Faith Through the Ages

Written By Betty Predmore

Faith Through the Ages

HEBREWS 11: 1-16

(November 12)

We live in a world where instant gratification reigns supreme. Noone likes to wait on anything. We want it all right now ... or maybe yesterday.

We order fast food because it is quick. We use the microwave because it takes too long to warm something in the oven. We have the internet at our fingertips, so news and information are available in an instant. (And if that little loading circle keeps spinning ... we get so impatient!)

When I compare the world we live in now to the world the people of the Old Testament walked through, it is so vastly different. There was nothing quick or convenient about their lives. They had none of the conveniences we have today that simplify our lives.

But they had faith. And this portion of Hebrews shares with us the meaning of faith. Faith is the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. (Verse 1)

I believe it is a little different for us today. We live a life after Jesus. We have the assurance that Jesus has already paid the price for our sins. We can rest on the fact that our salvation is secure, when we put our faith in him.

The people of faith who lived through the ages were basing their hope and trust in something that had not happened yet but was promised to come.

Abel, in his faith of what was to come, brought a righteous offering to God. Enoch, because of his faith, was spared death and taken to heaven because he had pleased God so much. And there is no way to please God without faith.

Noah ... living in a dry place ... had faith in God. So, he built an ark based on his faith in what was to come and survived the disaster that killed all but his family. Sometimes our faith will stretch us to do things we would never do on our own.

Abraham had no idea where God was taking him, but he went. I don't know about you, but I want a plan for my trip when I leave the house. And I want my Google maps to get me there. When he got to where God wanted him, his faith helped him live in a foreign land without much comfort.

His wife Sarah could only exercise faith when told she would conceive a child in her old age. She believed that God would bring to pass what he had promised.

Each of these people died before Jesus ever came. But they believed. They had faith in the promises of God, even when they couldn't see them. They all knew something so much better was to come than this life as a foreigner here on earth.

None of them were looking to go back to where they had come from. They were all living (and dying) in anticipation of a promised new home, the city God had prepared for them as they exercised their faith through the ages.

As we live out our days being instantly gratified by the conveniences of our lives, we can remember those who came before us. Those who waited and hoped and were rewarded for their faith in something they could not see. Those who walked into the unknown for no other reason than God asked them to.

Let us slow down in our fast-paced world and live out our days with the faith of Abraham and Sarah, the assuredness of Abel and Noah, and the absolute adoration of Enoch. God will be pleased.

Betty Predmore

Betty Predmore is a writer, blogger, speaker and ministry leaders. She is the founder of Mom-Sense, Inc., a ministry designed for mentorship, connection and service to women of all life circumstances. Through this ministry, women are encouraged and supported with scripture and life application. Mom-Sense helps women overcome life struggles through small group classes with biblical curriculum, individual counseling, bible studies, and other areas of support.

Betty also directs the Imperial Valley Life Center, which is a non-profit faith-based pro life women’s resource center. She has a passion for saving the unborn and supporting mothers through pregnancy and motherhood.

Betty loves to speak at events, sharing the love of Jesus with other women. She does this through practical life application mingled with God’s word, and sprinkled with humor. Having experienced a broken home, divorce, abuse, grief, single motherhood, blended families, and adoption, she uses the broken places and movement of God in her own life to share His word in an inspiring way. She enjoys sharing her blogs on social media as a way of reaching out on a broader spectrum. Betty has many speaking topics which can be found on her website: www.bettypredmore.com

As an author, she has had the opportunity to impact women and reach deep into their hearts with her words of inspiration and encouragement. Through Pondering Virtue and Whispered Grace, she has created wonderful tools for the woman who is seeking direction in her spiritual walk.

Betty serves on the writing team of A Wife Like Me, and is also a contributor to Moms Encouraging Moms and Gift of Thorns. Her blogs have appeared in several magazine publications throughout the years including Southern Faith Magazine, Purposeful Life, and Aspiring Woman Magazine.

While Betty thrives on her ministry opportunities, her greatest blessings come from being a wife to Jim and a mama to their wonderful collection of children, who bring joy, laughter, and an occasional tear to her days.


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