Archive for May 2021
NOW Faith
My fortune cookie from last night was a scripture. Never seen a fortune cookie as such in my life. As I kept reading it I realized one missing word – NOW.
Hebrews 11:1 states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.”
The use of the word ‘now’ is present in many translations.
The Strong’s Concordance definition of ‘now’ states that it is a conjunction. As we have learned, conjunctions are ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘yet’, etc etc.
So when we read this scripture we can read it as a continuation of the previous chapter as such: ” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul (Hebrews 10:39) [And] faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1)
Or we can read it as such: [But] faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
When we read it like this it becomes a rebuttal. So I ask, what are we disputing? Could it be the lies of the enemy? Could it be the lies of your inner thoughts? What are you disputing?
Yes, the bills seem to be piling up and it feels like there’s no way to come back from the struggles, and society and eviction notices, and the bank account keeps saying defeated but what do you say to it?
BUT faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
When Friends Betray You…
Now take seven bulls and seven rams, go to my servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. Then my servant Job will pray for you. I will surely accept his prayer and not deal with you as your folly deserves. — Job 42:8, CSB
Job’s whole world was shattered. He lost all of his children. He lost his flocks and his herds, which in today’s society would be the equivalent of losing your job along with any additional source of income.
If that was not enough, Job was afflicted with a horrible disease. He lived in constant pain and even his nagging wife would not comfort him. Three of his friends came to sit with him but after a time of silence, they began to reflect on what happened to Job.
They leveled some ugly accusations, insulting both Job and God. They insisted Job had committed some great sin and that the hardships he faced were proof of this.
When God restores Job, He sends his friends to apologize and beg his forgiveness. He says that Job should offer a sacrifice on behalf of his friends so that their offering would be accepted.
Interestingly, Job’s response is never noted. He does offer the sacrifice but there’s no record of the conversation with his friends. How easy it would be to proclaim his righteousness at that moment. It would be hard not to gloat about how right he was.
When someone else has sinned, it can be tempting to rejoice in their fall. But Job is an example of how we should treat friends who have failed to honor God. We’re not to delight in their sin but humbly ask God to forgive them.
God, I confess my own pride when I see someone else do wrong. I’m tempted to believe that I’m better than them but I’m not. So I humbly pray for (name). Please forgive their sins. Show them how to walk in Your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen