Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
A.W. Tozer had an interesting commentary on this verse. He said: "Faith is seeing the invisible, but not the nonexistent."
We live in a world today that seems out of control -- yet the Word clearly tells us that God remains in control.
When the Israelites were driven to the Red Sea their situation appeared impossible and desperate through human eyes. They failed their first test of faith when they told Moses it would have been better to serve as slaves than to die in the wilderness. [Exodus 14:10-12] Though they had seen His miracles of deliverance from slavery in Egypt, they failed to remember to encourage themselves with this recent history of Divine intervention.
YHVH allowed the "impossible situation" to test their faith and to reveal His glory and power!
Biblical faith believes and stands upon the invisible reality of God's presence, power, and protection, in difficult, even impossible circumstances. People of faith keep our eyes on Heaven where the Lord's sovereignty over all earthly events inspires trust which is not based on what we see, but remembers how our invisible God has delivered, preserved, and protected us in the past.
Let's not fail the test as the Israelities did, wishing they were back in Egypt! There are times when life places us in "impossible situations" which our Lord allows to test our faith and to reveal Himself and His glory. Whatever impossible situation you may be facing, encourage yourself with memories of God's past faithfulness and blessed providence. You will not know from where or how the deliverance will come. But do not allow the "invisibility" of the solution to throw you into doubt or panic. Stand firm in what you do not see, and then, see the salvation of the Lord!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in a bind. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia if they would bring their jewelry of gold and silver to be melted down for their country. Each piece of jewelry he received, he would exchange for a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude. These decorations would be inscribed, ‘I gave gold for iron, 18l3’.
In connection with the Hebrew Word “Amen”, meaning “faith”, “truth”, “belief”, and “trust”, consider this revealing passage in Isaiah which further amplifies the dimensions of the word in the most wonderful and comforting promise:
“He who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth [“Amen” in Hebrew]. …
After spending forty years in the wilderness, the children of Israel crossed into the Promised Land arriving to immediately face what seemed an impregnable fortress and an impossible task. Imagine receiving the instruction to march around the fortified city seven times, then finally be commanded to shout with all your might and sound shofars!
What is it about salt? And how do I season speech with it? Gracious speech is sweet, yet Paul says to season it with salt.
Sometimes, the more significant, powerful, or influential someone is, the less you know about him or her. There are some people of influence whose names most of us have never heard, and about whom we know almost nothing, yet they make decisions which affect millions of lives.
Charles Spurgeon wrote “Prayer pulls the rope below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly. Others give but an occasional pluck at the rope. But he who wins with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously, with all his might.”
Caesarea Phillipi, where Yeshua (Jesus) revealed himself as Messiah to His disciples, was home to the Temple of Pan, a place so demonic that many of the rituals performed there are too horrible to mention in a daily devotion…