By Faith

Hebrews 11

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. Hebrews 11: 1-2

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11: 39-40

By faith Abel . . . By faith Enoch . . . By faith Noah . . . By faith Abraham . . . By faith Isaac . . . By faith Jacob . . . By faith Joseph . . . By faith Moses . . . By faith the walls of Jericho fell . . . By faith the prostitute Rahab . . .

By faith these followed the call of God and the Holy Spirit. As scripture says, ‘yet none of them received what had been promised’, but ‘something better’! They trusted their God that He would provide for them, change their circumstances, bless them, they spoke the truth, they marched for 7 days and they were obedient.

Isn’t that all God is asking of us, to trust Him and be obedient to Him? He wants to give us something better than what we can see for ourselves in our current circumstances. All we have to do is ask Him, trust Him and be obedient to Him. He will give us all we need, not necessarily all we want, but all we need. Those are two different things. As you approach His Holy Throne are you asking for wants or needs? Ask with an expectant heart. He is waiting to bless you.

In the scripture below Christ says three times 'remain in me/vine'.

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5

This is what Barnes' Notes Commentary says regarding this text.

Abide in me - Remain united to me by a living faith. Live a life of dependence on me, and obey my doctrines, imitate my example, and constantly exercise faith in me. And I in you - That is, if you remain attached to me, I will remain with you, and will teach, guide, and comfort you. This he proceeds to illustrate by a reference to the vine. If the branch should be cut off an instant, it would die and be fruitless. As long as it is in the vine, "from the nature of the case," the parent stock imparts its juices, and furnishes a constant circulation of sap adapted to the growth and fruitfulness of the branch. So our piety, if we should be separate from Christ, or if we cease to feel our union to him and dependence on him, withers and droops.

I believe that part of remaining 'in' Him is to remain in His Word. I know for me being 'in' His Word daily I am refreshed and can feel the 'constant circulation' of His love, peace, guidance and comfort.