These are the words I said by faith last September, and today, God has. Since that time last year I have seen many prayers be answered both mine and those of others. God is amazing, even miraculous. I asked a couple of friends to evaluate the work of God in one arena by asking, "Is that simply awesome or do you think it is a miracle?" They both believe it a miracle.
Below are those recorded in scripture forever so that I might know the magnitude of God's power and love, and how hope in Him is never in vain. Hebrews 11:32-38
And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again.I hold tightly to these poetic passages when it is difficult for me to see. More than just holding on, I am learning to claim the will of God in messes and God is honoring His own purposes. He is amazing--and I am blessed.
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy.
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This upcoming winter will be ten years of knowing my brother-in-law, and just yesterday he texted me asking for a good bible so that he could see what God has to say about his life. He confessed he believed :) in the gospel a year and a half ago, after much prayer and discussion. But today (hopefully), he wants to become a disciple.
Praise the LORD!
Sarah's song is filled with a vision of biblical righteousness and justice.
I'm going to hazard a guess: Is Michele a Sarah Groves "mini me"?
Jim, I aspire to be a mini-Sara rather.... Rather I'm thinking about how Jim rejoices & stirs up the movement of God in those he gets to know :)
The writer of this song is brilliant. She starts off being "overwrought" about her circumstances but as she meditates more and more through the length of the song on a greater number of examples of faith, she changes to call her own an "easy load."
This is exactly the next part of the passage on "By Faith" in Hebrews 11. It says:
They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
Heb 11:38-12:4
It is because we are "surrounded" by exemplary "witnesses" that I might be inspired to forsake sin and press fully forward to all that God has willed. It is proper to recount the sufferings of the saints and imitate them.
It's so interesting that the writer of the song doesn't limit her inspirational examples to the bible, but uses some from our modern era. Did you figure out who she was referring to?
I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman
I see the young missionary and the angry spear
Steve Saint's father Nate Saint
I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
Mother Teresa
I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor, I see the man with a passion come and kicking down the door
International Justice Mission?
I'll never forget what they shared a few years ago at our church. There was a 14-year-old girl who was literally stored in a crawl space with no light. I have never seen such incredible control in a man, an IJM representative as he respectfully and fully gave his attention to the government official as the official made his decision to have them come back on another day, meanwhile the IJM guy knew exactly where the young women were at, in the background in the video. Gave me chills to see him patiently and calmly and humbly engage the official.
Next week I believe IJM is having a conference in Washington D.C. and a woman at my bible study table is friends with one of the men who started this ministry some 20 years ago. She has been invited to fly out for it and pray with them. I am excited for her and for the ministry.
The study footnote to Hebrews 11:26 in my bible says:
The possibility of reward is the most frequently mentioned motivation for enduring in the faith.
Hebrews 11:26 says Moses was "esteeming the reproach of Christ [as] greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward."
I don't usually think about an eternal compensation when I choose obedience. I'm usually thinking about how exciting it is to have a part with the LORD's work, like Christ demonstrated, like many of the saints. Perhaps "esteeming the reproach of Christ" is the significance of the reward I will on that day understand.
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