OH YE OF LITTLE FAITH

I recently heard my Pastor quote Kenneth Hagin, he said, “You will get in this life what you believe for, nothing more, nothing less.”

For the past few weeks this quote has been coming alive in my heart. The words ring loud in my ears day in and day out. I am reminded that I need to contend for the things that He has promised me. What about you? What are you believing Him for today? What areas of  your life are you stretching your faith in?

In Hebrews 11 we find some stories of the brave men and women who trusted God till the end. I hope this challenges you to stick it all on the line and trust Him!

(The Message)
By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain.
By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely.
By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land.
By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home.
By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said.Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing.
By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God.
By an act of faith, Isaac reached into the future as he blessed Jacob and Esau.
By an act of faith, Jacob on his deathbed blessed each of Joseph’s sons in turn.

I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of time. There are so many more— Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets….Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn’t deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.

Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.