Better Promises : WK 5 - FRI
Hebrews 11:33-40
By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.
But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
Being a Christian is awesome. I decided to give my life to Jesus in my early 20’s and I have never regretted that decision. My career, my family, my calling, has all come because of my decision to be a disciple of Christ.
That being said, not every moment has been great. There have been very difficult times. I have experienced failure, depression, loss, sickness, death, persecution, perceived disconnection from God, criticism, relationship challenges, and the suffering of my children. There have been some great moments but also some very dark times. This is the reality of following Christ.
The Hall of Faith has some great stories in it but it also has its tragedies. The faithful followers of Christ were persecuted, jailed, and even killed. This should come as no shock to us when we consider the life of Jesus, who was rejected by his own people, abandoned by his own followers, persecuted by his own church, and killed by the government. We love to say that we are to live the life Christ lived, except for the bad parts. I don’t believe it works that way.
Faith doesn’t guarantee that everything is gonna be alright on this earth. Faith is what gets us through the challenges that we will inevitably face. We will experience many great things while serving God, but our faith is in what we will experience beyond this earth. Whatever you are going through right now, allow your faith to help you look beyond the darkness and give you hope for what will come next,
“For God had something better in mind for us…” Hebrews 11:40
By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.
But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
Being a Christian is awesome. I decided to give my life to Jesus in my early 20’s and I have never regretted that decision. My career, my family, my calling, has all come because of my decision to be a disciple of Christ.
That being said, not every moment has been great. There have been very difficult times. I have experienced failure, depression, loss, sickness, death, persecution, perceived disconnection from God, criticism, relationship challenges, and the suffering of my children. There have been some great moments but also some very dark times. This is the reality of following Christ.
The Hall of Faith has some great stories in it but it also has its tragedies. The faithful followers of Christ were persecuted, jailed, and even killed. This should come as no shock to us when we consider the life of Jesus, who was rejected by his own people, abandoned by his own followers, persecuted by his own church, and killed by the government. We love to say that we are to live the life Christ lived, except for the bad parts. I don’t believe it works that way.
Faith doesn’t guarantee that everything is gonna be alright on this earth. Faith is what gets us through the challenges that we will inevitably face. We will experience many great things while serving God, but our faith is in what we will experience beyond this earth. Whatever you are going through right now, allow your faith to help you look beyond the darkness and give you hope for what will come next,
“For God had something better in mind for us…” Hebrews 11:40
- Describe a great spiritual moment you had with God. Describe a dark spiritual time you experienced. How did you get through that dark time?
- What are you going through right now that is challenging your faith? What do you need God to do about it?
- How can you help someone who is going through a difficult time?
by Pastor Milton Marquez
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