Day 96 "Faith in Better Things to Come" (Hebrews: Chapter 11)

"Well, what's in it for me?" inquires the one who is self-focused, self-centered. It's a question many of us have asked at one time or another, though not so much openly, before being willing to put ourselves out there to do something.

Why do we do what we do? What is truly at the heart of why you do some things? Is it to make more money? Get things? Obtain fame and notoriety? Seeking to find happiness? Pleasure? Perhaps, it is to do something good for someone else? Whatever it may be, our motive is our driving force for moving us forward to our hearts desire. Motivation can come from a positive source of inspiration or it could come from out of fear. Many of us go through our entire lives never really knowing what lies at the heart of why we do what we do. It seems to make sense, then, doesn't it, to slow down long enough to begin asking some important questions of ourselves like, "Why do I do what I do?"

One dictionary defines motive as follows: 1. A reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious. 2. Causing or being the reason for something. 3. Producing physical or mechanical motion.

It appears that a motive awakens and leads to one's motion, a moving forward, or perhaps even a moving backwards away from something. It may be becoming more obvious to you that without knowing what is that is motivating you, you may wind up being manipulated into doing things without even realizing it, even from deep within yourself. People who have grown up in dysfunctional families, who haven't felt nurtured and love, have ended up seeking after that love in everything they do throughout their entire lives. And in doing so, have made many poor choices along the way.

The greatest of all motives, I contend, is love. Not the motive seeking after after love. But the one that is birthed out of being loved- fully, deeply, unconditionally loved that accepts us just as we are. It is the love which establishes boundaries and security for us. It is the love that establishes our worth and value. It is the love which inspires us by knowing that someone is "for us" and not "against us." It is the love which at its very core creates trust. And in that trust, we find our ability to have faith in it.

Chapter 11 of Hebrews is considered by some people as the "Faith Chapter." Today, we look at some some of the greatest characters of faith in the Christian faith. As we do, keep verse one in mind:

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

How can this be? Because love instills it!

Hebrews: Chapter 11

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Hebrews 11:1

"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 invisible."

Hebrews 11:3

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because the one who comes to him must believe that he exists,"

Hebrews 11:6

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

Hebrews 11:8

"For he (Abraham) was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Hebrews 11:10

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers here on earth.

Hebrews 11:13

"Instead, they were longing for a better country-a heavenly one." Hebrews 11:16

"Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city

for them."

Hebrews 11:16

"By faith, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice." Hebrews 11:17

"By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born," Hebrews 11:23

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be know as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as a greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward."

Hebrews 11:24-25

"By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible."

Hebrews 11:27

"By faith, the walls of Jericho fell, after the people marched around them for seven days."

Hebrews 11;30

"Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put into prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. The went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-the world was not worthy of them."

Hebrews 11:35-38

"These we all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what was promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."

Hebrews 11:39

Key verses for me:

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Hebrews 11:1

"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 invisible."

Hebrews 11:3

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because the one who comes to him must believe that he exists,"

Hebrews 11:6

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers here on earth.

Hebrews 11:13

"These we all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what was promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."

Hebrews 11:39

"What's in it for me?" is a question we ask from a worldly-minded perspective, one that sees only the world and this lifetime around us. There is something to be gained or lost through our efforts. Though everything around us is temporary in nature, we strive to make the best for ourselves in this world through enjoyment, comfort, and acceptance. For those people who have achieved such things, they may be cajoled and contented into believing, "I have lived a good life." And from a worldly point of view, perhaps, rightly so. But when life is looked at from an eternal point of view, from God's point of view, everything changes.

By faith, we begin to see, dimly at first, cracks in our understanding of what truly is important in this lifetime. As we grow in our understanding of God's love for us, as we become increasingly aware of God's grace and what has been provided for us without our effort, a shift begins to occur, we begin to start meditating and consciously thinking about matters that are eternal. And when that happens, the cracks in our understanding begin to give way to a steady outpouring of God's provision for us and seeing his loving care and concern for us. Though we remain inhabitants of this world, our mindset has begun to shift elsewhere- to God's kingdom that awaits us. The Apostle Paul saw this view clearly:

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that come from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

Philippians 3:7-9

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."

Philippians 3:12

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind me and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

By faith, an eternal basis through which you look at the world makes all the difference! There are two things that I would encourage you to look at, and if you do it will rock your world: 1) God's unconditional love for us that enabled him to send his one and only Son, Jesus to die for our sins and ransom us back into a relationship with God, 2) his eternal kingdom that awaits you and I.

"What's in it for me?" doesn't really matter anymore when you see what God in his love has already done for you and me. By faith, God's love inspires us to live out a life of reciprocity, free from fear, secure in the knowledge of belonging in God's family.

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or perse- cution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:35-39

The reality of faith is trust. Trust is established when we know how much someone really loves us. And you don't know what you are really worth or how much you are loved until you know what someone is willing to give for you. When it comes to God, he gave his one and only Son for us.

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"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 1 Corinthians 4:18

If God gave his best for us, what are you will to give to him? Not because you have to, but because you want to.

In his love, see you again tomorrow...

"Carpe Momentum in Love" (Seize the moment in love)