More on Faith

It is interesting, after going through that entire blog entry with my musings on faith, today's readings are about faith! The first reading is the great faith chapter Hebrews 11. I love this chapter. I listen to the scripture readings in the NIV when I stream them in my devotions. But the one verse i memorized from the KJV, From memory: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." In the NIV it is rendered thus: 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.(ibs.org).

This chapter is an excellent summary for me. It recounts various patriarchs and how their faith in the promises of God sustained them or inspired them. Near the end of the passage there is mention of Barak. I did not remember reading about Barak. So i looked him up. He was the commander of the Israeli army under the judge Deborah. Since he was listed as a man of faith, i read the account. It seems that Barak had to trust that Deborah was truly hearing from God, and upon her word of the surety of his victory went out and attacked the army of Sisera and they were routed by God. They inexplicably fled before his troops.

All this is to say that I know that God is powerful, and that He raised Jesus from the dead and did many powerful miracles. But do I truly believe all that Jesus said? Jesus told us that we would do greater miracles than He did. And yet I am continually held back by the whisperings of the evil one in my ear "you are not good enough, God could not care for you..." In believing this am I any different than Eve? I think that God's love is not big enough to cover my faults and sins. How arrogant of me! God made the heavens and the earth. He owns all the cattle on a thousand hills. He made the stars and the whirlpool nebula!

I am reminded of a children's bible school song i learned somewhere:

He's still workin' on me
Makin' me what i outta be
It took Him just a week
To make the moon and stars
The sun and the earth and
Jupiter and Mars
How loving and patient
He must be
'Cause He's still workin' on me.

The psalm today is the clincher--it is psalm 145, here are some excerpts to close this entry:

8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.

14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.

18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

Thank you Jesus.