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THIS WEEK’S BIBLE INSIGHTS ARE BY:
Steve Maltz and are based on Hebrews 11 (NIV)
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ MORE ON THIS WEEK’S MAJOR THEME:
Ephesians 2:8-10
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and
Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Sunday November 3 - Faith in... our hope
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
We live in a faithless age, a culture without any anchors, reminiscent of the days of the judges, where ‘everyone did as they saw fit’ (Judges 21:25). People have nowhere to turn, because there is no-one they can trust in a world where everyone has their ‘own truths’ and absolutes are frowned upon. Into this melee we introduce the words from this passage in Hebrews, which gives very different possibilities – a reminder of what our culture has lost when it has turned its back on the Bible.
A world with faith creates a people of hope. These people are so sure of he who they follow that they have total confidence in his promises. This is what the Christian life should be. We are privileged to live in the assurance that, although our physical eyes can’t see much beyond our noses, our spiritual eyes can revel in the promises of God. What does this mean in our day-to-day lives? In a nutshell, it tells us not to worry about the future because God has it sorted. Our job is to keep our eyes on him only and have faith in the hope that he provides for us.
Father in heaven, help me to have the assurance that you always have the very best planned for me, whatever form that may take. Amen.
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PRAYER FOR TODAY