This week, as a community, we’d like to pause between plans and refresh the way rhythms we use to read God’s Word. Join us as we dig into some familiar (or not so familiar) pieces of scripture and seek our Father together by reading and processing this truth.
Today’s passage is Hebrews 11
First, let’s pray. Ask the Lord to open your heart and your mind and to help you focus on Him. Confess the things that might be keeping you from really truly experiencing His presence and submit your time to His will.
Second, let’s read Truth! Take your time and see what catches your attention. Make notes of what impresses you and moves you. Try to see the whole picture of what the passage is conveying. What does it say about God?
Next, reflect on what He’s saying. What does this passage mean for you and for the body of Christ? Is there anything you feel like He is personally communicating to you for your exact season, situation, or circumstance?
Lastly, let’s respond. Prayerfully and humbly, see what’s next. What do you need to do in light of what you’ve read? How will it affect your day, your life, and your walk with the Lord?
And as always, feel free to share with us in the comments below!
It is our joy to read Truth with you all.
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56 thoughts on "Hebrews 11"
Regularly I don’t put up on weblogs, however i would like to say that this particular set up genuinely pressured me personally to do this! seriously wonderful publish
http://www.edsheeran.co.uk
This passage was needed, and I thank the Lord our God for presenting this scripture to us. I learned a great deal about faith, especially having faith when you cannot see it physically. Also the idea of eternal blessings and the journey to one day reach our real home which is heaven. I Thank the Lord and ask that he instill in me a faith beyond all measure.
Lord, let me walk by faith and not by sight; believing in Your truths in spite of appearances. I pray for a faith in You that becomes even more alive and active every day!
It's all about Faith. I enjoyed reading this chapter because it felt good to know of the wonderful examples that were used. It feels good to know your bible and to be immersed in His Word. I, too, felt so excited and hopeful. Lord, thank you for giving me the opportunity…a chance…to enjoy your favor!
Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Without it, it is impossible to please God. Every example given in the passage paints a picture of how we must live by faith, hold onto our promises, and be expectant of the rewards. Faith conquers kingdoms, administers justice, and gains promises.
Hebrews 11 was an eyeopener because it made me feel sort of excited, then hopeless and sad. I fear that I'm working so hard to please God yet there is a possibility that my promises can go unfulfilled. While working on building up my confidence and patience in Christ Jesus, I take comfort in knowing He's with me every step of the way!
I just want to encourage you with v. 40 – in the AMP it says: (right after they didnt recieve fulfillment of what was promised) because God had us in mind and had something better and greater in view for us, so that they (these heroes and heroines of faith) should not come to perfection apart from us (before we could join them)
This speaks to me, and encourages me to walk in faith…. and even if I dont recieve what was promised, on this earth, God IS faithful, and I think if we dont get to see it before this trip is over, we will get something even greater, as a reward for not giving up in our faith.
:)
I feel like The Lord is emphasizing through men in the bible how we can say we have faith but it is our actions and reactions in life that show an prove it. I feel like I've fallen into the pit of claiming that I have faith when I react to stressful situations in a unfaithful way (why would I stress out about it when I should show that I'm trusting The Lord with it?) I pray that the Holy Spirit brings us to show the glorious faith we have in God through everyday actions and decisions.
I LOVE THIS STUDY!!! It's challenging me and my faith in a whole new way. So thankful for the SRT community!
In the midst of a season of real restlessness, reading this is a beacon. The far-off light that encourages me to keep plugging away one step at a time and trust that some day it will all make sense. This week shook out a little bit of clarity in recent struggles and this passage feel like such confirmation of what I've been going through. I hope it was as encouraging to others.
Faith, hope & obedience=promised eternal life! Elyssa and Rocknita55, thanks for sharing the links for those beautiful songs. Amazing vocals that ministered to my soul!
It was very powerful to read through the list of some of God's most faithful followers during the biblical times. It's so inspirational to think about some of the overwhelming obstacles that they were facing and how they persevered through faith.
