Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Process and Journey: Hebrews 11:13


Excerpt from Soul Cries devotional; copyright Regan 2012


Hebrews 11:13 (New International Version)

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.


Promises are promises, and God’s promises are true. He is incapable of being unfaithful to a promise. By His very nature, He is a covenant-making God, and He interacts with His people accordingly. Nothing will fall short. However, He is also an eternal God—a God of the big picture. He is a God of the ages, not just of the moment. His vision crosses over seasons and times. As we see in Hebrews, there are aspects of the promise that unfold over time, perhaps even after a lifetime. Some of the promises the ancients received foretold of things to come generations into the future.

This is the good news and the hard news. We would all like to see promises brought to fruition in an instant. But our God is a God of process and journey. Some of His promises to us unfold over years, decades, and generations. It is hard to wait for promises to come true; perhaps we may get to the end of our lives feeling that some things we glimpsed are still far away. However, we praise God, for He is faithful to the generations. The way God works in your life is part of a life-giving process that unfolds for your children and all generations to come. They will reap the benefit of your intercession, your prayer, and your journey. There will be breakthroughs that you strive toward your whole life that your children will receive as an inheritance without toil.

Thank you, God. Thank you for giving gifts to our children and being faithful to the generations. Thank you that our journey makes a difference; the promise is ever unfolding.

1. Sometimes faith in God’s promises means believing that breakthrough will come to a future generation. What breakthroughs are you believing for your children?

2. What have you received as an inheritance because of the faith of your ancestors? Was there someone in a past generation who was a pioneer in the Christian faith and gifted you in your spiritual journey? How can you do the same for your children?

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