transformed weakness

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They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. [Hebrews 11:33-34 NLT]

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Daniel was a prophetic adviser to kings. His childhood friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were also advisers. These four men were dragged off into captivity when they were just boys. You can read about them, and how they were persecuted for their faith, in the book of Daniel.

I love how these verses speak of these men, tested by lions and a fiery furnace, having weaknesses transformed by faith. It reminds me of how I stuttered as a young boy. I was very afraid of giving oral reports at school. Public speaking scared me until the day I first spoke for God at church.

God is in the business of transforming our weaknesses. Moses had his stuttering transformed as he spoke for God. The first disciples had their fear transformed when they saw the resurrected Jesus. Perhaps seeing Jesus is the key to transforming human weakness into divine strength?

Lord, help me to really believe that I can do all through Christ who strengthens us.

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

the upside down nature of faith

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It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. [Hebrews 11:27 NLT]

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In a very real sense trusting God is all about seeing things that are visible only to our inner eyes. Thomas Carlyle put it this way: "It is the heart always that sees, before the head can see." This is a difficult concept for some because they have relied on their heads for so long.

King Solomon teaches us in Proverbs that we trust God with our heart. He goes on to say that we should not depend on our own understanding. Yet our senses tell us to trust our heads and not our hearts. In a sense faith is born when we take that first leap and begin to trust God with our heart.

This to me is the upside down nature of faith. Our head tells us to seize control while our hearts want us to let go of it. Our brains refuse to believe what cannot be seen even though our hearts know it to be true. The battle rages on. Will the head subdue the heart? Or will the heart triumph over it?

Lord, teach us to retrain ourselves to follow our trusting new hearts.

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

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.