Some of the verses that struck a chord with me were: 1, 6, 10, 25, 39, & 40.
My take-aways:
– Faith = Believing that God exists & trusting His unknown plan for us & that He will address our hopes.
– We are foreigners on Earth which is a temporary dwelling with an unstable foundation. Our true home is in heaven.
– It's better to be ridiculed as a Christian than to live in sin.
– If we remain faithful we will receive eternal blessings that are much more valuable than any Earthly hopes or promises.
"Lord, thank you so much for the amazing eternal city which you have built for us. Give me the strength to have faith in your plan & withstand ridicule from others. Amen!"
"Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely." 1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT
I could spend weeks in this chapter alone. It's really meaty. I want to run off on all sorts of tangents because there is so much to glean. The bottom line is..faith is all about staying focused on God. Even when things don't always make perfect sense to me, I can be confident that HE sees things the way they REALLY are and I can FULLY trust His loving and just sovereignty.
"That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return." 2 Timothy 1:12 NLT
To be honest, though I always find comfort in scripture, it was the comments that brought the most clarity. I pray the God helps me to understand his message in it's totality. I did understand that all in all I need to develop, maintain, and exercise my faith.
But every time I even hear the word faith it gets me to thinking about the age old phrase "faith without works is dead". I know that when tested in life, I still have faith–but is that it? Is there some other meaning to "works"? Can someone explain that to me? I would love to get an opinion from you ladies.
Thank you.
This is always tricky – the whole faith and works thing. Works are the evidence, the natural by product, of a life of faith. It is similar to the passage in Matthew when, referring to believers, it says you will know them "by their fruit."
The works and the fruit – these do not earn salvation, nor are they done to prove our salvation. It is just the natural results of a life changed by Christ. Works – caring about orphans and widows, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, caring about our fellow man, lives of sacrifice – these are characteristics of a faith that is alive and active.
So, again, works are not an effort to earn or prove anything. Just a result of faith.
Hope that helps.
Well said! :)
Really well put! Amen!
Maria-Lynn – the word "works" is referring to action. DOING something. So another way to understand the scripture is that faith without action is meaningless (my paraphrase at least).
The long list of Old Testament patriarchs in these passages had so much faith that they put aside the comforts of earth to pursue what God was calling them to do. They lived differently. Like Stacy touched on, what we DO doesn't save us. Only Jesus brings salvation. Salvation is a gift from God that we cannot earn by doing good works.
I hope this helped explain it. I'm sure there are more lovely ladies that could expound on this subject even further. Blessings!
I sound like a broken record, but I am so happy I decided to get involved with SRT again. This plan is definitely what I need at this point in my life.
Today's reading made me realize that without faith, we essentially have nothing. We truly have to believe in Him 100% and our faith can not waiver. Also, just because we may not get what we want when we want it or have our prayers answered the way we hope, doesn't mean that there isn't something better out there waiting for us.
I spent some time this morning going through very of pictures of my grandparents, uncles, and Dad. I wondered what amazing life stories and lessons were learned and told as these old b&w pictures were snapped. Now as I have read this mornings passage, I find myself grateful for both biblical and familial ancestry. That we might learn stories of life and faith through those that have gone before us. Some lessons we will learn through others mistakes but some lessons we will learn through stories of perseverance and struggle. All of these stories provide examples of faith to help us on our walk with the Lord, Feeling so humble and grateful today. peace, sisters.
This was such a beautiful chapter to read. Vs.6 really spoke to me this morning. “…and it is impossible to please God without FAITH.” This hit home because I am constantly asking God if my decisions please Him and I pray to understand His will for me. But my decisions (no matter how good intended they are to try and follow Christ and his will for me) do not mean anything if I don’t truly have Faith in all I do. A lot of times I will make decisions but don’t have full faith. I need to learn to have faith and contentment no matter what season I am in. And have faith in the Lord that no matter what decisions I make, He can and will set my path straight.
