Faith: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life
Faith: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life
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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781619705517 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hendrickson Publishers, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 04/18/2021 |
| Series: | Everyday Matters Bible Studies for Women |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 410 KB |
Read an Excerpt
Everyday Matters Bible Studies for Womenâ?"Faith
By Hendrickson Publishers
Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC
Copyright © 2014 Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLCAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-61970-551-7
CHAPTER 1
Faith
I'll See It When I Believe It
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
Hebrews 11:1
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For this study, read Hebrews 11:1–12:2. _____________________________________________________________________
While the Epistle to the Hebrews was written over two thousand years ago, there still exists no better definition of faith than the one found in this book. Faith is a confidence and a hope that something will happen—even an assurance of it—despite the fact that we cannot see or know how our hope will be fulfilled. It is belief in the face of no supporting evidence. It is the belief that God will keep his promises.
After defining faith, the author of Hebrews lists a "Who's Who" of the Old Testament: people whose faith was great, in many cases epic. The first person mentioned is Abel—not one of the first people who usually come to mind when we think of biblical giants of faith. But his act of faith, which many would call obedience, placed him at the top of this list. Abel believed that God knew what he wanted in an offering, and Abel didn't try to second-guess God.
Abraham is mentioned three times in this account of giants of faith. First, we read that God called him to leave his home, family, and country, promising him an eternal inheritance. Next, we are reminded of Abraham's and Sarah's faith that God would give them a child despite their age and condition. Lastly, we hear about Abraham's faith and obedience when God told him to sacrifice Isaac, the very son through whom his descendants would come. Any one of these displays of faith would be out of the ordinary; for one person to be challenged that way three times and to maintain steadfast faith is extraordinary.
Moses' faith is also mentioned three times. The Israelites' crossing of the Red Sea and their march around the walls of Jericho make the list, as do Noah, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel, and the prophets. "How much more do I need to say?" the author asks (v. 32). While these members of this "Hall of Faith" are an impressive group, it is reassuring to remember that they were also very human; they had failed many times in many ways. In a fit of anger, Moses killed a man; David had an innocent man killed in order to steal his wife; and Samson let his bedazzlement of Delilah bring him to ruin.
And there are instances in the New Testament as well: Peter denying—not once but three times!—that he even knew Jesus, and Thomas—who will always be known as "Doubting Thomas"—being embarrassed shortly after saying to the other apostles that he wouldn't believe Jesus had really risen from the dead unless he saw "the nail wounds in his hands, put [his] fingers into them, and [placed his] hand into the wound in his side" (John 20:24–29). But Jesus reinstates Peter by asking him three times, "Peter, do you love me?" And he appears to Thomas, saying, "Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!" To which Thomas exclaims: "My Lord and my God!" Apparently, what we've done wrong or how many times we've failed, however, is not what defines us in the arena of faith. God isn't keeping score.
The first two verses of Hebrews 12 give us great encouragement and specific direction for our walk of faith. The first verse tells us that "we are surrounded by ... a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith." These are the very men and women named in the previous chapter, along with the rest of heaven itself. Since we are actually being cheered on by Abraham and David and Gideon and Joshua, the writer says in the first verse, "let us strip off every weight that slows us down.... And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."
How? "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith." We don't perfect our faith; he does. As Jesus said to Thomas, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me."
* * * _____________________________________________________________________
"That man is perfect in faith who can come to God in the utter dearth of his feelings and desires, without a glow or an aspiration, with the weight of low thoughts, failures, neglects, and wandering forgetfulness, and say to Him, 'Thou art my refuge.' " —George MacDonald _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________
As you study this chapter, think about your own personal "Hall of Faith"—times when you believed without seeing and watched God honor that faith. Then think about a situation you are facing now that requires believing without seeing. _____________________________________________________________________
1. Why was Abel's offering accepted, while God rejected Cain's? While the biblical account doesn't tell us (see Genesis 4:2–5), theologians believe that Cain disobeyed God's instructions for making an acceptable offering, which needed to involve a blood sacrifice. Abel didn't necessarily work harder or give up more to make an acceptable sacrifice; what he did was to obey the Lord. What do you think the connection is between obedience and faith? Have you ever tried to second-guess God? What was the result?
