A Measure of Faith

Bible Reading: Hebrews 10:22-24

“Oh, look,” said Emery as she and her brother, Ezra, toured Independence Hall

with their family. She pointed to a plaque on the wall. “Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love,” she read aloud. “I wonder why it’s called that.”

“The city was founded by a man named William Penn,” said Dad. “He was a devout Christian who started the settlement in this area as a kind of experiment in holy living. Peace, goodwill, and brotherly love were to be extended to everybody.”

Ezra nodded. “My class learned about William Penn in school.”

“Mine did too,” said Emery. “I remember that William Penn was especially concerned about Indians being treated fairly.”

“Native Americans,” Ezra corrected her.

“Right. Native Americans,” said Emery. “They trusted William Penn, and he trusted them too. When they promised to do something, they believed each other.”

“Yes,” said Dad, “and for the most part, both he and the Native Americans were dependable—they kept the promises they made.” Dad smiled at the kids. “I know of some even more dependable promises.”

“Yeah? Who made ‘em?” Ezra asked.

“You tell me,” said Dad. “Who is the most dependable of all?”

“I know who you mean!” said Emery. She grinned at her brother. “He’s talking about Jesus.”

Ezra laughed. “I should have known! Let’s see…one promise is that He’ll give us everything we need. And, uh…what else?”

“That He’s always with us,” said Emery. “And that, because of Him, we have eternal life!”

Dad smiled. “That’s right. God has given lots of promises, and we can depend on Him to carry them out. We need to believe what He says—take God at His word and act upon His promises.”

“Act upon them?” asked Ezra. “What does that mean?”

“Well, for example, when Jesus says He’ll provide everything we need, we should stop worrying and trust Him to do that. And if we act on the promise that He’s always with us, we can go to Him for comfort and peace during difficult times. In other words, our actions and attitudes should show that we believe what He says.”

Emery nodded. “And that we can trust Him to keep His promises!” • Jan L. Hansen

How About You?

Do you believe God when He promises something? Romans 8:28 says He’ll work everything out for good in the lives of those who love Him. So keep trusting Him, even when things aren’t going well. When you face a hard situation, remember Jesus’ promise to always be with you. Believe His promises and act on them in the way you live your life.

Today’s Key Verse:
Hebrews 10:23 We must hold on to the hope we have…We can trust God to do what he promised. (ERV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Act on God’s promises