Hebrews 11:8-10
8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
It is striking how, to a great extent, people of the world operate on faith, though they are unaware of it. For instance, a person has faith that when he sits in a chair, the chair will hold him. When he walks into an elevator and pushes a button for the 42nd floor, he has faith the elevator will take him there. People have faith in taxi drivers. Airplane pilots. Cooks, teachers, hair dressers and those on the other end of the customer service line. The world has faith.
Interesting, though, that all of these examples are fallible: they are imperfect. The chair could break, the teacher could present false information, and the car could malfunction. Yet each day we continue to sit, learn, and drive. Why? Because the results and benefits from said things are good. They offer help, support, knowledge and comfort. Se we continue to use and trust them.
How much more, then, should our faith be directed to the Lord? The one who is infallible: perfect. Abraham is a prime example of a man who put his faith out on a limb and trusted the Lord with his life. He did not know where he was going (v.8) and he lived in a land foreign to him. Yet he knew the promise the Lord had made to Him, and that was enough for him to obey and look forward to what God had in store. What reassurance to know that God is the builder and architect of his city (v.10)!
As Abraham trusted the Lord with everything he had, so we must put our faith in God’s plan. Knowing that our lives are in the hands of a perfect teacher, we can live with assurance that He will take care of us, and we can be examples of faith to those who have yet to meet Him.
(Courtesy of C. Himes)
Youth Department