Hard Faith.....Walk It Out!

Read Hebrews 11:7-8

"By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TO ME!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TO ME!!!! Well, not yet. It's actually tomorrow. But honestly, it's exciting. It is. I'm really very thankful for another year. Seriously. The year I've had has been truly undeserved and truly unwarranted. Trust me on this one....every blessing I've been allowed to witness and enjoy has been because of the Father. And that ain't me being self-deprecating...that's me speakin' the TRUTH, fam. The blessing of another year of life is icing on the cake.

Birthdays, specifically as you get older, bring a certain introspection, self-examination and deep thought regarding your life. You get kinda philosophical in your old age. :-) Such is the case this year with me. You begin to think more about your successes & your failures; the choices you've made and their consequences; mistakes you've made & glories you've celebrated, etc. You think about your life's journey and what you've actually done with it - the life God's given you and what you've accomplished....or haven't accomplished. In the extreme case of that introspection, the results are what they call, "a mid-life crisis". I ain't quite that old, yet. Haven't experienced that one. :-) But there's actually another phenomenon happening more & more in younger adults around age 25 nicknamed, "a quarter life crisis". I ain't experienced those, either.....but I've definitely come close. ;-) In both cases, though, of "crises", an individual has wanted for certain things or actually "stepped out on faith" - as they say - for certain things, dreams & hopes, etc. They begin to wonder if those hoped for and sometimes prayed for desires and promises they'd been believing were true will ever manifest. The thought of, "DID GOD EVEN EVER REALLY SAY WHAT I THOUGHT HE SAID REGARDING A PROMISE OR HAPPENING IN MY LIFE?" may cross their mind. It's definitely crossed mine. Word!

There have been moments....I've had moments when I've sincerely questioned what God was doing (or not doing) in my life. Personally, publicly and professionally. Particularly within this last year or so, with a certain exasperation & weariness, I'd cry out and say, "what the heck am I doing, Lord....seriously?"....."like, what are YOU doing with me?" I look around (and that’s my first mistake) and see many of my peers and proceed to compare the successes that they’ve attained, i.e. financial, familial, etc. with where I'm at and what I've got. Not a smart move, by the way. I begin to doubt the legitimacy of some of the choices I’ve made as they’ve pertained to my obedience to God. Questions like, "is what I'm pursuing legitimate or even relevant?"...."will anyone care?" or "does any of this matter?" Similarly like the Israelites of the Old Testament, I think "why have you lead me out here to die?!" Okay....maybe not THAT extreme...but you get my point. The reality of trials or financial lack or uncomfortable circumstances smackin' me in the face had tended to blind me from what had been spoken of in the quietness of my heart. It's true! The reality of what you see in front of you can be a bitter pill to swallow, sometimes...especially when it directly conflicts with what you know to be true. "If you told me to go forward, Lord, then why are there all these barriers and objections beckoning me to the contrary?"

Hebrews 11 is unofficially known as "The Hall of Faith" because it enshrines men and women of faith who triumphed in their own lifetime. I always kinda get hyped when I read it because I see that their faith wasn't abstract and ambiguous like how most folk used the word "faith", today. It wasn't just "being positive". It was solidly, grounded. It wasn't general. It was specific. Their faith was directed toward Someone in whom it was worth putting. That make sense? Their faith wasn't in themselves or their own abilities. Their faith (our faith) was/is only as good as the object in which it is placed. The saints of old looked forward to the messianic hope and believed in God's promises which in turn pointed to the future Messiah, Jesus. This kinda faith motivated those brothas and sisters to live for God and trust Him to fulfill His promises. Again...I get kinda geeked about it! It reminds me that the great things that had never been done before weren’t done before someone did’em! Did ya get that!? Read that, again. :-) It's a simple notion. Like, prior to doing those acts of faith.....they weren't did! :-) Noah had never seen it rain like that before it happened. He had to build something he had never seen to protect him and his fam from something that had never happened, prior!!! Similarly, Abraham had no clue where he'd end up prior to getting there. They both just heard and obeyed. That takes faith, man! That’s takes vision and the willingness to walk in that vision! I'm sure it wasn't easy for them by any stretch of the imagination. It takes a willingness to appear absurd by your peers; naïve by your elders and possibly ostracized by everyone else. It definitely takes more than just a nominal, general belief in God. It takes a steadfast conviction and trust in His Way, His truth, His power & sovereignty and His loving wisdom. Nominal, sometime-ey faith don’t leave much room for the miraculous, ya know?

Wanna witness profound miracles in your life, Christian? Exercise profound faith in the Living God and walk it out! If faith is indeed the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen....then the evidence of my faith will be reflected in how I walk. If our Heavenly Father has commissioned you to move forward toward a particular thing - whether through His word or through His Holy Spirit...and you believe that word...then it would behoove you to walk and KEEP walking in and towards that belief. WALK IT OUT!

"Diary of a Mad Christian: A Cross Reference" is available on BarnesandNoble.com & Amazon.com and ALL E-Reader devices (iPad, Kindle & Nook)

Follow Us! twitter.com/MadChrstnDiary
Like Us! facebook.com/DiaryofaMadChristian


"For if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say], it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:13 (Amplified Bible)