Trusting God Is Not a Rational Thing
Scripture Reading — Hebrews 11:1-3
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
I am a Chicago Cubs fan, infected by my father, who watched them faithfully until his death in 1984. The Cubs have not been to the World Series since 1945. They have not won a world baseball championship since 1908. In 1994, the Cubs were one out away from making me proud, but they broke my heart again. Yet, I hope to see them play in the World Series again someday.
My infatuation with the Cubs offers a small picture of the inconvenient faith described in our text. The writer of Hebrews wants to keep hope alive as Jewish Christians try to live the Jesus life in a hostile world.
We live in an age of anxiety. We measure people by whether they are "safe" or "unsafe." We view the world through anxiety-filled glasses.
Jesus hands us the eyeglasses of hope. He does not want his followers to give up. In Hebrews 11 we find inspiring examples of believers who live by hope and faithfulness, even in the midst of terrible struggles. Hope remains the only way to see that our world indeed belongs to God.
Faith in Jesus begins with a little seed. "The ancients" were people in the Bible who believed and nurtured their faith in the way God guided them. "In this world," said Jesus, "you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
<p>Dear Jesus, may our trust in you keep our hearts from being troubled and afraid, because you indeed have overcome the world. </p><p>In your precious name we pray. Amen</p>
About the author — Reginald Smith
Dr. Reginald Smith is senior pastor at Roosevelt Park Community Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he has served for seventeen years. He has also served as a pastor in Paterson, New Jersey. He and his wife, Sharon, have three daughters, Janelle, Katrina, and Mariah.
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