Faith

My reading this week, both the Bible and other material, brought me to the area of faith in the Lord. The passage in particular is Hebrews chapter 11, of which I shall post a few verses here:

"They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance...If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them" - Hebrews 11:13, 15-16

Sometimes things may get difficult; we spend each day doing activities and waiting, not seeing the end nor even a vision of any sort. We wonder why are we doing the things we are, though we persuade ourselves that it is for God. We know that God has a good plan, but it just seems to take so long that we are not so sure about it anymore. We lose our motivation to carry on, and we feel like just giving up.

However God has a perfect timing, and as He assures us, the end is there, though we may not see it. What we need is faith in this ending, that we will surely reach it one day. Here are some quotes from the movie, "The Land Before Time". In the movie, the world is dieing, and the dinosaurs are moving in search of the Great Valley, where things are still good, by walking in the direction of the sunset. Littlefoot is a young dinosaur which was hatched along the journey and is talking to his mother:

Mum: The Great Valley is filled with green food like this. More than you can ever eat, and more fresh cool water than you can ever drink. It is a wonderful beautiful place where we can live happily with many more of our own kind.
Littlefoot: Gee. When will we get there?
Mum: The bright circle must pass over us many times, and we must follow it each day to where it touches the ground.
Littlefoot: Have you ever seen the Great Valley?
Mum: No.
Littlefoot: Well, how do you know it's really there?
Mum: Some things you see with your eyes, others you see with your heart.

Well, there we have it. I want to see the end with my heart. I need to see the end with my heart. It's the only way I can keep walking, because otherwise where am I heading?

Here's a short prayer that perhaps we can all say:

Heavenly Father, I pray, give me faith, that faith that will allow me to persevere through all things. Give me that faith that my fathers had in the ages long past. Give me faith, that I may see your promises, and welcome them from a distance, though they are far away. For I know this faith will see me through; by faith I will walk the path, not seeing the end yet knowing that it is there. Therefore I will keep walking, knowing one day I will arrive. May I never lose this faith, for you are steadfast, O Lord. This I pray in the name of Christ our Lord Jesus, Amen.


In God's love