| Faith Vs. Luck Hebrews 11:1-6 |
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| (1) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (2) This is what the ancients were commended for. (3) By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (4) By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offering. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. (5) By faith Enoch was taken from the life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before God had taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. (6) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those that eternally seek him. Have you every seen the poster of the little kitten barely hanging onto a branch with the caption, "My mother told me there would be days like this!" Have you ever had one of those days? Or maybe it has been one of those weeks or months or even years! Something goes wrong and then something else of major concern follows. Like a snowball that begins small, our problems often turn into larger predicaments. The lost world is quick to tell us that we are just having bad luck. Is it really? Well, for a child of God, there is no bad or good luck. God is sovereign and has a purpose for us in everything. So when circumstances go awry what are we to make of it? I believe that in principle the Bible teaches us that we should meet life's problems with faith. Faith instructs us to look at this really bad day or week and ask the question, "What does God want me to learn from this, if anything?" If there is a divine lesson for us, or if it is part of our correction, we should make the change God has. Faith also instructs us to place the circumstance at the feet of Jesus. Faith is to trust God completely in every mishap and folly that we encounter. God is all powerful and capable of handling any problem that may confront us. Faith then teaches us to find the good even in a bad situation. Our mandate is to think on the things that are positive. Our attitude can be one of peace and joy, even in the most trying of times. Looking to and trusting God in every situation, strengthens and encourages us even if we are having one of those days. In the lights and power of God's Word, Hang in there. |
| By Pastor Shelton Cole Faith Baptist Church Great Barrington, MA. |
