Great Acts of Faith

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.... And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
— Hebrews 11: 1, 6

What are you doing right now that you could not do without the help of our supernatural God? When we think of the word faith, we often think of the most incredible miracles we've ever heard about. I don't know about you but I believe in those kinds of miracles of faith. Sometimes God chooses to heal a person with cancer or other health issues. In fact, I've even heard of God giving a van supernatural extra gas mileage when a group of people were smuggling Bibles into a country where Bibles were forbidden. There are other times when people have just as much faith but God chooses not to heal or do a miracle.

Faith is also ordinary people doing extraordinary things with their lives. Faith is... Bob Wieland walking across America on his hands because he has no feet! Faith is... Rachel deciding not to abort her baby even though her boyfriend was pressing her to abort. Faith is... Cheryl and Hank almost going all the way but deciding to remain virgins, even when they would really like to have sexual intercourse. Faith is... Ted choosing to not cheat on exams any more.

Faith is ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It's deciding not to drink, not to have sex before marriage, even when everyone else is doing it; it's walking away from riches because God's call on your life is to be a missionary. Faith is asking God to help you with an eating disorder or loving the unlovely. Faith is placing all that you are, all that you can be and all that you do, into the hands of God.

Faith is doing something or being someone that you could not do or be without the help of our supernatural God.

What are you doing in faith right now? Take a moment and ask God to make you an ordinary person doing extraordinary things for him.

To comment on today's devotional, click here.

GOING DEEPER:
1. How does Hebrews 11: 1, 6 relate to your life?

2. What areas of your life could use a real "faith-life"?

FURTHER READING:
Psalm 71:1-8

This devotional was written by Jim Burns

For All People

For All People

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. — 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Bible is considered one of the best-selling books of all time. Billions of copies in numerous languages have been purchased around the world. In fact, between my husband and me, we own ten Bibles. This was not the case prior to the fifteenth century. At that time, the church taught that the Bible had been given to the clergy so that they could then present it to the less enlightened people. The Bible was not for general use.

John Wycliffe believed that if everyone was supposed to obey the teachings of the Bible, then everyone should have access to one. Wycliffe knew that some teachings would be hard for the people to understand, however “the New Testament is…open to the understanding of simple men…[For] Christ did not write His laws on tables, or on skins of animals, but in the hearts of men.”* Much to the outrage of the Church, Wycliffe and his followers translated the first English Bible in the 1380’s for the first time, giving everyday people like you and me the opportunity to study the Bible and let the Holy Spirit guide their learning.

I don’t know about you, but this is definitely a gift I take for granted. What a treasure that I get to study and learn from Holy Scriptures! The Bible is not a collection of nice stories or fables, it is God-breathed. Inspired writers followed the direction of the Lord and produced the Holy Scriptures so that we might grow and learn through reading it, and allow it to speak into our lives, directing our steps.

The Bible is our standard and source of truth. It is how we should test everything in our lives. Reading and understanding the Bible will help equip you for life’s journey. We should be studying the Bible to help us in our Christian journey. That is why it saddens me to think that I don’t appreciate it as I should.

My challenge to you is the same challenge I give myself. Don’t pick up your Bible today and read it because that’s what you do everyday. Don’t just scan the Scripture on the top of this page, rather, read it. Meditate upon it. Recognize that having Holy Scriptures is a gift from the Lord. Each time we read from it, truth is spoken into our lives and we can learn and grow.

*Wide as the Waters by Benson Bobrick

To comment on today's devotional, click here.

GOING DEEPER:
1. In what way does having access to Holy Scripture affect you?

2. Take time now to thank God for his Holy Word.

FURTHER READING:
Deuteronomy 4:29; Romans 10:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden