Join us in prayer and daily devotions in partnership with our 12 Team Nicaragua members!

FAITH: RESPONDING WELL TO CHANGES

Daily Scripture (Read Hebrews 11:1-16)

“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8

Daily Devotional—Faith: Responding Well To Changes

What does it mean to live by faith? Hebrews 11 gives us a list of many figures who had faith. What do all these people have in common? What does the list of faith heroes tell us about what it means to be viewed by God as a person of faith? Verses 1-16 gives us a list: The ancients believed God created the universe…Abel had faith because he offered God his best…Enoch pleased God with his actions and was taken directly to heaven…Noah had faith because he obeyed God, built the ark and saved the world by doing so…..Abraham had faith as he believed God, obeyed and travelled to the promised land because he “looked forward to the city…of God”….Abraham was enabled to do the impossible by fathering Isaac at age 100 and thereby became the father to descendants as numerous as the stars. Verse 13 is a summary of these heroes’ commonalities. All lived in faith until death. All did not receive the promises of God until after they died. All admitted that they were strangers on the earth. They all looked forward to a better, heavenly “country” beyond. I am encouraged by the above list to think of faith more concretely: believing, offered, pleasing God, obeying, and being enabled through difficulties.

Living with faith to these ancients meant holding onto God’s promises and not letting the current situation dictate their lives or trust in God. The heroes of faith were all focused on heaven and the trustworthiness of God and His promises such that their challenges were not stumbling blocks to their faith. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Heb. 11: 1. What would it look like for us to live in the hope of heaven? Does our confidence in God and His promises shape how we face challenges?

There are such blessings in living with this kind of faith! It causes us to grow in our depth of faith and ability to handle even greater challenges. As we step out in obedience, God comes through and reveals more of Himself to us. We see Him answer after we have obeyed and it heightens our sense of His sovereignty and the way He is in control of all of our lives, the lives of others and the rest of the world. God grows in our mind’s eye and our response is to worship Him.

Most times when people go on mission trips, they return and have had their eyes opened to more of God, His power, His love for people, His joy in people, His provision, His wisdom, His kindness, and His perfect timing. I invite us to pray that each person on the trip to Nicaragua will have their vision of God enlarged. Pray also for us that we will respond well to the challenges we face and with increasing faith.

For The Team:

• What would it look like for us to live in the hope of heaven?
• Does our confidence in God and His promises shape how we face challenges?
• How is the story of Abraham similar to your decision to go to Nicaragua?

Pray:

• Pray that each person on the trip to Nicaragua will have their vision of God enlarged.
• Pray that we all will respond well to the challenges we face with increasing faith.
• Pray that the example of the Nicaraguan people, who live with a daily faith for the most basic needs of life, will encourage and challenge each team member.

His authority on earth allows us to dare to go to all the nations.
His authority in heaven gives us our only hope of success.
And His presence with us leaves us no other choice.
John R.W. Stott