Our Daily Bread -- Keeping Faith July 30, 2016

Read: Hebrews 10:32-11:6 Bible in a Year: Psalms 51-53; Romans 2 Without faith it is impossible to please God. —Hebrews 11:6 It’s tempting to think of faith as a kind of magic formula. If you muster up enough of it, you’ll get rich, stay healthy, and live a contented life with automatic answers to all your prayers. But life does not work according to such neat formulas. As proof, the author of Hebrews presents a stirring reminder of what constitutes “true faith” by reviewing the lives of some Old Testament giants of faith (Heb. 11). “Without faith,” the author says bluntly, “it is impossible to please God” (11:6). In describing faith he uses the word persevered (v. 27). As a result of their faith, some heroes triumphed: They routed armies, escaped the sword, survived lions. But others met less happy ends: They were flogged, stoned, sawed in two. The chapter concludes, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised” (v. 39). The picture of faith that emerges does not fit into an easy formula. Sometimes it leads to victory and triumph. Sometimes it requires a gritty determination to “hang on at any cost.” Of such people, “God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (v. 16). What our faith rests on is the belief that God is in ultimate control and will indeed keep His promises—whether that happens in this life or the next. —Philip Yancey Give me a faith that trusts You wholeheartedly, Lord. Our greatest comfort in sorrow is to know that God is in control. INSIGHT: Hebrews 11 has been called the Hall of Faith. In it we read of diverse people who faced trials and tribulations far beyond what most of us face. Yet all persevered by trusting the Lord. By the grace of God, we can do the same. Dennis Fisher Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all. Our vision is to see people of all nations experiencing a personal relationship with Christ, growing to be more like Him, and serving in a local body of His family. To read today's Our Daily Bread online visit www.odb.org. Copyright © 2016, Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA. Written permission must be obtained from Our Daily Bread Ministries for any further posting or distribution. Scriptures taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved.   Our Daily Bread Ministries | 3000 Kraft Ave | Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Manage Your Subscription.