Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11: 1 (ESV)“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Jeremiah 29: 11 (NIV)
The writer of Hebrews penned these inspired words of God— “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Faith that things will go as we planned, right? That things will go well.
But it just doesn’t happen all the time. Actually, it seldom seems to happen.
Things going as we planned, desired, hoped for, that is.
Perhaps it doesn’t happen because it’s our plan. Our desired outcome. Our hope for what will be, or what should be.
The writer of Hebrews says that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for,” and “…[faith is] the conviction of things not seen.”
The hope you and I often seek is set in the uncertainty of our wishes, desires, hoped for things to occur.
But having faith in the “assurance of things hoped for,” which God inspired to be written in Hebrews 11:1, rises out of a confidence and trust we can have in the character of God to fulfill His promises to us and for us.
That faith is not based upon a “maybe” we seek, but on the never-changing character of God.
And that faith in “ the assurance of things hoped for” God has for us, is also set out in what God shares in Jeremiah 29: 11— “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
It gets even better when we look at having faith in God’s inspired words “conviction of things not seen.” Because of the character of God, we can have faith in things not seen, because our experiences with God, and those of others throughout history, demonstrate that if God promises something, He will fulfill that promise.
And if decisions, plans, desires, hopes— “things not seen”— are aligned with God’s will, honoring God, God will fulfill those promises contained throughout His Word which we seek and claim. Promises like, He will work out all things for good (Romans 8: 28), and we can claim eternal life with Him here, and also the assurance of eternal life with Him in Heaven (John 3:16-17; Romans 10: 8-10), and thousands more.
And with the “assurance” and the “conviction” wrapped in our never-changing God Who loves us, we can press on in faith no matter what difficulties, disappointments, despair, and heartaches we face at times.
And it will put an eternal smile on our face.
In 1873, when he had just learned that his four daughters had drowned as the result of the collision of two vessels in the Atlantic Ocean on their way to Europe, Horatio G. Spafford was no doubt about to experience the worst storm he would ever have had to face.
And even though he knew that his four daughters were now with their Heavenly Father, he probably had more reasons at that moment than most of us will ever have in a lifetime to turn away from God, and to reject the assurance, peace, conviction, power, presence, and love of God in his life.
Instead, he wrote the beautiful anthem “It Is Well With My Soul,” a song for your life and mine, a song for the ages, and a song embodying his faith in God, and the faith God inspired to be written in Hebrews 11: 1—
“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul…
And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.”
No matter where we are in life, no matter what storms we face or find ourselves in the middle of—no matter the storms, losses, challenges, valleys, obstacles, heartaches we suffer, or uncertainties we see looming ominously in front of us—God is there.
He is there, calling to us, assuring us, convicting us to press on with Him into all He promises He has for us, here, and hereafter with Him in eternity.
Because we can always have—faith in God.
In His Name–Scott
You will be blessed, encouraged, and inspired by this anthem written by H.G. Spafford and sung by Chris Tomlin, “It Is Well With My Soul.”
