WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: How have you seen God blessing you or others as a direct consequence of your faith in the past? Faith for the future As we saw yesterday, faith in the present always has consequences for the future. This passage gives some concrete examples of how that worked out in the history of the Hebrew people. Faith in the here-and-now unlocks blessings for future generations (vs 20,21). Faith allows ordinary people to overcome fear of the future (v 23). Faith helps us to forgo the pleasures of sin now for a future reward (vs 24–26). Stepping out Spot the common theme? It’s the future. Faith is an orientation of our minds away from the present (however good or bad it is) and towards what is to come. Faith in God opens the way for God to come through for you. Step out in faith and he will put up a wall of water for you to get you safely to the other side (v 29). Press on in faith and he will bring walls tumbling down for you to walk into your destiny (v 30). Why Rahab? What’s Rahab doing here in this list (v 31)? Our original readers would certainly have asked the same question. She was a Gentile – and, as a prostitute, an overt sinner. But despite her lack of pedigree, God saw this same kind of faith in her – a willingness to risk everything now for future reward. Respond: It’s said that ‘faith’ is spelt ‘R-I-S-K’. What cherished things would you be willing to risk for Jesus? Your wealth? Your comfort? Your reputation? http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-08-21