Solid Rock

The interesting thing about faith is that it is of another dimension. Most of us grow up learning about the world around us by observing our natural surroundings and experiencing the common events of life. We believe what we see and have experienced. But faith is not of the natural, 4 dimensional world (space and time). Faith isn't necessarily based on what we have seen and experienced. In fact, faith cannot be what we have seen or experienced, because by definition, once we have seen something it no longer requires faith to believe. NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, [a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. – Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified Bible) A reading of the rest of Hebrews 11 will touch on many biblical stories of great men and women full of faith, who accomplished things that had never been seen or done before their time. They had the ability to see life through eyes of faith. They were not limited in their thinking by what they had already seen or experience in life. They came to a higher level of thinking that was not influenced by past experiences, but by the powerful words of Almighty God. They were visionaries who saw something different in their future that they had not yet experienced. Moses' generation called these future promises the "promised land", because for them God had literally promised them a physical place which is modern day Israel (the promise was actually made to Abraham and fulfilled more than 400 years later). Today it requires no faith to believe that they have inherited that land because it has already occurred. But between the time of Abraham and Moses, there was a period of time that seemed to be the exact opposite of obtaining this promise. The Hebrews lived in Egypt and eventually became enslaved. There seemed to be no hope of obtaining the promise. But God had already told Abraham all that would happen - even foretelling the enslavement of his descendents for 400 years and the resulting freedom that would come through Moses. Rick Joyner has often reminded us that between the promises of God for our lives and the fulfillment of those promises, there always lies a period of time in which we seem to experience the exact opposite of what was promised. That is the time of faith. Faith can only be exercised when we do not see the fulfillment of the things God has spoken for our lives. It is the time when we learn to see that which is unseen.

The true measure of faith of a man cannot be measured by his peers. Sometimes when we step out in faith to accomplish something great that God has placed in our hearts, we do not see the fulfillment of those things. Sometimes that is because we attempt the work in our own efforts as Moses did when he killed the Egyptian. But many times when we have done everything correctly and in the right timing, we may still not see the reward of our faith. A man's level of faith cannot be determined by the outcome of a situation, because many times God will delay the outcome to test our confidence in his faithfulness. God told Abraham that his children would have the promised land. Abraham was obedient to God's word, and yet died without seeing the promises fulfilled. This was not failure. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. True faith is not identified so much in the results as it is in the humility and obedience of our heart to believe and to do the vision that God has given us - no matter what results we see in this life. Sometimes (as with Abraham), the reward of our obedience isn't for us, but for future generations to harvest. A righteous man leaves an inheritance to his children's children. So our obedience is often planting seeds of reward and a godly heritage for our grandchildren's lives. So then, the only way to truly live by faith is to see the unseen. We must be able to see with God's help, something that no one has seen before and move toward the fulfillment of that goal. Without faith it is impossible for us to please God, because anyone who comes to God must believe not only that he exists, but that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. I encourage you...ask God to show you something that no one has seen before. Don't allow your past experiences to define your future. Don't settle for the mundane. God has great things in mind for you. Dream a dream. Ask God to show you your unique purpose in life. As you do, you will bring God's Kingdom to bear in the earth. My inspiration today comes courtesy of Edward Mote:


The Solid Rock – Edward Mote (1797-1874)


My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.