Faith is about His will, not mine…

 

Most of the time I think of faith as trusting God to do something that I want Him to do. However, reading Hebrews 11 this morning describes faith differently. It is not about my wants but about receiving what God wants or is doing, trusting His actions and commands. In other words, faith is trusting that whatever God decides or does is okay by me, and not necessarily asked for or expected by me.

Not only that, the examples of faith in this chapter are far bigger and more significant than my prayers for myself, or family and friends. The first one is:

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:3)

Most of the scientific world tries to decipher the origin of the universe. For those whose faith is in God, He says He created it and we believe it, not because of the evidence but because we know that God does not lie, and that by a word, He can do whatever He wants.  

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. (Hebrews 11:4)

Abel knew what God wanted and offered it. Cain offered what he wanted to give, trusting his own judgment. Even today, I need to remember that my ‘great’ ideas need to be from Him, not mine alone.

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)

Noah listened and obeyed. The ark and the flood were not his idea or his prayer request. It was the same for Abraham who “obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8) He lived “in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise” and his wife “Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” Then “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son.” (Hebrews 11:8-17) None of these were prayed for as human wants. 

More are mentioned, Moses particularly. His life was preserved because his parents hid him, trusting God to preserve his life. But the result was beyond anyone’s prayers as He became a great leader who “By faith, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter” and “left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.” By faith, “he kept the Passover, crossed the Red Sea as on dry land” and led God’s people to their gifted land. 

Later, God told His people to conquer Jericho with a strange battle plan, and “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” (Hebrews 11:30)
These accounts give ample reason for prayer that listens more than prayer that treats God like a genie in a bottle. In love, He does hear and answer my smaller requests for such things that are significant to me, yet would I respond in faith to His requests? And to the revelations He gives me concerning His will?

PRAY: Forgive me Jesus for talking more than I listen. My will is so imperfect. I need to pay greater attention to Your will and in faith, act on what You say instead of always asking You for what I want. While You often put requests into mind that are Your will, I cannot assume anything. Far better to ask You to surprise me than tell You what to do.