Sticks & stones

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.

Hebrews 11 is a great encouragement to me. We do not know who the writer of Hebrews was, many think it was Paul, but they give us a beautiful summary in chapter eleven of the patriarchs of great faith in the Old Testament. It summarizes the lives of those who followed God at all costs, followed him with hearts abandoned to him, hearts seeking the rewards of the life thereafter with Him. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. They got it; they got the idea that life here is temporary, but the life after this one is eternal. They got that the measurements of one’s eternal life’s rewards, are measured by the temporal life’s examples of faith.

Well, I love you God, but I _______________. Yea, we all have likely said it, thought it, reasoned our way through it.  There has been some circumstance, some instance that we can recall where we denied our faith and stood on our fear or even pride. We told God our excuse or even denied God in the process of it. We will at the judgement day answer for it. Delayed obedience is disobedience; I have felt that in the past year of what God has laid before me about our house. I ran from it in fear twice for over a year; I did not want three strikes when God brought it to me again. I feel that there is a door that lies before me, and only through this great act of faith, is the key to open the door to draw closer to God. 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. All of those patriarchs acted on the eternal promises, not the temporal pleasures; many died in that great faith without ever seeing their promise fulfilled here, but that was never where their eyes and hearts were focused on anyhow.

Hebrews 11: 24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. Moses lived an early life rich in earthly standards; an adopted Egyptian son into a rich earthly kingdom. He had it all, yet his heart was not in the riches of this world. God has really been working on me the last five years in opening my eyes to what I placed value in; the riches of this world. I thank Him for continually readjusting my focus on the stuff that really doesn’t matter. This is just a big ol’ house, made of sticks and stones, with a family heritage. It is of no compare to the mansion that I will have in heaven; John 14:2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.