Live By Faith

It’s the cry of the ages: Why is nothing happening?  Nothing to vindicate the righteous ones?  Nothing to punish those doing evil?  Why is nothing happening to change my situation even though I think I’m doing everything right that I know how to do? 

We’ve all been there at some point, I’m sure.

Scripture talks about that type of individual and that type of cry.  In it, we find another resolution from the Book of Hebrews : Live by Faith.

Hebrews 11:13 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, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.  14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  16 Instead, they were longing for a better country– a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

God is not like Obi-Wan Kenobi.  In one of my least favorite scenes of Return of the Jedi (because I have theology as my viewing lens), Luke confronts Obi-Wan:

Luke: Obi-Wan! Why didn’t you tell me? You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father.

Ben: Your father was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I have told you was true… from a certain point of view.

Certain point of view?  Cut the psychobabble, Obi-Wan.  Truth is not relative. Just own up and say you lied to Luke, and we all know why.

Anyway, God isn’t like that.  He didn’t promise Abraham a land of his own and then tap-dance to spiritualize it: “Oh, just joking. I meant in heaven, not real land.”  Sorry. God promised actual land and He delivered actual land, true after Abraham died. 

But why not earlier?

So that Abraham would live by faith. His would be very real land inherited by very real descendants, but all of it was God’s promise fulfilled as the fruit of Abraham’s faith. Furthermore, because of his faith, Abraham is alive. He lives in the eternal home God planned that would be Abraham’s as well. Abraham lived by faith and God delivered in His timing and Abraham–fully alive in heaven–saw fulfilment of these promises that during earthly life he only welcomed from a distance.

Thoughts for today:

Living by faith is not easy.  What do you do to live by faith?  Are you still waiting upon God for something?