Verse of the Day 11/17

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  New King James Version (NKJV)

Do you want to please God?  It is a question that God follower's, Christ followers should ask of ourselves on a regular basis.  Today's verse tells us that if we want to please Him, we must have, we must exhibit faith in our lives.  There are times when faith may waver, but if the foundation is there, it will hold, He will see to it and He will see you through.

Hebrews 11 was scheduled as my "read through the Bible" New Testament reading.  It is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.  It is one that I have turned to as a reminder of those who have shown faith.  It was a chapter that I read on what would be the most challenging day of my life.  Some would want to avoid reminders of such a day, but for me, it is a reminder of God's faithfulness and will forever be a passage that I will go to, that I will ponder as I look for the new city which is to come (v.16).

Max Lucado writes, "Faith is the belief that God is real and that God is good.... It is a choice to believe that the One who made it all hasn't left it all and that He still sends light into  the shadows and responds to gestures of faith..... Faith is the belief that God will do what is right."
 
There will be days when we find ourselves in the shadows, with darkness closing in.  This chapter, and the Bible as a whole challenge us to have faith that God is good and He will do what  is right, and He will send light.  The key is in those situations that we "come to God" believing that He is, and that He Himself is faithful.

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living.  Hebrews 11:1 The Message

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!      - Bill Gaither

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Hebrews 11:1-6The Message (MSG)

Faith in What We Don't See

11 ^1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.

³ By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see.

⁴ By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That's what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice.

^5-6 By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. "They looked all over and couldn't find him because God had taken him." We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken "he pleased God." It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.