Faith

I love the above verse as it calls faith, "substance." Faith isn't just a thought or a feeling. It's actually some "thing," and it's evidence of "things," not seen.

"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

The Apostle Paul spoke about those "unseen," things, calling them "eternal," and not temporal.

Our faith is in God through Christ, where the very real and eternal power of God rests.

For we walk by faith, not by sight:
2 Corinthians 5:7

When Thomas doubted Jesus, He said to Thomas:

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." John 20:29

Everyone who walked with God as recorded in the scriptures had this kind of "substance" filled faith.

Paul had this kind of faith when he sang in prison. Steven had this kind of faith when stood before the Pharisees, even to his death. Elijah had this kind of faith when he stood against the 450 prophets of Ba'al.

One of my favorite accounts of this kind of faith involved Joshua and Caleb.

God had commanded Moses to send the heads of each tribe into the land of Canaan so search it out. So Moses sent them. (Numbers 13:1-21)

When they returned from searching the land, this is what they said:

"And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there." Numbers 13:26-28

They saw with their eyes, the temporal things, and did not consider the "substance," of faith in God. They had all seen God's mighty power many times by this point as they traveled through the wilderness, and still, they feared the people that dwelled in Canaan, and they demonstrated little faith.

But two people showed great faith, Caleb, and Joshua.

"And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it." Numbers 13:30

"Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome." Caleb had faith that went beyond temporal. " What he said is the same thing we should say when doubt creeps in.

"But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. Numbers 13:31-32

Not only did they lack faith, they majority of those men brought doubt to the people through their report of the land and the giants there.

"And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. Numbers 14:1

"And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?" Numbers 14:2-3

Rather than stand firm in faith, they cried; and wept that night. The evidence of their faith rested only on what is seen, and it seemed to only last for a short duration. They let their lack of faith take hold, and they murmured against Moses and Aaron, they even went so far as to question if it would be "better" for them to "return into Egypt, and even discussed picking captains to lead them back to the place that God had freed them from.

When all of this took place, Caleb and Joshua did this:

"And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. Numbers 14:8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not." Numbers 14:6 -9

Just as Caleb had said earlier, "we are well able to overcome them." He and Joshua declared their faith in the hearing of the congregation. And they (the congregation) wanted to stone Caleb and Joshua.

This lack of faith was rebellion on their part. They did not magnify God in their own hearts and minds, and in turn, they stood against what was right.

We know that later, the land was overcome as God with them. Many times in our own lives, those same kinds of thoughts seem to creep in when our faith in the Lord in every kind of circumstance.

I believe this is partly the reason the Apostel Paul said:

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" 2 Corinthians 10:5

"Cast down those worries and imagainations." In times of trouble, our minds can imagine the worst sometimes. When we allow worry to overtake us, isn't that a form of exaltation against the knowledge of God? When we know that God is able to help us, and we still allow thoughts to trouble us? Paul said, to "cast those imaginations down! And bring every thought into the obedience of Christ."

Our faith should always be in God knowing that there is substance in Him for all we hope for. When God speaks, what He says happens always. His words are living.

That kind of faith is knowing that we are well able to overcome in Christ, even the things that are not yet seen.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

July 29 2017