They base how favoured one is before the Lord, or how one is loved of God on material blessings and personal circumstances.
This is an erroneous belief. God is God whether He chooses to bless us or not. And we must decide to serve Him as God because we love Him and believe in Him. Nothing else!
In Hebrews 11:32-35, we read about how some people believed in God and received the promise:
32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death.
However, the following verses does accord some other people who believed and yet did not receive all of the promise, the same respect as being giants of faith:
But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half,and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated.38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.
Faith is believing God whether He turns up or not. We cannot claim to have faith and then stop believing in God, simply because we believed and He did not show up.
Do you have faith?
WHAT IS NEXT?
