for Your return. Until that day, I pray, come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen

The More we Know: Side Trails of the Journey

Please check out today’s LGG Blog Post

  • If you believe in and follow Jesus as Your Lord will you help me share His message? Simply scroll down and share – or copy and paste the link to any your preferred social media
  • If you have not yet come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, I plead with you to click on and read “Know These Truths”. – Jesus is coming again, will you be ready?
https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/
Posted in Bible study

GOD’S WORD, OUR COMFORT…

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by Jen Thorn | LGG Post of Jun 28, 2015 |

Welcome to week 3 of our Psalm 119 study!

What do you run to for comfort?

For me it is people.  If I am sad or scared or worried or discouraged I go to my husband or friends.

But people are not the only source of comfort, right? Some seek comfort in their money, retail therapy, food, work, or sleep. Others try to escape through fiction books or movies. And sadly, some pick really dangerous ways of coping by using  drugs and alcohol.

There is nothing wrong with seeking comfort from others. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us that we are to encourage each other. It is also fine to watch a funny movie to make us laugh when we are feeling a bit down. But we can’t rely on earthly things to bring real lasting comfort.

Once the friends leave or the movie is over we are right back in the midst of our suffering. Earthly things can only comfort us in part, but the Psalmist tells us that there is a place we can go to find real lasting comfort.

Each eight verse section in Psalm 119 has a theme, and today Psalm 119:49-56 deals with God’s word as our comforter. Verse 50, in particular, is a key verse for us:

This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your word has revived me.

If we accept them by faith then these words become personal. These words are not from some God, but from our God. They are words to us from our Father and from our Redeemer. We belong to him, and he cares for us.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction ~ 2 Cor. 1:3-4

God’s word can give us peace while we are in the midst of a wild storm. It can bring comfort while we are afraid, tired, and worn out. We can have hope that he will see us through to the other side.

Romans 15 tells us that “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

The best comfort we find in Scripture is that Christ died for us.  It puts everything else into perspective. We have something far better waiting for us. These hard times – while they are difficult – will only last for awhile.

God’s word has the ability to give us life in the midst of any circumstance… life that is made up of hope, joy, praise and strength.

Looking To Jesus,

jen-sig
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Gospel, Triumphs over Trials

A Heavenly Perspective

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, Triumph over Trials / w3d4

THE JOURNEY (SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVATION)

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:1-6; SOAP: 1 Peter 4:5-6

They will face a reckoning before Jesus Christ who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 Now it was for this very purpose that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead, so that though they were judged in the flesh by human standards they may live spiritually by God’s standards.

1 Peter 4:5-6 NET

From the journal of Love God Greatly, Trials over Triumphs / p106

There is a profound reality that we, often conveniently, keep in the back of our minds: one day, we will all stand before the throne of God. That moment will be the most significant in our existence – a divine appointment where all people will be judged. For believers, this will be a time when we will be viewed, not by our sins, but through Christ’s atoning sacrifice and the faith and forgiveness we have found in Him (Romans 8:1). We will also receive the rewards for a life lived in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 22:12). For unbelievers, it is a sobering reality of facing punishment for rejecting the free gift of salvation in Jesus.

Imagine standing there, in the presence of God, giving an account for every word, every action, and every thought of our lives. Peter’s words are not meant to paralyze us with fear but to ignite a holy urgency within us. He urges us to live our lives with a heavenly perspective, knowing that our time here is but a breath in light of eternity. We are to steward this life – every second of it – as a precious gift, intentionally living in ways that are honoring to God.

So, how are we spending our days? Are we investing in what is eternal – loving others, deepening our relationship with Jesus, and sharing the Gospel – or are we getting sidetracked by this world’s fleeting comforts and pursuits?

Peter emphasizes why the Gospel is preached. It stands as a beacon of hope, offering the promise of eternal life – a life with God and untouched by sickness, pain, or sin (John 17:3; Revelation 21:4). This message is the treasure we hold in our hearts and the very message the world desperately needs to hear.

Sweet friends, Jesus is returning, but His second coming will be vastly different from His first. He will not return as a helpless infant; He will come as a righteous Judge. In light of this impending reality, now is the critical time for us to share the Gospel – far and wide – with the precious days we have been given.

LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)

Invest in what is eternal:

  • loving others
  • deepening our relationship with Jesus
  • sharing the Gospel
  • live by God’s standards
  • turn away from the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

This is not simply a list of sins to avoid but a list of addictions that entangle those who live for comfort and pleasure. Those who live for the will of God (like Christ)—with a willingness to experience physical suffering to accomplish it—set the course of their lives in a different direction.

Bibleref.com / 1 Peter 4:3
Question FOR THE JOURNEY

How can we shift our daily perspective to be more in line with eternity? What steps can you take to live a life that faithfully stewards the time you’ve been given in light of the coming judgment?

PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for the life You have given me. Help me to live it with a constant awareness of eternity. Give me the strength and grace to live a life that is pleasing to You. Prepare my heart for that day when I will stand before You and give an account for my life. Let my life be an offering of love and gratitude to You—Amen.

THE MORE WE KNOW

1And yet, God is paying attention. Pleasure-seekers will stand before God and “give account” of their lives at the final judgment. God—More insight on 1 Peter 4:5

2More insight on 1 Peter 4:6

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Triumphs over Trials

Raised for a Purpose

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, Triumph over Trials / w1d4

THE JOURNEY (SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVATION)

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:17-21 / SOAP: verses 20-21

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you now trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

1 Peter 1:20-21 NET

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the lamb! Redeemed through His infinite mercy—His child—and forever—I am! These are the words that came to my mind as I was reading and studying this passage. I was hit with the stark reminder that our God, the Father of Jesus, set in motion a plan for Jesus to suffer and die for the sins of the world. Oh! What love that brought Jesus down to man – Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span – at Calvary!

We find Jesus throughout the Old Testament1, but as Peter points out – Jesus was not revealed or made visibly known, until “the last times.”1 According to Peter, God did this “for our sake.” It is because of Him that we can truly trust in God because Jesus’ death wasn’t the end – but God – just as He said He would – raised Jesus from the dead and made Him known so that our faith and hope would be – not just in Jesus – but in the ONE who raised Jesus from the dead. – Thus, it is written, “6 Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6)

The Father paid the ultimate price to redeem us, giving limitless value to lives that would have otherwise been futile and empty.

bibleref.com / 1 Peter 1:19
LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)2

For true application, we must look at the full passage.

  • (17) “Live out” our life here on earth in reverence to God
    • Reverence is defined as “deep respect.” To live in reverence to God is to have and show deep respect for God.
      • align our will with His
      • live obediently to His commands.
        • live and love like Jesus
  • (18) “Understand” that before putting our faith in Jesus, our life was empty – leading to death. We were held captive to sin.
  • (19) “Remember we have been ransomed (redeemed) by the blood of Jesus!
    • Truly understanding this is life-changing!
  • (20) Remember, God loves us and made Jesus known to us – when the time was right
    • He did this for us
  • (21) Place our hope and trust in Him!
    • God wants us to trust Him and to find hope in Him not just because He sent Jesus to earth and ultimately to the cross – but because we know that He also raised Jesus from the grave! Consider these words of Paul:

And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

1 Corinthians 15:17-20
PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY

Father, How great You are – that You sent Your Son to die that we might live and not die the death that was rightfully ours, the death our sins deserved. Mercifully, You revealed Jesus to us! Mercifully, You sent Him to the cross, and mercifully, You raised Him from the grave! How, oh how, can we not trust You? As we live out our lives on earth, let us live in reverence to You. Help us trust You in all things – and to remember Your truths and promises are Yes and amen in JESUS! – AMEN!

Music for the Journey
THE MORE WE KNOW

What does 1 Peter 1:20 mean?

The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross wasn’t improvised. God didn’t make it up in response to the unfolding events of history. Peter writes that Christ was known before the world was founded. As God, Jesus existed in eternity past as the one whose blood would cover the sins of all who receive salvation. Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and return to the Father were always God’s plan to save us. Always. Jesus was always the answer to the questions asked by the prophets and the angels investigating what the Holy Spirit’s Old Testament prophecies were pointing to (1 Peter 1:10–12).

Finally, in Peter’s lifetime and those of his readers—the beginning of what Peter calls the “last times”—God revealed the mystery. He showed Himself and His plan to the world by coming to earth as a baby, a man, God in flesh, the final sacrifice for sin. Why? For our sake. God’s great gift of mercy, and the timing of that gift in human history, demonstrates God’s great love for us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).

