Yesterday I read a meditation in Bill Johnson's devotional, "A Life of Miracles: 180-Day Guide to Prayer and Miracles" which I have been pondering ever since. He was talking about Hebrews 11:1 which tells us faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
This is my interpretation of what I thought he was saying--or at least the thoughts it stimulated.
He used the example of ordering a pizza to illustrate the point, saying when he ordered a pizza he paid for it and received a number and a receipt for the amount he paid for the pizza. If someone tried to dispute that he was going to get a pizza, he could show them the number. If they were not convinced by the number, he could show them the receipt which proved it had been paid for. He said the number he was given was the evidence that he would be getting a pizza when that number was called because the pizza had been paid for. In that way, he said, faith is the evidence of things not yet received.
I have been thinking about how this applies. Jesus paid the price already for everything we need, including health. When we believe this fact, and place our trust in it we have faith (evidence) it will happen. I am trying to wrap my mind around this. How do we put it into practice?
I was thinking about a coupon I received last week for $10 off a $10, or more, purchase. That coupon was paid for by the company who sent it, and the evidence they had paid for it was the coupon. But I had to redeem the coupon. It didn't make a bit of difference that it had been paid for and I had the evidence if I didn't take it to the store to use it. So, too, with the pizza analogy. There was a waiting period till others made the pizza and baked it, but then Bill had to pick it up. If he hadn't, no amount of talk about ordering it would make any difference in actually having the pizza.
The question I have been pondering is how do we 'pick up' the things Jesus has already paid for? Does it come down to the question, "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?" Did Jesus really pay for all those things on the cross? If we say we believe this, why do we not have faith that those things are ours?
Another thought pertaining to the pizza analogy--when we order a pizza our number is not always the first one called but we continue to wait till it is, so why do we give up when we pray for healing if it doesn't happen immediately? Could it be that it hasn't had time to 'bake' long enough yet?
What do you think? Any insights on this? I would love to think it through and discuss it with some of you.
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