See what He Brews!

Hebrews 11 thoughts: this is The famous, "By Faith" chapter that talks about the heroes of the faith. It's pretty cool to go through and think about the people he both implicitly names and then only hints at. I am afraid with the common popularity of teachers and pastors of shaming fellow US citizens for how blessed we are and not doing anything about it that the real power of this chapter might get lost in shaming people.

The real power of this chapter lies not in shaming us for what we have, but to inspire us to action. Look at all these people, who armed only with faith literally did the impossible and did things for God that no one else has done before, nor has done since. This chapter should make you get up out of your chair and raise your first into the air and say, "Yes! I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me!" and know that no dream is too big for the kingdom of God. Faith is our power to do the things that God wants to do on this Earth through us. 

It's not for US that God wants to do these things, but for Himself, and drawing others to Himself. How amazing would it be at the end of your life to look back and see everything that God had used you to do? To not only be another tool in the tool shed that had helped make many houses, but to be a well used tool. Not something left in the box, but something that has duct-tape holding it together, maybe a few other parts holding it together, and very, very obvious that it was a favorite tool of the designer. 

That's what I want. I might not be listed in a list like this of the ancient heroes of the faith, but i hope at the end of my life I can look back and see where God has chosen to use me, and where I let myself be used. It seems safer to be a tool that never gets used. You'll never get chipped, or worn, or break. But to be used is exciting, dangerous, and you are serving your purpose. (Ironically from a faith perspective the places of "safety" and "danger" are reversed from what you might normally think.) This is my hope for all of you reading this. That you will let God use you, and that you will be a tool for the Lord powered by some crazy amounts of faith that defies all logic.

~B.
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