City Life Starter

Written by Efe Abbe

The Word

⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.⁹ By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. ¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11:8-16 ESV

Reflection

Today we are learning about Abraham and Sarah’s faith shown by how they acted.

• Abraham went out not knowing where he was going (v. 8)
• Abraham went and lived in the land of promise as in a foreign land (v. 9)
• Sarah received power to conceive even when she was past the age (v. 11)

Abraham showed his faith by relocating based on God’s instructions alone to go and Sarah had to open herself up to receive the ability to conceive when she was almost ninety years. They were able to have such active faith because they were confident that God, who promised, was faithful (v. 11).

We also learn that Abraham, Sarah, and all others mentioned in this chapter died without receiving everything God promised i.e. seeing the promised Messiah – but still held on to their faith. Meaning they acted and lived what they believed until their last breath, without seeing it come to pass – simply because God said it. They were certain that experiencing death wouldn’t change God’s character to keep His promise.

If these people of old acted with such dogged faith, how much more would this congregation, who were now recipients of the things God promised long ago, need to now hold fast to God’s promise of eternal redemption even in the face of persecution? How much more do we also need to live confidently by faith in that same promise, as the time shortens for Jesus’ return?

Application

Faith isn’t blind. It is acting out what we are thoroughly convinced of on the inside based on the demonstrated reliability of someone or something.

Many of us with regular employment have faith that our employers will compensate us on payday because we have intimate knowledge and receipts of our wages paid on time.

In the same way, we get to build our confidence in God by becoming intentionally intimately familiar with His character. We build intimacy with God by immersing ourselves in how He has acted in history, revealed in His Word; in prayerful surrendering our lives to His will; and by living connected to other children of God – so we get to see up close His power in our lives.

Notice that building faith begins by taking action towards God and when we diligently seek Him, He will reward us.

Prayer

Dear Father, thank You for calling and empowering me to live by faith in You through Jesus, Your Son. Please help me to act and live with confidence in who You say You are and what You have promised to do, in Jesus’ name, amen.