DAILY REMINDER – Today, December 20’s Bible reading is Hebrews 11-13.
NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, December 21’s Bible reading is James 1-5.
May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.
HEBREWS MOMENT – (20DEC19) “By faith Moses, when
he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
He chose to be mistreated along with the
people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin”
(Hebrews 11:24-25). The author of Hebrews wanted to encourage the
church to remain faithful to what they knew to be true despite the challenges
they were facing. He began his eleventh chapter by giving his audience a
definition of faith. The Bible says: “Now faith is
confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews
11:1). The author encouraged the church to persevere
in their faith even when they did not always see any evidence supporting what
they believed. Faith was not based on proof, tangibility, or visibility – it was
based on the belief that one had, and for Christians, that was and still is in
the promises of God. The author gave examples of those who followed God not by
what they saw, but what they believed to be true in Him. Abel, Enoch, Noah,
Abraham, and so many more believed that God was the Creator of all things and
that His Word was Truth. These were ordinary men who believed in extraordinary
things based on the knowledge of God’s existence.
Moses had been chosen to lead the Children of Israel out of slavery,
but prior to him being called, he took no pleasure in being raised a prince of
Egypt. He could have enjoyed the life they had given him, but he empathized
with his people and took up their cause. They did not recognize him as being chosen
by God, but when faith called for him to rise to the occasion to lead his
people, he followed God and led through humility. His faith helped to free an
entire nation and although he did not get to go into the Promised Land, God
allowed for him to see it from the distance. Moses chose obedience to God over
the recognition of man, and he was greatly rewarded for it, for God buried him
Himself, but later raised him from the dead (Jude 9).
We are living in the last days, and Jesus is soon to return, but prior
to His arrival, there are things that will be taking place all across the world
that will challenge our faith as believers. Many Christians’ faith is already
being challenged in various countries, but the day will come where our faith in
the west will be tested as well. Will we hold on to what we know to be true, or
will we compromise to make it easier on ourselves. The Bible says: “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). We cannot please the Lord if
we do not have faith to believe that He will take care of us rather we are here
on earth or in our heavenly bodies at home with Him. Our faith in God will help
us to hold on even if we are put into the lions’ den just as Daniel was, or the
three Hebrew boys when they were thrown into the fiery furnace. Daniel’s fear
of death could have made him shrink back, but faith presented itself as he was
thrown to the lions, and God closed their mouths. The Hebrew boys could have succumb
to pressure when told to bow down to the golden image, but their faith gave
them boldness to stand for God, and He stood among them in the furnace where
the flames did not touch them at all. Faith in God brings about miracles for
nothing is too hard for Him.
As we operate in faith, we must know that God will help us to fulfill whatever
plans He has established for our lives when He deems that we are ready to
handle the tasks. Sometimes people try to walk in the footsteps of others when
that is not the plan God has ordained for them. They tend to become envious of
someone else’s success, but they had no idea of the journey and hardship that
it took to get there. If one tries to walk in another’s shoes that was not custom
fit for them by God, they may be like the Egyptians who drowned in the Red Sea.
The Bible says: “By faith the people passed through the
Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were
drowned” (Hebrews 11:29). God allowed
the Israelites to cross the Red Sea because that was what He had predestined
for them to do, and they walked in faith through the two walls of water on both
sides of the God-made path. Nevertheless, when the Egyptians tried to do the
same thing and follow them into the Red Sea, God’s grace did not cover them,
and they were destroyed. One person’s path does not create another person’s
destiny. Everyone must have their own measure of faith to walk in whatever God
has for them; otherwise, they will not succeed.
Faith allows for our weaknesses to be turned into
strengths because it allows for us not to go by what we see, but what we know that
God can do. The Bible says: “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, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and
gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 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” (Hebrews 11:32-34). We oftentimes do not know that we have faith until it requires for
us to use it. Only then can we know that we are able to put into practice what
we have learned to live by as Christians during a time of testing. Something to
ponder….
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