Living by faith
'...all these...gained [God's] approval.' Hebrews 11:39 NAS
We read in Hebrews 11 about two types of people-those who escaped the sword, and those who were killed by it. Both groups gained God's approval because of their faith. Ok, so it's easy to make sense of that for those who survived. If you were one of those people God saved from death, you'd probably find it pretty easy to have faith in Him too. But what about those who 'did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.' (Hebrews 11:13 NIV) How did they do it? If you're facing death and it doesn't look like God is going to save you, is it still possible to have faith in Him?
On 20 April 1999, two students at a high school in Columbine USA opened fire on their classmates. Witnesses reported that, during the massacre, one stopped and asked a girl, Cassie Bernall, if she believed in God. She replied 'yes' and they asked her why, then shot her dead before she had a chance to answer. For Cassie, the Bible was real, and God was real. She trusted Him and was going to live out her faith no matter what. She knew she'd almost certainly get shot if she said 'yes'-but still she had faith that 'God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.' (Romans 8:28 NLT) Try to live by faith today, whatever comes your way.
SoulFood Reading: Ezek 24:1-27:24, Luke 20:1-8, Ps 20, Pr 19:24-29

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