[Faith-talk] Fwd: Morning Thoughts for Thursday, May 19, 2011

[Amy Ragain]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Stephen Smith <stevesmith1943 at me.com>
> Date: May 19, 2011 7:05:23 AM CDT
> To: Morning Thoughts 1 <stevesmith1943 at me.com>
> Subject: Morning Thoughts for Thursday, May 19, 2011
> 
> Hebrews 11:1-13 (NASB)
> The Triumphs of Faith
> [11:1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [2] For by it the men of old gained approval.
> [3]  By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. [4] By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. [5] By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. [6] And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. [7] By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
> [8]  By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. [9] By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; [10] for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. [11] By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. [12] Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.
> [13]  All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
> 
> Good morning!! I watched a video this morning that quickened my spirit to the reality of God's Love and His ability to work miracles!!  Wish I knew how to post it here.  The miracle I witnessed was the birth of a baby without a heartbeat, and without breathing.  Through the prayers of a faithful body of believers and the guidance of the Holy Spirit on the minds of attending doctors and nurses, that baby survived.  My tendency is to thank God and move on with my life, rarely giving any more thought to that life-changing experience; except unlike this case, I am all too familiar with other experiences, which did not end in healing as I often think of it with my earthly eyes.  
> 
> This causes me to wonder - did healing and answer to prayer not occur if I could not see it?  Of course not!!  Since when can I trust my earthly eyes to see all truth??? They cannot because they are limited by my own brain's ability to synthesize all the data (information) they take in.  Take, for example, driving:  How many times did I look to the right, look to the left, see nothing approaching, look to the right one more time and see the oncoming car, just in time for me to stop my turn.  How much more do I fail to see God's miracles when I look through earthly eyes!!   God is not limited to work in the earthly realm.
> 
> When God, in His infinite wisdom, saw fit to bring his precious daughter, Stephanie Alayne Smith home, His eyes saw a process far greater than you or I could ever imagine.  Pam and I certainly could not.  But God is faithful, and works His Will in process after process, shaping lives according to His purpose, and convicting hearts of those who will listen.  Oh, to be part of the process!!  No greater honor has ever been bestowed on an individual than to participate, in some small way, in the work God does in the life of the lost, the young, the old, the stressed, the depressed -- all for His Glory and the benefit of the individual.
> 
> Open yourself to the work of the Holy Spirit in you today -- be part of the process of God's Will in the life of someone!!  Be a neighbor!!
> 
> With great love, hope and faith,
> 
> <3Steve:-))