Assurance and Conviction

Series: Flowers in the Desert

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Hebrews 11:2-3 ESV

The New Testament book of Hebrews has a few interesting anomalies that make it different from other New Testament books. For one thing, the style of writing in the book of a Hebrews is much more polished than other New Testament books.

In Seminary we were told the ancient writing is more complex. Some say the writing is so unique that it is a masterpiece. The book is not signed and while many speculate about who wrote this book, authorship remains unknown.

Having said that, here’s what we can “shed some light on” about the book of Hebrews:

When book of a Hebrews was written, “The early church father Clement quoted from the Book of Hebrews in A.D. 95. However, internal evidence such as the fact that Timothy was alive at the time the epistle was written and the absence of any evidence showing the end of the Old Testament sacrificial system that occurred with Jerusalem’s destruction in A.D. 70 indicates the book was written around A.D. 65.” (https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Hebrews.html)

The  style of writing in the book of Hebrews, ”the Greek of Hebrews is highly literary and very ornate.” Experts also note that “The vocabulary is sophisticated, and it includes 150 words that are not found elsewhere in the New Testament and 10 that do not occur in any other Greek writings that have survived for our study.” While the author is unknown, “The high rhetorical quality of Hebrews indicates that its author most likely had the most advanced literary education of any of the New Testament writers.” (https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/who-wrote-the-book-of-hebrews)

One of my favorite scriptures in Hebrews tells us: in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Faith can be an intricate labyrinth, especially in the early days of a journey with Jesus. In my early days I resided with a trustworthy Spiritual Guide (my da). Even though I could be very obstinate at times, when I would not listen and I would stumble in my journey with Jesus, my  da was there. He did not speak.

He just gave me his look.

Oh, yea…

Early this morning before I took my dog out I checked the weather. Weather in the Midwest can be tricky. The report said there could be icy spots.

Once outside, I realized we were engulfed in ice. The pavement was a sheet of ice. Mind you, I do not blame the National weather reporting…as I said the weather here can be tricky, like faith.

I look at it this way…we are assured of hope (or things hoped for) even when we do not see it.

When we went outside I was pretty sure the pavement would be mostly icy, but because I put my hand in Jesus’ hand when I was but a wee lass, I knew God had everything covered. I had not laid eyes on the pavement, but I knew with God’s help (ever so constant) and guidance from the Spirit of God we would be able to navigate the icy pavement.

When I stepped outside I discovered the pavement was a solid sheet of ice. I sensed a nudge from the Spirit whispering “get in the grass”. I stepped in the grassy area, but my dog decided he didn’t want to walk in the grass. In his defense, to my knowledge the Spirit does not guide him, and for the past two weeks the pavement has been dry and warmer than the snowy grass. My dog (who is half poodle) remembers the pavement has been better than the grass.

Getting a nudge from the Spirit is easy, but it’s really hard (in the beginning). But when I was a child I had my da. I did listen most of the time, but I should have listened and written everything down. We don’t think of that when we are ten years old.

After I graduated from high school and I started college, it was really difficult. The classes weren’t the issue. The problem was that for the first time I didn’t have my da to remind me to stop and listen. Thankfully, I would eventually remember to slow down long enough to stop and listen.

Hearing the voice of the Spirit often means we need to ‘get off the 8 lane freeway’ (as a wise Pastor once taught me). In other words we have to get on God’s road. God’s road is filled with peace and love and it slows the heart-rate. God’s road is where the Spirit resides. The Spirit is peace. The Spirit is love.

Our first indication the Spirit is about to speak, is when we feel peace and love, but we have to keep our radar up. We have to learn to slow down long enough to hear the Spirit calling.

When we decide (or decided) to put our hand (our life) in God’s hand we believe (have faith) that God is closer than we think.

Hebrews 11:2-3 helps us here for it is written, “For by it (faith) the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

God knew my journey…my life journey with God when I was a child and for my first twenty years God provided me with a Spiritual Guide (my da). I did not know my journey and I don’t know if my da knew my journey. My da probably got a nudge about that when I married a young Seminary student who served as a pastor.

Mind you, I was clueless. None of that happened because I had faith it would happen. I had faith in Jesus. Jesus (the Spirit) guided me.

As it turned out, my road became what experts call ‘a broken road.’ Many moons later when I had more than fifty years under my belt everything fell apart. My da had been with Jesus for a long time and I felt like I was completely alone. I hurt so badly that I couldn’t hear God. I had lost my life as I knew it, I lost my marriage, my home, my church, and my friends at church. I learned that there are times when we cannot hear but that doesn’t mean God isn’t guiding us.

One day on my broken journey a friend at work told me about her church. It was a very very large church and I agreed to go (only because I thought I could hide so people wouldn’t see me crying and know how broken I was.)

Looking back, I can see that God knew. That church had a ‘healing’ place where broken people could ask for prayer.

I went. I sat. I wept. I was so broken I couldn’t ask for prayer. Later I found out that praying ‘saints’ came and surrounded me and prayed for me every week.

Eventually I could breath again. I could hear God. I became a pray-er. I became director of the pray-ers. God called me to Seminary. Seven years later I graduated.

By faith and through a lot of prayers whispered on my behalf, the life God hoped for (in me) became evident (seen).

Spiritual Practice: By Faith

Tell God you believe in the life and plan the Spirit (and the Son) have waiting for you.

In God, Deborah

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