Sword and Shield

Heart Guide for Lesson 13:
The Power of Believing

Consider the Israelites as they doubted God's Word and wandered for forty years in the wilderness. Know anyone who has been in a dry place lately? Israel went through their own spiritual journey in the visible, natural world to demonstrate for us the hidden realities of our spiritual experience of the invisible realities surrounding us (1 Corinthians 10:11).

To whom did he swear that they wouldn't enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient? We see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief. Let us fear therefore, lest perhaps a promise being left of entering into his rest, anyone of you should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn't profit them, because it wasn't mixed with faith by those who heard. For we who have believed do enter into that rest. Hebrews 3:18-4:3 WEB 

Next, compare your own journey of faith with Abraham's. Whose footsteps will you follow? If God asked Abraham to believe something that surely seemed impossible, who's to say He won't ask us to also learn how to believe in and trust Him for promises that seem impossible for Him to fulfill? We are the ones called to walk in Abraham's footsteps--sharing in his faith!

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring - not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all... In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told... No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was 'counted to him as righteousness.' Romans 4:16-22 ESV  

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