Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen – Hebrews 11:1
So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. – Romans 10:17
You’ve got a meeting. Two men are waiting in the living room. Two men, with two briefcases, and two very different propositions.
Man #1 opens his briefcase. It seems they are both interested in getting you to invest in their business ventures. Man #1 begins his pitch, telling you about all the money he has made, the places he has traveled, the security he’s secured in our ailing economy….but you begin to notice something very odd. You look down and see that he has no shoes on. You look up and see that the clothes he does have on are torn and dirty. His hair seems to have been growing for years on end with no care, and his body is covered in sores. The very smell of him is enough to drive a wedge between you and whatever it is he’s saying. He talks emphatically about the crazy profit you and he will make together. Why don’t you just sign up???……….Man #2 waits in silence. The first briefcase only has a few pennies.
Man#2 doesn’t have to do much talking. He carefully unlatches the briefcase so as to not spill the contents, but the money inside is hard to contain. Bills spill out. Hundreds and Thousands. More money than you’ve ever seen in your life. He takes out a catalog of pictures from his different site locations and begins to go into great detail about his inspiration for the business, the hard work it has taken to get to this point, and about how your partnership will be risky. He warns you, but with a smile assures you that there is a success on the other side. His shoes are real leather, and his watch is quaint but aged in a way that speaks to its value. You look out the window and see that his car is one of the most efficient and expensive around……….Now, who do you proceed further with??
This is the essence of faith. The truth is, there is nothing that we do in life that is not done by faith. You may sit down in a chair today; that will be done by faith. You may put food in your mouth also. That will be done by faith as well. We do these things because we believe the chair will not break under our weight and that the food will be tasty in our mouth. Every day people go to work, with an expectation to receive a payment that they cannot see. That is faith. Somehow, they have been so convinced by their reward, that they work for it even before they have evidence of it. God is trying to say something! …….What fuels our faith??
I submit to your family, that faith is not as blind as you may think. In fact, always, faith requires a vision of reward before there is action. Just like the Men in the initial scenario, the Kingdom of God is always making its pitch to you. Except we can’t see it, or hear it, or smell it, or touch it. How then are we to be convinced?
God sent his Word to us, so that we may be able to “see” and experience his kingdom. God’s Word is the briefcase. Through it, we grow convinced that his promises are true because Power and Life are sent into our situations. Like a cup of water taken from a rushing river, the Word of God is not only evidence of the Kingdom, it is the Kingdom. Like “Man #2”’s obvious wealth, we wear joy, love, peace, faith, favor, kindness, power, and all of God’s image as PROOF that there is another world, and that that world is giving life to us!
So if you have been growing sad, angry, depressed, impatient, jealous, bitter, or just hopeless. I urge you to ask God for the reward, the real reward of being born again. Let go of the poor man’s clothes, and ask God to fill you with the reward of his Kingdom. Perhaps you have been striving for the wrong things, and have earned the wrong wages as a result…….take time to take inventory on your life. What are your long-term goals? What does it mean to be successful? What moves you? Talk to God about these things and give him authority in each area. There is a heavenly kingdom, and it is full of reward. He will never leave those who trust him empty-handed.