The inheritance of faith
Norah Summers
November 29, 2019
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Hebrews 11: 1-7 (GNT)
1 To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. 2 It was by their faith that people of ancient times won God's approval.
3 It is by faith that we understand that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.
4 It was faith that made Abel offer to God a better sacrifice than Cain's. Through his faith he won God's approval as a righteous man, because God himself approved of his gifts. By means of his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 It was faith that kept Enoch from dying. Instead, he was taken up to God, and nobody could find him, because God had taken him up. The scripture says that before Enoch was taken up, he had pleased God. 6 No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him.
7 It was faith that made Noah hear God's warnings about things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a boat in which he and his family were saved. As a result, the world was condemned, and Noah received from God the righteousness that comes by faith.
This short Scripture passage is but the start of a huge list of the faithful who have gone before us and left us their legacy.
The names are, admittedly, all of men, though the parents of Moses get a mention, as do women who received their relatives raised back to life. But that was the style of the time, and we can make our own lists.
Mine, surprise, surprise, would include a lot of women, not all in the Bible, not all from my own denomination, not all personally known to me, not all older than I am…
People come in great diversity, and so, it seems to me, does faith. One size does not fit all. The mustard seeds look pretty much alike, but no two of the bushes will look exactly the same.
This end of the church year is a good time to look back in gratitude, at the large crowd of witnesses around us, who have shaped our faith in the unique and special form that God knows each of us needs.
Loving God,
Let us now praise famous men (and women) and our fathers (and mothers) who gave us life. . .
We have such a rich inheritance of faith,
may we always be grateful
for the strong foundations we have been given to build on,
and may we be mindful too
of what we will be leaving behind us.
Your Kingdom come.
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