entering in to another's suffering

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It was by faith that Moses ... chose to share the oppression of God’s people. [Hebrews 11:24-25 NLT]

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I remember that first night of the grief workshop that I attended when my first wife died. The chaplain told us that we would have to step into our pain to release it. To heal we would have to share our pain with another person. Letting go of our pain is one of the most difficult things we can do.

On the flipside, people in pain need someone to share their suffering. In these verses Moses teaches us that choosing to share in the suffering of others can affect us for the rest of our lives. It is a difficult message for people who want to keep their options open and their hearts their own.

It is hard to think of this and not consider all of the caregivers that I know. People who have chosen to enter into the suffering of one that they love. Their lives are turned upside down. Yet these, because of love, show us the way of Christ. May faith lead us each to enter this kind of love.

Help us Lord to take ours eyes off of ourselves that we might see those who are suffering.

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... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.

trials, tests and temptations

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When God tested Abraham, faith led him to offer his son Isaac. Abraham, the one who received the promises from God, was willing to offer his only son as a sacrifice. [Hebrews 11:17 GWT]

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This verse presents us with interesting questions about trials, tests and temptations.

• Does God order us to do something, like human sacrifice, just to test us?
• Is it possible for an act of faith to be more religious than spiritual?
• Why do human beings do bad things in the name of God.

To begin, I need to state the obvious. Theologians have and do differ greatly on this subject. Yet I think how we answer these questions reveal more about our image of God than we think.

If one thinks that God is a divine chess master they might lean to the idea that God is in the business of testing us by asking us to do things that seem contrary to love and goodness. But if one sees God differently they might envision these 'divine' testings more like religious temptations.

In reality, many bad things are done in the name of God that have very little to do with God. Yet God is greater than these bad things and he is able to bring good out of them for our good.

Help us Lord to discern between your voice in our heart and the religious voices in our head.

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... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.

foreigners and nomads

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All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. [Hebrews 11:13 NLT]

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In light of eternity, our life on earth is but a proverbial drop in the ocean of time. Yet we often do not live as though we really believe that. Why do you think that is? Is it because we are inwardly blinded to that reality? Or is it simply a reflection of where are hearts are at?

Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of our nation. Independence Day in America is an important part of our culture. Yet somehow in our celebrations we forget that we are but foreigners and nomads in this land. We belong to a kingdom that has come and is coming. Something to celebrate.

Lord, help us to remember in our heart of hearts that we are of another kingdom.

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... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.

a city with eternal foundations

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      Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations,
      a city designed and built by God. [Hebrews 11:10 NLT]

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It is hard to read this verse and not think about what Jesus said about the Kingdom of God. When I consider the words 'eternal foundations' I am reminded that there are things that are timeless in nature. Forces such as love, faith and goodness seem to transcend time and space.

This city, designed and built by God, seems to be twofold in nature. There is a present realization of it that manifests through people who have been born from above. In that sense the city is already here. Yet there is a future city that is yet to be revealed. With Abraham we long to see it.

Yet as we wait for such a revelation we work to bring the kingdom and the will of God. We understand that the kingdom, like God's will, is not about the seen but about the unseen. We see this eternal city as one erected on divine invisible foundations. Such is a city we look forward to.

Our Father, we pray once again that your kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven.

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... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.

unrewarded faith

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Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. [Hebrews 11:6 WEB]

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The 11th chapter of Hebrews is often referred to as the hall of fame of faith. The writer lists people from the scriptures who lived lives of faith. From Genesis he mentions Abel, Noah and Abraham as well as Isaac and Jacob. He reports that "these all died in faith, not having received the promises".

This last sentence calls into question the idea of God being a rewarder of seekers. Yet it also helps us to discern the upside down nature of divine rewards. Think of how Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, called people, who are poor and persecuted, blessed. How can these things be rewards?

Have you ever considered the idea that the reward of faith may not be for us but for others? In truth all of humanity was rewarded because of Noah's faith. The Jews were delivered by Moses faith. In this sense the reward was given to another. Perhaps that is the nature of heavenly rewards.

Perhaps our faithful endurance in poverty or persecution can be a pathway to blessings for our children? History is replete with such accounts. Yet the idea is challenging for those who want to be rewarded now. These forget that we seek God not to be rewarded but to know Him and his ways.

Lord, teach me to remember that that I do not seek you to be rewarded.

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... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.

the who, not the how, of creation

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By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. [Hebrews 11:3]

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I remember that Sunday in the early 80s when I was teaching Junior High Sunday School. I asked the kids if they believed that science supported the idea that God created the world. Most thought that it did. I pointed them to this verse in the bible and began to discuss the idea of faith and creation.

Some adamantly hold to a literal view of Genesis and to a view where the earth is about 6,000 years old. Other see the creation story as an archetypal one meant to inform us about the nature of our beginnings. Even so, each view teaches us that all things visible came from the Invisible.

Whether in an instant or over millions of years the message is the same. We all may not agree on the "how" of creation but we all agree on the "Who" of creation. By faith we discern that we are not random and purposeless beings. Our lives are ennobled by faith in the God of Genesis.

Dear Lord, please open our minds and our hearts to the message of creation.

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... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.

unseen realities

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Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of realities not seen. [Hebrews 11:1 TLV]

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There has always been a desire for evidence of things unseen. We search the stars watching and listening for proof of life beyond our planet. Movies abound imagining life in a galaxy far far away. We are all captivated by the thought of discovery. And sometimes we hope of such things.

So it is not unusual for the scriptures to speak of realities not seen. In a sense life is all about things invisible. All about the unseen forces of love and hate. How these unseen things manifest among friends, families and nations. In truth the things we see are often a mirror of what is unseen.

Faith is both a belief in, and an evidence of, realities not seen. A person of faith embraces these invisible realities because they have been touched by them. They have evidenced God working in their life and in the world. Their hope is tangible because they have experienced God themselves.

We arise in faith Lord declaring that you are Lord of all that is seen and unseen.

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... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.