2. Do you think it gets easier to have faith after you've experienced God delivering on his promises? Could that be why Abraham was able to trust and obey in three situations where so much was at stake? What does this say about our walk in faith?
3. Hebrews 11:13 says, "All of these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it." What was it that God had promised that they didn't receive? What have we received that they didn't? What does this imply about our faith?
4. Have you struggled with the promises of God, believing and trusting while waiting, without seeing concrete results? What are those promises? How have you been able to navigate the troubled times of not knowing what God is doing?
5. How can you attest to God's faithfulness when all temporal evidence contradicts it? What is the value of looking back on past events, as the author of Hebrews did?
6. Name three areas or situations in your life in which faith demands that you believe without seeing (relationships, finances, work, social circles, and so on). Now look for Scripture that addresses similar situations. What does God say about the situation? How do your obedience and your faith reconcile with each other in that situation?
* * *
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"Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe." —St. Augustine _____________________________________________________________________
Points to Ponder
Thomas Merton says, "You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope."
• How can you approach your life with "courage, faith and hope"?
And A. W. Tozer writes, "If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch?"
• What do you think he means?
• How does it relate to the matter of faith?
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for your unfailing patience, for being the "author and the finisher of our faith." Thank you for using imperfect people to do your will, for not giving up on us, for giving us second chances. Please grow my faith. Help me to put trust in you even when I don't feel like I can do it. Help me keep my eyes on you and your Son. Thank you that I can say to you, "I believe; help my unbelief."
Add your prayer in your own words.
Amen.
Put It into Practice
This week, in the morning when you're ready to turn on your computer, cell phone, iPad, or any electronic device, don't. Keep them off while you go to a quiet place, center yourself in prayer, and ask God to give you the faith you need to obey him in the coming day. Give God and God alone those first precious minutes of each new day.
Take-away Treasure
After the Israelites won a miraculous battle against their archenemy, the Philistines, Scripture records: "Samuel then took a large stone and ... [he] named it Ebenezer (which means 'stone of help'), for he said, 'Up to this point the Lord has helped us!'" (1 Samuel 7:12). With the beloved hymn, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," likewise we should remember that "up to this point the Lord has helped us!"
Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Action Required!
Stepping Out in Faith
"I promise you what I promised Moses: 'Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you.' ... No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you."
Joshua 1:3, 5
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For this study, read Joshua 1–2 and 6. _____________________________________________________________________
Moses is dead, and Joshua has been assigned the mission of leading the people of Israel onto new ground—the "promised land." Before embarking on the daunting enterprise of crossing the Jordan River, God promises to Joshua that his efforts will be met with favor (1:3–5). God's instructions are simple and straightforward: First, he tells Joshua, "This is my command—be strong and courageous!" In fact, God tells Joshua to "be strong and courageous" three times within four verses (vv. 6–9). Next he tells Joshua, "Do not be afraid or discouraged" (1:9).
Joshua is brand new at his job. He may well have preferred that God give him directions that were a little more specific, that God would give him a clue as to what he'd be facing in the next few days. But God simply tells him to do three things: to be strong and courageous, to obey the instructions that Moses had given, and to study and meditate upon the Scriptures day and night (1:7–9). Based on those instructions, Joshua calls together the officers of Israel to lead the people across the Jordan and to conquer the territory. The first thing he does is to send two spies into the promised land to scope out the situation.
The next chapter tells the story of Rahab, the prostitute who hid the spies. Rahab certainly didn't need any more trouble in her life. Her profession most likely put her at odds with the locals and the authorities, so why does she hide the Israelite men? Rahab tells the spies, "I know the Lord has given you this land" (Joshua 2:8–12). Rahab has put herself and her family at great risk by stepping out in faith in a God that wasn't even her God. And since her house was built into the town wall (v. 15), her home was an obvious place for the king's men to search. In fact, the king sent men directly to her house to look for the spies.
In her article "Rahab: An Unlikely Servant" in the Everyday Matters Bible for Women, Jonalyn Fincher imagines what it must have been like for Rahab when the spies arrived at her house. For once in her life, this prostitute had the upper hand with the men who had come to her home; it might well have been tempting to refuse to do their bidding. But this woman displays courage and faith by not only hiding them, but also lying to the king's men who have been sent to find them.
