The Hall of Faith

Read: Hebrews 11

"And all of these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on earth."

Examine:

This chapter of the Bible is often referred to the Hall of Faith. Everyone mentioned here has a champion of faith and were used by God in mighty ways. These men and women stepped out into nothing and walked towards the voice of God, trusting that His promises were better than the lives they were living. They all held to their faith even though they never received the full prize. They saw it from a distance and were content to wait on God's timing and purpose. Regardless of their earthly circumstances they held tight for the closer they became to God the more they realized that earth was not home.

Apply:

This chapter of the Bible presents me with a whirlwind of emotions. Verses twenty-six through thirty-five are like an amazing pep talk. As the writer lists the acts of faith by some I can feel my heart pumping in excitement. These are men and women who conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight and received back their dead. Yes! I feel my soul come to life at the thought of God working in and through me in this manner. Sign me up! Bring on the blessings. My life is dull and boring. These stories sound adventurous and exciting. I want to run outside and scream at the top of my lungs, "Yes God! Sign me up for this! Take my lie and use it like these mighty men and women of faith!" As my emotions reach their fevered pitch verses thirty-six through thirty-eight step in and sober my excitement.

Others were tortured. Some experienced mockings and scourgings; even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword. This Hall of Faith also includes people who went about in sheepskins and in goatskins. Those who were left destitute, afflicted, ill-treated; wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And for the grand finally the writer closes out by reminding his audience that not a single one of them received the full promise of God while they were still on earth. Suddenly my eagerness to jump into what God has for me with both feet feels more like standing atop of fifty foot cliff and staring at the water below trying to decide if I really want to take the jump at all.

Pray:

I do not know how to pray. I part my lips and wish to speak but my voice is silent. The words to express what I feel inside of me just do not exist. I know that I need to say I will follow You anywhere, regardless of the cost, because I know that this earth is not my home and the world to come is rich in eternal blessing. I know that I need to pray that to You, but I am weak in my faith. There are too many limitations. There are to many comforts. The reality is that You can do whatever You want in my life as long as its immediate benefits are better than my current reality. The truth is that I can not imagine saying yes to anything that would put my family at risk. This is killing me on the inside. I feel like a man with split personalities. One of me is all in. The other is saying, "Hold on a minute Kimosabe."

Your Word tells me that I do not have to have a full measure of faith. It says that I only have to have mustard seed sized faith to offer to You and that You will take that faith and grow it. That is what I have this morning and that is what I offer to You. Regardless of my fears and emotions I look past those things and give You my unconditional yes. I fully trust that You will grow my faith to fit the size of the risk I take. Break the hold this world has on me and overcome my desire for comfort and prosperity. Take my life and use it to Your glory and for the fame of Your great name.