Jun 24, 2018
KJV1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen.2 For by it the elders obtained a good
report.3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by
the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of
things which do appear.13 These all died in faith, not having
received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were
persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth.14 For they that say such
things declare plainly that they seek a country.15 And truly, if
they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out,
they might have had opportunity to have returned.16 But now they
desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a
city.
NRSV1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen. 2 Indeed, by faith our
ancestors received approval. 3 By faith we understand that the
worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was
made from things that are not visible.13 All of these died in faith
without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw
and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and
foreigners on the earth, 14 for people who speak in this way
make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had
been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would
have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a
better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for
them.
Notice the similarities and differences in the translations presented.
What does this scripture mean to you?Has it had a different
effect this reading as compared to times past?How does this
scripture make you feel?
Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning.
Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation:
I think at times we confuse the power of faith with faith itself. I
love this scripture because it demonstrates faith to be what it is.
It is not a perfect knowledge of something. It is not getting what
we want. It is not redemption and salvation. Those things are the
power that God has given to faith, but faith itself is just the
hope that we as believers hold in the God, his power and word. If
we become uncomfortable with faith and instead desire only sure
knowledge, we will never be able to hang on to faith.
Think for a moment. How important is perfect understanding in your
relationship with God?
If we become overly obsessed with assurances and not concerned
enough with hope then we will miss what Paul teaches us here. He
lays out stories from the prophets and shows how they moved
forward, not understanding the end. It is easy for us to look back
on their stories as bedrock, but most of the time the prophets
walked by faith, many times they had no idea what would come text.
They had one step to take and they trusted God and had hope in His
guidance.
Take the next few moments and take stock of the state of your
faith. As your faith grows and matures you will gain hope in all
the different aspects of what He teaches us in scripture but if you
are finding yourself in doubt of what you truly have faith in. I
suggest that you ask God to strengthen your faith and hope in his
role as your savior. Once we trust that he will care for us, we are
prepared to become what he wants us to become. We become ready to
change through his spirit, which is part of the power of God
through faith. If we find ourselves in need of deeper fulfillment,
it comes through trusting God to help us become more than we are
today. If we don’t want to always be only what we have been, we
must be willing to become something more.
Meditation of Prayer:Pray as directed by the Spirit.Dedicate these
moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for
understanding you desire from Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:I invite you to sit in
silence feeling being patient for your own faults and
trials.
Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life:Implement the
kind of change you want to see in your life. Length,
Intensity, Modality, Freshness, Conclusion:Each week.
Christianmeditationpodcast.com/contact
Website ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
contact. Patreon.com/Christianmeditationpodcast
Final Question: What is a way that you can increase your faith
in God?
Final thought -Even these people who put such trust in God and
maintained that hope throughout life, did not receive the payout in
this life. Think about that for a moment. These prophets were so
close to receiving God’s word and many heard his voice directly and
saw visions. Yet even they went to their graves without perfect
understanding but they had full trust, and hope that God would be
faithful. And he was for them and he will be for you and me if we
have faith in Him. We can have hope that he will guide us, redeem
us, and justify us, allowing us into the Kingdom of
Heaven.
FIND ME ON:
ChristianMeditationPodcast.com