After Rahab has satisfied the king's men that the spies have already left her house, she asks the Israelite spies for protection for her and her family. They agree, and they issue a strange condition for her safety: she must leave hanging from the window the scarlet rope she used to rescue the spies (2:17–21). Once again, Rahab agrees. She doesn't say, "Are you kidding? I risk my life for you, and you tell me to leave the very rope I used to rescue you right in the window you used to escape?" It seems like the spies' condition for her safety is the last thing that would guarantee her safety. But Rahab simply agrees. Talk about faith.
This week's Scripture passage is the prelude to the famous story of another act of faith that was the utter opposite of what logic or common sense would dictate: the story of how Joshua and his men won the city of Jericho for the Israelites (Joshua 6:1–23). Talk about counterintuitive! When was the last time you heard of men conquering a city by merely marching around it, blasting horns and shouting? But that was God's plan. Joshua and his men obeyed, and they were successful.
Believing that God will keep his promises is essential to faith. But acting on that belief is equally necessary. If Joshua believed that God would give the Israelites the land but failed to step out and act on God's promises, it wouldn't have happened. If Rahab had believed that the Israelites' God would protect her, but failed to actually set the scarlet rope in her window, all bets would have been off. Faith is believing; but it is also acting upon that belief.
* * * _____________________________________________________________________
"Just as the birds always find the air whenever they fly, so wherever we go or wherever we are, we find God present." —St. Francis de Sales _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________
Steps of faith abound in this week's study. As you begin, reflect on the relationship between obedience and stepping out in faith. Think about times in your life when you stepped out. Are you ready to set out again? _____________________________________________________________________
1. What emotional and psychological hurdles do you think Joshua had to overcome to assume the leadership role after Moses died? We often aspire to leadership roles, but what are the downsides of being a leader? What are the upsides? Do you think a leader needs more faith than a follower?
2. Why do you think God prefaces his command to Joshua with the words, "I promise you what I promised Moses"? What has God promised other men and women in the Bible that he promises you?
3. What are the promises that God has so far fulfilled in your life? How can looking back on those experiences help you as you navigate current challenges in your life?
4. Does acting on faith in this way suggest that God will give us whatever we want? If so, in what way? If not, why not?
5. How can a person maintain a vibrant faith even if the "promised land" remains beyond our reach? Have you experienced this?
6. Put yourself in Rahab's place. She didn't know the men who came to her for help, and she didn't know their God, yet she stepped out in faith in an extraordinary way. When was the first time you stepped out in faith, even when you had little or no personal experience with belief? What came out of that experience?
* * * _____________________________________________________________________
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." —Martin Luther King, Jr. _____________________________________________________________________
Points to Ponder
C. S. Lewis said, "We're not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be."
• Why do you think that faith in God often involves undergoing pain?
• Can you personally relate to Lewis's quote?
Prayer
Lord, speak to us in the moment of trust and help us meet it with action. Whisper the words of promise and hope such as you gave Joshua. As we act and set our feet upon new ground, we trust that you will meet us there, open the way, and give us courage and strength to enter the land. Lord, give me the eyes to see and ears to hear your whispers of guidance. Then, having seen and heard, grant me the courage and strength to act with concrete steps. Cast from me doubts and double-mindedness. May my life be a picture of your faithfulness amid my weakness.
Add your prayer in your own words.
Amen.
Put It into Practice
Is there some place God has been nudging you toward? A friend you ought to visit or a job to apply for? As an act of will, grounded in surety, make the physical effort to execute this guidance by going forth into that situation. When you take steps toward that place, recall the words of God to Joshua when he faced an uncertain outcome: "Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you."
Take-away Treasure
When you are facing a moment where you are about to take a step into uncertain territory (whether figuratively or literally), stop for a moment and repeat in your heart the promise God made to Joshua. Then step into the moment with your head high and in complete trust. Remember what Blaise Pascal says: "Faith is a sounder guide than reason. Reason can only go so far, but faith has no limits."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Everyday Matters Bible Studies for Womenâ?"Faith by Hendrickson Publishers. Copyright © 2014 Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC. Excerpted by permission of Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Copyright,Holy Habits,
Introduction,
Chapter 1. Faith: I'll See It When I Believe It,
Chapter 2. Action Required! Stepping Out in Faith,
Chapter 3. On the Path: Just Enough Light,
Chapter 4: KISS: Keep It Simple, Sister,
Leader's Guide,
Other Titles,