Hebrews 11:20-23

Hebrews 11:20-23 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

By faith the people in today's passage looked for a better future. By faith, we who are in Christ look for a better future, a future blessed by God with no more tears, heartbreaks, sicknesses, and deaths. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Revelations 7:16-17) How wonderful: God himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Sometimes little children fear death or experience anxiety over existence. Thoughts of the vastness of space often confound children or young teens as they struggle with the incomprehensible fact of living insignificantly among the myriad of galaxies and stars. They wonder who they are and where they are in this existence called life. Such thinking sometimes brings a hysterical feeling of bewilderment that life is beyond comprehension. I always told my own children that all this uncertainty and bewilderment will be put to rest when we see God. He will quell every tormenting fear, and He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. We will know we are finally home in the safety of our heavenly abode: we will understand all things, never again disturbed by our finiteness, imagination, or consciousness.

The people of faith mentioned in Hebrews believed in God's active involvement with their lives and the lives of their descendants. Therefore, they passed on God's blessing to each new generation, illustrating their faith in God. They trusted God's love and concern for their progeny because He had shown his commitment to their needs. Do we also have such hope? Do your prayers include blessing for your children's children? Prayers are powerful: God honors our prayers, even to the blessing of future generations. Present and future households can be saved through prayer. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.” (Acts 16:31) But prayers aligned with God come from believers who consistently serve THE LORD, passionately believing that He lives, intends to bless people, and has a plan for his followers. Understanding of God's involvement with their lives and his intentions to care for them, the ancients blessed their progeny. They did not wonder whether God was in their lives or merely suspect he might be: THEY KNEW GOD WAS ALIVE and the author and finisher of their faith. They did not debate this reality; they rested in the idea that God created the world and mankind. They were not double-minded concerning the reality of God and his plans for his children.

In our present fact-finding world, we sometimes question God's reality or at least whether He is intrinsically involved with us and concerned about our future. A double-minded spirit receives nothing from the Lord because God is pleased by faith that trusts in him regardless of the circumstances. Faith in God extends beyond the now, beyond our human senses or understanding. People of faith bless their families, knowing God hears them. The flesh may struggle with a walk of faith, but a Christian rejects doubt and fear, believing the Holy Spirit exists with all power and authority in every believer. God sent the Spirit to remind us He is real and to teach us his ways; the Holy Spirit puts us in tune with God. As we hear his still small voice, we have faith to place our baby Moses into the water, believing there is a better tomorrow and a God who intervenes in our affairs. With Christ in us, our hope of glory, we trust God will take care of our children. We pray blessing for our offspring, knowing God hears our words and answers them according to his perfect will. Pray the prayer of faith over your family; let God have his way with them. God will faithfully perfect the work He has begun in every Christian household. As Jeremiah declared: But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)