By Faith

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.  

Hebrews 1:4 

‘By faith’ is the phrase the writer of Hebrews repeats often throughout this ‘Faith’ chapter. Having defined faith, he illustrates it from the lives of the ancient believers. He begins with Abel, and proceeds to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses’ mother, Moses, Rahab and more. What is the common thread that runs through all these examples? They did what they did, ‘by faith.’ God was in their consciousness and interacting with them throughout their life. They did things that were different from one another and their experience of God was highly personalized, yet, each person genuinely experienced God, by faith. This is important to each of us because we are widely diverse. Our life experience, culture, background, education, and personality are different from each other. What is the common thread that runs through all of our lives? It is faith in Christ. We come from every conceivable stripe and variety to faith in the same Christ. They all looked forward by faith, to Christ. We look to the same Christ by faith.  

Our Great and Gracious God, 
we rejoice that You give us faith. 
We praise You that You lead us by faith, 
along the path of Your choosing.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning