be-musings

You know, I rarely learn the lesson that when I skim something I get stuff wrong. I will never be a speed reader. I said I was done with Hebrews, but it seems I'm not. You see, there is chapter 11, which upon closer look seemed so much more significant than when I had skimmed prior. Before it seemed like a boring genealogy. That was because I didn't read past the first half of every verse that had a name in it. It seemed like....and these are the people who loved and served god...yadda yadda yadda. But then I read verse 1&2gain. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." You can read the whole chapter at the link, to see the description of the names of "the ancients" and the results of their faith.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=65&chapter=11&version=31. Let me spend a moment on the first couple of verses.
My definition of the word "hope" is wacky (which shouldn't surprise those who know me). We often think of hope as something which in intangible or even uncertain in whether the end result will come. I see that our "hope" is Christ. For this I refer to an unorthodox view of the latter part of Colossians 1:27 "Christ in you, the hope of glory". Now I've done the bad thing...really segmented a tiny portion of scripture. That was done so as not to go into the Colossians background for time sake. In that verse I really see that Christ is the Hope. Which makes it not really hope, but assurance. And the "hope" and "assurance" is not ours but it is His. He creates it, sustains it, fulfills it. What is our part? To allow His belief and certainty to live in us.
Now I realize this isn't always easy. Even after holding to this tenet I went through a time of wondering if that which I lived my life by was incorrect. So many schools of thought out there, and sometimes so little communication from God. At least, the communication I wanted. But I had to come back to deciding who was Christ...liar, Lord or lunatic. The rest seemed peripheral and my faith revitalized.
So, if I connect this to the Hebrews passage, faith once again is Christ. Sure of what we hope for...Him. Certain of what we do not see...Him. To deny or accept, and then to be satisfied that the journey is His, not ours. The ancients had to make radical choices to believe or not to believe that which seemed radical, impossible or never before experienced. To trust that the journey was not theirs.
My life is not my own. But I give it willingly, knowing that what I have is so much deeper than what I could have by myself. Knowing that I have Hope.