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Monday November 4 - Faith in... our understanding
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. Hebrews 11:3
One of the real battlegrounds these days is the debate over origins. Who made the universe? Where do we come from? Are we descended from monkeys? It all sounds so complicated, so much so that most would avoid this debate like the plague. Yet it could be so easy. All that is required is the faith that if God, in his Word, says that he did it in a certain way, then... perhaps we should take him at face value! ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ (Genesis 1:1).
So, God created everything, at his command. The scientific mechanisms involved are dealt with by the next words, ‘what is seen was not made out of what was visible.’ At a stroke the author of Hebrews deals with complex naturalistic musings that boggle the brain. One of the best pieces of advice we could follow is that given in Proverbs 3:5-6 – ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.’ This is real wisdom and we need to have the faith to live in this truth.
Father in heaven, help me to trust you always and not lean on my own understanding, even if it makes me unpopular. Amen.
Tuesday November 5 - Faith in... our walk
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who
earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6
The context of this passage is Enoch, who pleased God and was ‘taken away’, rather than experiencing death (Genesis 5:24). Now, of course, that is not the model for us; it is simply an example of someone who lived his life totally for God and was rewarded in a unique way. This passage tells us what we must do to please God; we must have faith in his existence and we must strive to know his ways. Perhaps it is made even clearer in that famous passage in Micah: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
It is not easy to live such a life in our world, in a culture that categorically denies God’s existence and has no interest in seeking him and his ways. The implication is, therefore, that God is displeased with this, but he has made sure that his existence is plain to see, ‘for since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities... have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse’ (Romans 1:20). Therefore, we must be careful here as we inhabit the same world, but we must not follow its ways. To us, God is clearly seen through the eyes of our faith and our life’s work must be to follow him – and he will surely reward us for doing so.
Father in heaven, help me to walk humbly with you every day. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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PRAYER FOR TODAY