Bibleref.com/1 Peter 1:20
Without Him –

Without him, I could do nothing
Without him, I’d surely fail
Without him, I would be drifting
Like a ship a sail [Chorus]


Without him, I would be dying
Without him, I’d be enslaved
Without him, life would be hopeless
But with Jesus, thank God I’m saved [Chorus]

[Chorus]
Jesus
Oh Jesus
Do you know him today?
Do not turn him away
Oh Jesus
Oh Jesus
Without him, how lost I would be

Without Him I could do Nothing
Posted in Advent, Advent, Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Promised Messiah

The Blessing of our Faith

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Scripture: Genesis 12:3 and 22:18; Psalm 72:17; Gal 3:6-16 / SOAP: Gal 3:8-9

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer.

Genesis 3:8-9

Have you ever heard or sung the song “Father Abraham”? It’s an interactive song that teaches children, and in my case adults, that as believers we are part of the family of Abraham. Which, as Paul points out in Galatians chapter three is a vital part of our heritage in the family of God. Knowing this part of our heritage does not change who we are in Christ but it does give us a broader understanding of who and how we are in Christ, much like the popular ancestry studies of today help us understand our physical heritage.

Father Abrham had many sons, many sons had father Abrham
I am one of them and so are you – so let’s just praise the Lord…

I was saved when I was a very young girl, five or six years of age, but it wasn’t until my late twenties that I began to understand the depth of the grace of God. Until then it was a word relegated to a verse that proclaimed the means of my salvation, “For it is by grace you are saved through faith, it is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast.”

My heritage by blood is gentile but by the grace of God I have been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ! By faith I am now numbered among the sons and daughters of Abraham.

MefromtheINsideout!

What does it mean to you to be part of the family of God? Do you remember a time when you weren’t part of the family?

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Faith is the Victory

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based on the LGG Study, Enduring Hope / w4d5

Today’s Reading: Hebrews chapter 11 / SOAP 11:1

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1

This is another very familiar passage, often referred to as the “Hall of Faith”. It’s a passage easy to gloss over as we read it but have you ever stopped to consider the beauty and the reality of the author’s choice descriptions of the faith of those who have gone before us? Challenge yourself to consider, not just verse 1 and it’s concise definition of faith, but all those that follow. For instance, the beauty of these truths about faith:

  • FAITH is the way we understand how God created the world
  • It is the means by which we are declared righteous
  • It is how we please God and –
    • Without FAITH we cannot please God
  • FAITH lives on
  • It is a catalyst of obedience
  • FAITH is the source of life
  • and it is how we experience the impossible –
  • Faith is how we offer sacrifices to God
  • and it is the source of strength to do the right thing

While these are all awe-inspiring and certainly stood out to me it was the statement about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthath, and David, and Samuel, and the Prophets that I found captivating and a wonderful picture of the power that moves when we live by FAITH!

Through FAITH they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle and put foreign armies to flight …

Hebrews 11:35
An Inspiring Song of Worship – Faith is the Victory

I cannot help but think of the old hymn we often sang in church when I was growing up – called – Faith is the Victory. Perhaps you remember it – I’ve included the lyrics in case you want to join me in using it as a victorious battle cry – particularly the chorus:

Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.
Encamped along the hills of light, Ye Christian soldiers rise, and press the battle ere the night – shall veil the glowing skies; Against the foe in vales below let all our strength be hurled; Faith is the victory, we know, that overcomes the world.
His banner over us is love, our sword the Word of God; We tread the road and the saints before with shouts of triumph trod. By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath, swept on o’er every field; The faith by which they conquered death be still our shining shield.
O every hand the foe we find drawn up in dread array; let tents of ease be left behind, and onward to the fray. Salvation’s helmet on each head, with truth all girt about, The earth shall tremble ‘neath our tread, and echo with our shout.
To him that overcomes the foe, white raiment shall be giv’n; Before the angels he shall know His name confessed in heav’n; Then onward from the halls of light, Our hearts with love aflame, We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night in Jesus’ conqu’ring name.
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.

John Henry Yates

Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for the Victory, that is ours through FAITH in Christ Jesus! May we be steadfast in the heart of it – that others may see and know that You are an awesome God! And may the faith you have instilled in us be what strengthens and ignites us to endure with hope – even to the end. – Amen and Amen – In Jesus’ Name!

Going Deeper

The Love God Greatly Blog