Hey girls! this passage was exemplary. The verses that stuck out to me most were verses 13-16 (the Message):
"Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them."
I loved the NIV version better because of the wording, but found it easier to comprehend and soak in with the message. Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever read (or at least one of them)? There is no disgrace or disappointment from these faithful people when they see their promise off in the distance, knowing they will never quite reach it- because they know that the life of living for God is one that is (sorry about the cliche) about the journey- the expanse before you- and not about the here and now. For me, seeing that promised land in the distance, like a city you see from a mountain top, is all apart of the promised land; it is glorious in and of itself. Praise God for giving us Promises and blessing us abundantly as we give up more and more to Him! I love you, Lord!!! You are so gracious, patient, exciting, and GOOD!!!!
Have a blessed day, girls!
Faith is not just believing, It's ACTION!
Wow I've read chapter 11 several times but boy was God Speaking to me today. what stood out to me today was the way each figure RESPONDED to God. v. 7 "Noah when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear BUILT and ark.." v.8 "By faith Abraham, WHEN CALLED to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, OBEYED and WENT…" They all trusted in God not worrying what their situations looked like but believing that God is who he says he is and could do what he said he could do
two weeks ago I sat with my pastor frustrated because God had planted a vision in me but all I could focus on was the how. Her response we serve a supernatural God that can do infinitely more than us humans can and can even imagine.
Today I see I can relax and let God work on the How, when, and where and focus on being obedient and walking in faith by moving my feet and preparing and I know I will see God answer and fill in the gaps
I just read your testimony on your blog. It's pretty powerful! I have lived through a lot of what you described. Abandonment, rejection, bullying, not fitting in, depression and then…redemption. I just wrote a post on my blog to encourage gals like us. Here's the link if you are interested. http://junebugheart.wordpress.com/2013/07/02/i-kn…
Blessings and nice to meet you!
I just read it too, good for you, blogging is a great way to get that testimony out there! I followed you on facebook, twitter and Pinterest to help get you going! :) Blessings!
Is this referring to the finale?!!!!! Revelation chapter 21??
Hey Nancy!
Google John Piper's sermon titled "Running with the Witnesses"..I read it this morning as it discusses those two verses and how they relate to the very next verse–chapter 12 verse 1. Piper said:
"God's purpose is that all His people–all the redeemed–be gathered in before any of them enjoys the fullness of His promise. His purpose is that we all come into the fullness of our inheritance TOGETHER.
So the motivation is this…your life counts to God and to them. Your finishing the race is what history is waiting for. The entire consummation of the plan of the universe waits until every single one of God's elect are gathered in. All history waits and all those who have lived by faith crowd the marathon route to urge you on, because they will not be perfected without you. Nor you without them."
LOVE that.
Woo! What a glorious way to put it! Gets the blood pumping in my veins!
Sweet Amy! Praise God for you friend. We r many miles apart but I feel so close in my heart to you. Thank you and I will check it out tonight . Check your email. Ok. I will email you more hugs
I think it's basically saying that everyone who exhibited faith in this passage were commended and blessed for their faith, but most of them never got what God promised them in this life- because they will receive it in the next life, the only place where they will truly be made perfect WITH us, as a whole.
the message: "Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours."
Hope I helped!
#39 and 40–sorry.
There are two ways to view these verses. Some of them received promises of future blessings – Abraham being promised to be the father of innumerable offspring. Abraham did not receive this in his lifetime but, through Isaac, he could see that promise far off.
Also, all of these people of faith were given the promise of a Messiah. Many died before the fulfillment of that promise but they lived in faith and knew it would, one day, be a reality.
That is my interpretation, anyway. :)
Thank you!!!
I also am a little confused by #9-40.???
I love this chapter! I am so amazed by the challenges these individuals faced and the faith they had to walk through them. I think of the things in my life that challenge my faith, and in retrospect they are really nothing. I definitely need to grow in this area. I do find one part a little confusing… Both verses 13 & 39 say, though these people had faith, they did not receive the promise. What promise is this referring to? Redemption through Christ? Heaven?
