Hebrews 11 points us towards what was done “by faith” by the those who trusted in God. References to them are included throughout the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). Abraham traveled by faith towards the Promised Land that had been described to him by the Lord. Eventually, he made his home there. Yet “God had planned something better” for Abraham than what he experienced during his lifetime on earth (Hebrews 11:40). The same is true for us as well. Through faith in Jesus, God has something greater for us too! There have been Christians for nearly two thousand years living by faith with an assurance of what they hoped for (Hebrews 11:1). Through his faith in Christ, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was given a Spirit-inspired dream of God’s kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven, with men and women, adults, teens, and children of all ages, economic levels, and different races living in peace, united in faith, experiencing the liberty and justice made possible by God. Dr. King and innumerable other believers have been part of the journey walking towards the Promised Land of God’s kingdom come and His will done here on earth as it is in heaven. Just as those who have come before us, we continue the journey towards God’s plan for humanity, a future when we know and love God completely, while loving others as Christ loved us. Thankfully, there are glimpses of it in our world, nation, community, and congregation. But we long for more than what we can see with our eyes during these days and times. So we continue to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” as we “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,” knowing that God has something better for us in the future (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV). Amen.

 

For a full version of this Your Faith Journey devotional download the Worship Guide from the Avon UMC website: www.AvonUMC.com

 

The Your Faith Journey Bible verses for this week are listed below:

 

Today I am going to offer God ______________________________________.

 

During the worship service God revealed ________________________________________________________________________________.

 

I am going to respond by ________________________________________________________________________________________________.

 

 

Read Hebrews 11:1-7 and thank God for:

– His faithfulness

– “the righteousness that comes by faith” (v. 7)

– the grace to be able to believe without seeing

– the men and women of faith who have come before us, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Seek to allow your faith in Christ to guide you “to please God” in all you say and do (Hebrews 11:6).

 

Read Hebrews 11:8-19 and pray for God to reveal a word, phrase, or verse that is specifically for you for today.

 

Read Hebrews 11:20-31 and pray for your sisters and brothers in faith throughout the world, including those who are part of Avon UMC, as well as the transition of leadership within our nation today. The prayer below may be helpful to guide or assist you during your time of prayer:

 

God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, the One who reigns and rules, we come to you on behalf of our sisters and brothers in Christ,

as well as our nation. Guide us as believers to live by faith, revealing Jesus to the world through our words and actions.

Unite us as a faith family with Christians around the world, so that our unity in Christ supersedes our national, political, racial, economic or any other potential divisions, so that we live as one people, your people.

Through our common faith in Jesus bring the desires of our hearts into alignment with your will, so that we can live, love, and move in rhythm with the heart of our Savior.

 

Have mercy on us as a nation and forgive us for our sins.

Help us to forgive those who have sinned against us.

Let your peace be with us during this transition of leadership within  our country as the new president and vice president are sworn into their new roles of service today. Bless them with your wisdom and discernment to lead well according to your will and reveal to them the Truth found in Christ alone. Protect the citizens of Washington D.C., first responders and military personnel assisting with the inauguration, government officials throughout our nation, as well as any other attendees. Bless and guide the outgoing leaders, and the various officials who served with them. Bless and protect the men and women serving our country through the military, as well as their families.

Heal the wounds within America as you guide Christians throughout the nation into our ministry of reconciliation.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

 

Read Hebrews 11:32-40 and pray for God to reveal a word, phrase, or verse that is specifically for you for today.

 

Read Hebrews 12:1-13 and pray for God to help you to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” to run the race He has for you. Ask the Lord to help you to fix your focus and attention upon Jesus, “the pioneer and perfecter” of our faith.

 

Rest, enjoy recreation, and re-read verses or phrases that stood out to you from this past week. The questions below can be used to reflect upon the past week:

How did you see, hear, or encounter God during this past week?

Who needs to hear about your experience sometime in the coming days?

 

*If you don’t have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online.