6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV).
This verse is from the famous “faith’s hall of fame” chapter in Hebrews 11. The chapter emphasizes how faith has always been the most essential element of a relationship with God, even before Christ came into the world to give us a new covenant based on faith. This verse’s main idea is to drive that point home. I came across an additional application of this verse recently.
I have a favorite place I go to for a 4 hour silent retreat about once a month. I love this place! Some of my most wonderful times with God have taken place there. It is like there is an open heaven, as some say. I feel like I meet with God face to face there. I was asking God why I rarely experience anything like that when I pray at home. I felt like the Lord said that one of the reasons for this is that I expect to meet Him at the retreat center, but I don’t have the same expectation when I pray at home.
Then I was reminded of Hebrews 11:6, the verse above. We must believe that He rewards us when we earnestly seek Him. To apply this to times of meeting with the Lord in prayer, this says to me that I have high expectations of meeting with the Lord when I go to the retreat center — and my expectations are met. Yet when I pray at home, I have much lower expectations, and therefore my lower expectations are met! Just as I was challenged by this verse to expect to be rewarded as I come to meet Him in prayer, I trust that some of you will be challenged to raise your expectations of the reward you will get for this well-invested time.
Today on the store shelves we have many alternative kinds find here discount levitra of milk such as; almond, coconut, soy, or rice to choose from. Nonetheless, this impact is incredibly exaggerated if brought with nitrate medicine, which is endorsed for angina (midsection torment). buy levitra vardenafil when joined together with nitrate medications could be deadly. You can include foods like banana, watermelon, eggs, pumpkin seeds, almonds, fish and viagra side online sesame seeds in your daily diet. This pill viagra is not a very costly drug, but yet very effective.
One “reward” that God’s gives is to reveal Himself to us! This is an awesome privilege of sons and daughters of God. Yet many of us feel unworthy to know God in such a way. God does this for others, but not for me, we tell ourselves. This verse tells us that this may simply be a self-fulfilling prophesy: if we have low expectations, they will surely be met! If we can’t believe God would want to spend time with us, it may be because we are ignorant of the many verses that speak of His desire for intimacy with us. Most of us who feel unworthy, however, have been hurt by life’s experiences, and we have believed lies about ourselves that distort our whole perspective on our worth. God can heal these hurts, replace the lies with truth, and restore hope in us.
I would like to pray for those whose main issue is feeling unworthy. Will you join me in prayer? Father, I just lift to you the hearts of all those people who feel too unworthy to know you. I pray that you will bring healing to them, replace the lies with Your Truth, and let them come to a deeper intimacy with you that they every imagined possible. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen!