November 29: Hebrews 11 22

Key Verse: Hebrews 11 22
By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

Devotion:
If we knew the date when Jesus was going to return to earth, would you be encouraged or discouraged? I would love to think we would all be more encouraged to go and tell people about what is going to happen and when, but I fear most people would turn their backs on God and say something like “well, I will be dead before that happens, so I will leave it to someone else to tell you about God.”

As a race, we are more inclined to sit back and wait for something to happen rather than to go out and tell people about something that is going to happen. So it is little wonder when there is a little doubt in the equation, so many people simply brush it aside or pass the buck. We do face an uphill struggle when we try to tell others about God's Word, but that does not mean we must give up trying.

Many people are given more resolve to go out and tell people when they have set-backs, but many more are given to apathy when the going gets tough – that is just the way we are. But when we start to strengthen ourselves each day, when we start to make sure we keep up with the exercise, then we find we are more able to stay with it. The only way we are going to become fit to endure the challenge before us, is by making sure we keep up with our learning of God's Word, keep up with our regular prayers to God, and to stay close to Him all the time.

Joseph knew God had promised someone would come to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt. He knew God's Word was His promise. He continued to make sure people were aware of what would happen in the future, even though He did not know the exact date or time. Be ready!

Points to Ponder:
Do you like surprise visits from friends?

If Jesus returned right now, would you be ready?

November 28: Hebrews 11 21

Key Verse: Hebrews 11 21
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

Devotion:
Just as Abraham was able to trust in God to provide a sacrifice for him to offer to God, we must be able to put our trust in the unseen. For faith is all about believing in the unseen and knowing that it will come to pass. Jacob was blind when he blessed Joseph's sons. And yet, he knew which of the sons should have his right hand placed on. He knew which of the sons would be the greater. He was fully trusting in God to show him what to do in blessing them.

Many times in our lives, we cannot see the wood for the trees. We are blind to what is actually happening in our lives because we simply do not want it to be true. We shut our eyes when we get near to danger. We do not want to know what is going to happen to us. What we should be doing is embracing the situation, knowing that God is going to show us the way. Now, I am not saying we should take up a career as a stunt man and see how high a cliff we can jump off without a parachute! What I am saying is we should allow God to be our guide in everyday life, not just when we get into trouble.

How are you going to know what God wants you to do if you are only going to listen to Him when He tells you what you should not be doing? Do you think it would be sound to go through life doing what you wanted so that you could find out what are all the bad things in life? What you should be doing is listening to find out what the bad things are so that you can avoid them in the first place.

Without God's guidance in our everyday lives, we are blind to His needs, blind to our needs, blind to everything that is good. Trust in the unseen, but don’t just shut your eyes and see what happens.

Points to Ponder:
Would you walk blindfolded through a minefield?

Will you trust God to show you the mines in your life?

November 27: Hebrews 11 20

Key Verse: Hebrews 11 20
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

Devotion:
And just when you are beginning to put your trust in someone here on earth, things start to go very wrong! Just when you think you have built up enough trust between you and that other person, they go and do something stupid, or something wrong, or even something against you!

There are so many people in this world who are working against Christianity, who are focusing on nothing more than themselves. They do not want to believe anybody else could ever be in charge of their lives, so they “go it alone”. One thing they are going to find is when push comes to shove, they are going to be left alone – they are going to be high and dry.

God wants us to be fully aware there are going to be times in our lives when things will go wrong. Times when the unexpected is going to become reality. Times when we will begin to wonder if “Murphy's Law” is actually real. It is at those times we need to make sure we are close to God, close to our protector, close to our loving Father and willing to change. Some people will not change, no matter what we say to them and no matter how we try and convince them they are in the wrong. I was given a lesson by a Pastor who made it all sound so obvious...

When people around you are shunning every chance you take to witness to them verbally, then the only thing that you can do is to show them physically what the church is all about. Continue to allow them to see how much love we have in our lives for everyone and everything. Continue to show them how happy we can be in adversity, because we know the truth about our destination! Continue to show them God’s precious love.

Points to Ponder:
How do you convince a baby that fire is hot?

Will you believe God or want to put your hand in the fire?

November 26: Hebrews 11 17-19

Key Verse: Hebrews 11 17
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

Devotion:
When I read this story about Abraham and his son Isaac, I am amazed at the amount of faith he showed. Can you imagine placing your most dear and loved person on an altar and being ordered to kill them? That is exactly the faith God wants us all to have. When He said we should have no other gods before Him, He meant it. If we are not willing to obey God in everything we do, then we are not fully obeying God. If we try to impose our own exceptions in everything we do, then we are following ourselves rather than following Him.

Now, look at the other side of the story. God had already promised Abraham that Isaac would be the seed of many. God had already promised he would be the father of many. Abraham had no doubt God would provide once again, just as He had by allowing him and Sarah to have a child at their great age.

When we go through our lives, we tend to look at the here and now and not take too much concern about other things. What we have to do, though, is to make sure we know God's word, make sure we understand His promises, make sure we know God is our provider and He will provide for us in all circumstances. Even when we cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, God is already working in our lives to make sure we are provided for and His will be done and everything can ultimately be used to Glorify Him.

You may think that this amount of faith is just too much to handle, but never forget the other side of the coin... God WILL provide. When He asks you into a position which seems impossible, it is only because He wants to show you His amazing grace and favour!

Points to Ponder:
Would you give up your computer or games machine for God?

What obstacles do you have between you and God?