I believe this is talking about what ever it was that they were believing for. They didn't recieve it it in their earthly lifetime. This could refer to the coming Messiah. Or it could refer to a personal promise that was given for the people as a whole, who later saw the fulfillment, or are still waiting for it, such as the return of Christ.
"These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland."
This place is not home and I cause myself such heartache when I forget that. And these people died without receiving the promises they had been given BUT they saw them from a distance. I can't help but wonder what – or Who – they saw. I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 1:20:
"For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in Him."
The "Him" in this verse is Christ. If we are honest, there are times when we feel like we haven't "received the promises" that we either read in Scripture or feel God has spoken to us. But, maybe, it's because we are looking for the fulfillment of those promises in the here and now. God never said His promises would be fulfilled in our spouse or our jobs or our appearance or anything else this world has to offer. We must look ahead, to our homeland, and know that EVERY ONE of God's promises are YES in CHRIST. Makes me just a little bit homesick.
Verses 33-40 show the real faith these people had in God to go through so much and not receive the promise. Then the final verse says that God had provided something better for us that apart fro us they should not be made perfect. The Ampified Bible says" Because God had us in mind and had something better and greater in view for us, so that they{these heroes and heroines of faith} should not come to perfection apart from us {before we could join them}. So basically they went through this and still have to wait on us to be made perfect in Christ. And we get to use them as wonderful examples of faith in God! What a group of awesome people to us as examples. My prayer is that one day someone maybe able to use me as an example of faith in God.
But they saw “them” in the distance.
What does thou see? Have we stop seeing, expecting,believing.
Can i , we stand, intercede, claim a promise of healing, deliverance,recovery
for someone else, maybe even ourselves. Even though you yourself may not
see the manifestation.
Lord I stand this morning lifiting up everyone of my sisters in this community, those present and the thousands that are to come. By Faith Lord you know each and every need, their levels in you, and what it will take to meet those needs. Father I know that you are able to do exceedeling,abundantly more than we can imagine. I don’t have to see it… it is done. Amen
Let us create an atmosphere of praise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWAV3LJGHXU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Ladies have a lovely day.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)
Everyone puts their faith in something. Our faith reveals who we are and whose we are. If I put my faith in my "independence" then I will reveal that in all I say and do…I would be a "pull yourself up by your own boot straps" kind of girl, ok, ok, Old Lady…and I would serve my own abilities and capacities…which is why so many who put their faith in their own ability collapse and see no purpose in living when they encounter aging and loss of function. Faith in independence crumbles when faced with increasing dependence.
Faith in God manifests itself from the outset as Dependent on the One who IS and the One who keeps His Promises, the One who never leaves us. It is more than belief in God. It is believing God!
Lord, I believe, please help my unbelief. Lord, let me look beyond my circumstances, beyond the port where I am moored and by faith sail out into the vastness of the ocean of your love knowing whatever I encounter, you already know and will bring me through. Lord, I want to please you. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living.
That is how the Message starts this chapter. Faith is the FACT which make life worth living. Isn’t this what we all believe? I love that it calls FAITH a FACT! The world doesn’t get this. The world thinks that the greatest reality is the here and now. We know that the only reality is faith and God.
As I read through Hebrews 11 this morning I was reminded of so many people in the bible who had faith, who believed and who were not ashamed to allow God to be their God! But the verse that stuck out most to me this morning was
V:16- But as it is they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepare for them a city, (ESV).
In the past 10 days there have been 40+ shootings, and 15 homicides in my city, it is clear that Baltimore needs Jesus, this verse made me stop in the middle of reading and to pray for my city, that they would desire a more heavenly place to call home, that they would not be ashamed to allow God to be their God. But even more that as a body we would be crying out and begging for Jesus and revival in our city, that people wouldn't be dying from senseless violence daily in my city. It made me believe that if I continued to pray faithfully and continued to serve my inner city community, completely on faith from God that things can change…and that others will believe and take steps of faith to pray for our city.
