TODAY… We Live By Faith

I like when things go as I plan them. I work hard to make sure my life has as few surprises as possible. I have a calendar that I check and recheck every day. I put as much as possible on that calendar so that everything is under my control and timing. At least that is what I am attempting to do. I am guessing that you know as well as I do that life will always play out differently than we had planned.
 
It might be the unexpected traffic jam or the unforeseen delay in the delivery or it could be a child that now needs you to take them to the doctor. No matter what the necessary adjustment is – it will happen – that is just a fact of life. There is truly only so much we can see as we look out the future. We need to just do the best we can with our limited vantage point and experience.
 
Because of this limitation I am always trying to gain insight from others. It could be expertise from someone to help me solve a technology problem. It may be the life experiences of others to help me make the right decisions about a relationship issue. It can even be something as simple as the weekend weather forecast to help me know how I should plan the busy demands over the next few days. No matter what it is – we all seek to gain an understanding of what is to come. This raises the question - how should I view the days that are to come if I don’t have a crystal ball and that old “Magic Eight Ball” from my childhood clearly didn’t give me the insight I needed?
 
The answer is seen in our passage for this Sunday’s message. We read in Hebrews 11 that we are called to live by faith. Seek the guidance and place your trust in the one that knows how it will all play out and holds the future in His hands.
 
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [vs. 1]
 
God has given us promises that we can count on as well as insight into creation, life itself and what is to come at the end of our days. I may not be able to see exactly what is around every corner, but God wants me to know that whatever is to come, He is able to deal with it. He will take care of me and nothing is a surprise to him. It will all work out so that God’s Kingdom can grow in me and through me. By faith that reality is a comfort but without faith the previous sentence can seem like nothing more than a pious platitude.
 
The faith we hold to at Oak Hill is based on the belief that God created us, loves us and was willing to humbly pursue us. We celebrate that we are unworthy recipients of great gifts from our Father in Heaven. We have a conviction that God wants our days to matter and He tells us how that can happen in the Bible. We have a united community of faith that believes truth matters and grace from God will meet all our shortcomings. We are a gathering of regular people around a most extraordinary Loving God that keeps His promises. Our hope for tomorrow is an ancient, ever-relevant assurance that God is for us and engaged in our TODAY.
 
Connected in Faith,
Pastor Nick