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Hebrews 11:1-2, Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for.

The author contends that while a life of faith is not easy, there have been many, many people who have gone before who served God well but didn’t get to enjoy the fullness of life present in the New Covenant. Why? Simply because they lived before Jesus Christ.  But there is still a continuity between their lives and those of the Hebrew Christians.  Their lives paved the way for what was still to come.

The chapter begins with a definition of faith, which we find in our focus verses for today.  Faith is the conviction that what is hoped for will, in fact, occur.  It is the conviction that what we don’t see does exist.  The ancients, the Godly people who came before, had faith because they found hope in God’s promises which had not yet come to pass.  They believed in the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham, Moses, and David.  They knew they may not see it in their lifetime but they believed that eventually, at just the right time, God would fulfill his promises to the people.

Of course, we know the rest of the story.  God did fulfill his promises.  At just the right time, God showed up in the person of Jesus, ushering in a new Kingdom and a new way of doing life.  Life under the New Covenant, under the reign of Christ, was everything the ancients had hoped for and more! 

Not unlike the time of the Hebrew Christians, we live in a culture that dismisses faith.  Yet, if it weren’t for faith in God, where in the world would we be?  Hope for a better world, hope for a better way of doing life, hope that this world is only temporary, hope that Jesus will return…is this what we are to be commended for?  Faith is the conviction that what is hoped for will occur. 

Let’s pray…Almighty God, Your ways are good and right and pure.  We are grateful for the hope and assurance that is part of following you.  Help us be strong in faith so that we can confidently point people to you in all we do.  More of you, Jesus, and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.