How You Stay Enough | Hebrews 11, Matthew 9, James 4:8

This is a fun episode for me because I get to introduce you to my favorite verse, Hebrews 11:1. It’s my favorite because it brings so much hope, confidence, assurance, certainty, conviction. The author of Hebrews is saying that biblical faith is not a vague hope grounded in imaginary wishful thinking. Instead, faith is a settled confidence that something in the future, something that is not yet seen but has been promised by God, will actually come to pass, because God will bring it about.

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Transcription:

Guest Host: Jen Ervig

We often hear when going through hard things, phrases like just have enough faith or simply believe. We might hear don’t lose faith or keep the faith, but what is faith and how do I know I have what it takes? And how do I know I’m not crazy if I exercise it? Faith seems like such an intangible, almost heebie geevy kind of thing sometimes. What is faith and what do I need to do about it? I ran a Facebook poll and people answered with statements such as, it’s a joy bringer. It’s a relationship, not rules. You can’t see it, another person says, or it’s always in God’s timing. Another says, life is lonely and complete vanity without it. It brings hope, healing and purpose. It brings freedom. Another says, you exercise it when you pray. Huh. Faith. I still feel like I need a solid definition to work from, and the scriptures provide us with one.

This is a fun episode for me because I get to introduce you to my favorite verse, Hebrews 11:1.

Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you cannot see.

Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you can’t see.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of the unseen.

Faith is the confidence of what’s hoped for.

It’s my favorite because it brings so much hope. Confidence, assurance, certainty, conviction. Those are hope-filled words according to the ESV study Bible, the author of Hebrews is saying that biblical faith is not a vague hope grounded in imaginary wishful thinking. In instead, faith is a settled confidence that something in the future, something that is not yet seen but has been promised by God will actually come to pass, because God will bring it about.

Thus, biblical faith is not blind trust in the face of contrary evidence. Not an noble leap in the dark. Rather biblical faith is a confident trust in the eternal God who is all powerful, infinitely wise, eternally trustworthy. The God who has revealed himself in his Word and in the person of Jesus Christ, whose promises have proven true from generation to generation, and who will never leave or forsake his own. One of my favorite quotes is by Martha Tension and it says,

If you struggle to trust God, it may be because you don’t know him.

I know him. I trust him. I’m sure of what I hope for and certain of him, even though I can’t see him because he has proven faithful. I love Hebrews the 11:1 because sometimes being a person of faith makes me feel like I’m crazy, like God is my imaginary friend that I believe in. Thing is I know better than that because I’ve seen him prove true throughout my life. Nevertheless because of my instabilities or not enoughness, there’s this tension. Then to add to the angst, I read Hebrews 11:6 that says,

Without it, it’s impossible to please God

…and that’s scary. I want to please him because I know he’s real and not imaginary, but if I doubt, am I failing? Am I not enough? I doubt all the time. Sometimes almost every minute of any given day. Guess I’m a failure and God is angry, but because of this definition of faith in Hebrews 11,:1, I am encouraged that I’m pleasing him when I hear the message of 11:6, because faith depends on him. Faith depends on his enoughness. We struggle with faith and how to know if we even have it, if we’re willing to admit we have it or if we struggle with faith in how to know if we even have it or if we’re even willing to admit we have it, because the world has made it so hokey and because Christians have misrepresented him from time to time. We claim we love Jesus here, that without faith he’s displeased, and then we fill ourselves with worry and dread or I do anyway.

How do I stay enough? How do I remain in his enoughness? Here’s what we know about God in this. His grace is big and he meets us where we are. Let’s look at a couple of scenarios where this has played out. Remember the Lord’s prayer? Jesus said, When you pray, our Father who aren’t in heaven [Did you catch that?] When you’re talking to God, you’re to address and acknowledge who he is. That mere action is a step of faith. Even if you have doubts, the fact that you’re willing to pray proves your faith, even though it may be a small level and that you’re not crazy talking to some imaginary being, unless you are crazy, but that’s another podcast. Why do I say even addressing him? Though the small act that it is, is enough faith, because the word tells us that even if we have a mustard, seed sized amount of faith, mountains can move.

There’s a story of a bleeding woman in Matthew 9. Just then, a woman who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, if I only touch his cloak, that will be enough and I will be healed. Jesus turned and saw her. Take heart, daughter. He said, your faith has healed you. In other words, your faith has been enough and the woman was healed at that moment, all she had was the hope of touching him. That’s it. It was that small amount of faith that Jesus said healed her. When small action, a touch perhaps filled with uncertainty, but acted out nonetheless. That was all it took. It was enough, and Jesus said her faith healed her. Here’s what I need you to hear.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we can’t see because of who he is and how he’s proven it in our lives, time and again,

Philip saw it. Moses saw it. You have seen it. And we know we have enough faith when even though we move forward in faith, just a little, God meets us the rest of the way. He makes the big effort. Look again at the bleeding woman. All she did was reach out and touch. It was Jesus that healed. Stopped what he was doing in the midst of the busy crowd as he was on his way to heal someone else and acknowledged her, then encouraged her that it was her faith that healed her. Amazing. James 4:8 tells us, Draw near to God and he’ll draw near to you. I firmly believe that if you even take half a baby step, he will run, however many zillion miles left that there is at full speed to meet you in that moment. Look how I believe he met my brother.

I do believe my brother’s with him. I mentioned earlier that I did a poem on what believers wanted people to know about faith. I also asked them why you need to know it and what you should do about it. Here’s what they said: So you’re not exhausted anymore. Because he’s enough. So you let go and let God. Because no amount of what you can do alone is enough. Because action crushes doubt. Obedience is enough, and what do they want you to do about it? Focus on it and the hope it brings., rather than life’s trials, have boundaries in life that protect your peace. Stay focused on trusting him, enjoying him and the mission. Pray, Our Father and start asking questions, real questions. This is how you stay enough.

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