Daily Devotions

¹What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? ²For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. ³For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”  Romans 4:1-3

What does it mean to live our lives “by faith”?

Usually someone will offer the argument that we have no choice but to live by faith.  All day long we use tools that we don’t understand.  I turn the key and expect my car to start whether or not I understand the dynamics of an internal combustion engine.

We exist in a natural world, the complexities of which we seldom even notice.

But the Bible uses the word “faith” in ways that surpass simply things we don’t notice or understand or fully grasp.  In the Bible, and in the Christian movement, “faith” is a much more relational word than an intellectual word.  It implies trust, loyalty, fidelity, love.

So we ask again – what does it mean to live our lives in trust, loyalty, fidelity, and love?  What practical, down to earth, real difference does that make?

I look back on my life and I realize that most of what I learned I learned by watching and learning from others.  I saw bigger kids ice skating and I copied their movements.  I listened to my teachers and learned new things even as I worked to please them with the results that came back to them through the tests they gave me.

And so it is that we look back to the characters and the stories of the Bible to capture what it has meant along the way to live by faith in God.  Through the month of August, our congregation is going to listen with new ears to the stories of the life and times of Abraham and Sarah.  We’re going to revisit stories that we probably heard long ago, listening and watching again to see what faith looks like.

In addition to the Sunday morning messages (available for live viewing or archived to watch later at http://faithbellaire.org/watch/), and All Church Learning between services, I’m also going to be sharing some thoughts each day to prime the pump of our learning.

Welcome to the journey as we walk together by faith.

Let us pray:  Dear Lord, come to us each day to guide us as we follow.  So many voices clamor for our attention.  Be our compass and our Guide, that we might follow in faith.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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