Today during my quiet time, I read through Hebrews 11, which has been dubbed the “Heroes of the Faith” passage of the New Testament. It’s a great reference to review the major characters in the Old Testament that the Lord used to bring His plans of restoring the Earth to fruition. Pastors and teachers love this chapter because it is such a succinct summary of how the Lord awarded faith in many well-known Bible heroes, like Abraham and Moses.
As someone who has studied the Bible and attended church my whole life,
it is easy to say to myself, “I already know all these stories. Faith is
powerful, and God loves it. Ok, cool.”
But I chose to come to this passage with a fresh perspective, open to
what God may want to show me today. The chapter begins with the ever popular
definition of faith,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do
not see.”
This verse is often used to encourage those that have been struggling
with an on-going conflict of some sort, reminding them that God is true to His
promises. Holding on to faith in the face of conflict and suffering is
something the Lord holds in high esteem.
But as I read on, I suddenly became aware of verse 3, which is often
glossed over in light of the definition of what faith is and who the ancient
“Heroes of the Faith” were. It says this,
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so
that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
I literally STOPPED reading when I read this verse. Seriously, just think about it! Every single thing in this universe was not, until God called it into
being.
This means that where there was nothing, God saw something.
This means that when there was only darkness, God filled everything
with light.
God created not just you out of nothing; not just all plants and
animals out of nothing. God created the universe
out of nothing. He spoke, and it came
to be.
What does this mean for us? First, if gives us significance. It gives
us identity. God called us into being when nothing like humanity existed
before. Not only that, but He took the time to create each thing
individually.
When we feel like nothing, God says, “You are something.”
But what else does this mean for us? It means that whatever we think is
impossible is, in fact, possible with God!
Whatever dream is in your heart that feels out of reach or unobtainable
is possible.
If God gives you a dream that looks completely impossible for you, God
is the God of possibility. He creates something where there is nothing. He
calls something by name before it even has being.
God has placed dreams in the hearts of some men and women. But often we
lack the faith that they will actually happen.
I have lived without faith in the dreams God has given me, but He has
relentlessly pursued me to remind me of these dreams. He continues to lead me
to places where my faith will be built up so strong that I can no longer ignore
what He is dreaming for me.
So today I want to challenge you to dream big with God. Even if He has
not placed a dream in your heart, He wants to partner with you. He wants to
help and watch you grow and step out in faith every single day.
When our dreams align with God’s heart, and we have faith that He will
do them, there is nothing that can stand in our way. Scripture says that even
faith as small as a mustard seed can move a mountain.
So what is it you want to see God do for the sake of His glory? Because
He is faithful to His word and will
move mountains on your behalf.
But here is the trick to it: in order for God to move on your behalf, you
must seek Him first. While God wants
to give good gifts and have His people live up to the potential He created them
for, it is easy to get caught up in the idea of living these dreams of seeing
churches double or becoming world-famous evangelists so much that it becomes
more about becoming something ourselves and not about His glory.
These dreams should serve the end purpose of learning about and
revealing more of who He is.
Ultimately, while all these dreams are amazing and will advance the
Kingdom on Earth, it is important to remember that HE is our prize.
Seek the Lord in all you do and dream big with Him. He waits for you to
come so He can show you what He can do.