This was just what I needed to read this morning!
Hey Ladies! My sister told me that I should check out #shereadstruth and to be honest it has been really helpful. Being in the word renews my soul in a way nothing else can. This song has been a big inspiration to me throughout the past year as I have my plans altered, things dont go as I plan them, and imperfections of the world hurt me. Sometimes I blare this song as I pray and run off my worries. I pray today that it might help each of you. Remember that in times when we want to have faith but dont we can always ask God to Give us Faith.
I pray today that you go forth bless, and be blessed! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFHudYLt6l0 ( Give me Faith Elevation Worship)
Love it Elyssa!
Thanks Elyssa saved it to my phone
Great song! Thanks for sharing… hoping this refrain plays in my head all day.
I, too, am always in awe of the "faith" chapter! Today I was particularly struck by the passage "Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life." (Hebrews 11:35 ESV)
Refusing to accept release!! They knew that what awaited them on the other side was better than what this life had to offer. So they would rather be tortured and killed knowing that their "future" was eternal life with the One who had given His life for them.
It goes on to say…"of whom the world was not worthy…" What they suffered and endured is unimaginable…they truly gave their very lives for the Gospel.
Would that I would realize how powerful this Message is that I hold in my hand! The power to change the world!
The next verse in Hebrews 12:1 says, "Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it." The Message
Help me Lord to realize what I hold in my hands! By faith!
Wow, I am totally blown away by how much faith the great people of the Bible had. They had so much at stake, so much to lose, yet they placed their trust in God. He showed his faithfulness time after time. I loved towards the end of the chapter when the author just starts making a list of all those who had great faith, because there wasn't enough room to write about all of them. That's how great our God is! There isn't enough pages or enough words to capture his true power and might. I feel so inadequate in my faith after reading this, yet at the end I am hopeful because I know that God's grace covers all my inadequacies. Lord, build my faith in you and help me not to lose sight of your majesty!
I love what the Message version says in verse 1: The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. (Hebrews 11:1, 2 MSG)
I heard our pastor say once regarding v5 that as Enoch and God walked together, they were just walking closer to God's House than they were to Enoch's. Father, today I pray that I would walk with You and I would live in a way that shows others that I am closer to Your house than I am to mine! I love You! In Jesus Name I pray. Amen!
I find myself overwhelmed this morning by the truth in this passage. Especially now as my husband has accepted a new job and we are moving far away and leaving all of our family behind, I take great comfort in this scripture knowing that “he who promised is faithful” (verse 11). Jesus is so much greater than I can comprehend and I am so in awe of his master plan, and so humbled that he chose to make me a part of it! I pray that you all would be as strengthened and encouraged by this passage as I have been today!
Very good passage of scripture today-like a history of the Bible! When the world is against us, which it always is, our faith is always with us. No on can take it away. Blessings on you all today!
Exercising faith in the only One who has the power to deliver my heart’s greatest desires.
Wow, what a list of some of the most influential people of the bible listed all in one place to show us how to live by faith! "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them from a distance admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth." Lord, help me to live by faith like these amazing people. They, too, were ordinary people that you used for extraordinary purposes. They lived by faith and "chose to be mistreated…disgraced…rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin." Be patient, Lord, as I walk (more like stumble) by faith through my days here on earth, trying to keep my eyes on the reward in heaven, seeing the pleasures of earth from a distance, knowing my time here is as a foreigner and not to allow my flesh to be deceived by the pleasures of this world.
faith isn't about us. it's about who we place it in. i am placing my faith in You oh Lord.
These verses provided me with a much needed reminder that as our faith in God grows stronger, His provision for us does to. Thank you Lord, for showing me that what seems impossible to man, is possible with YOU! I will continue to walk by faith.
Faith, Faith, Faith. Oh how I need more and more each day, without Faith I cannot please my father. Oh Lord increase my Faith daily. In Jesus name amen.