Affirmation of God: I believe that He is.

Where do your hopes lie? Is hope the target? Sometimes I have wondered if I have witnessed in myself and others in the positive thinking community if hope itself is the goal. Feel good quotations, dreaming of goals, and hoping for a better future are they all that there is? Will the universe be complete as long as we get what we want? 

Do we say these things because they feel good, give us a glimpse of things beyond our current circumstances, give us a hope in better things to come? If we can see it we can achieve it, right? Go ahead dream it and see what life you can create. I do believe in positive affirmations and positive expectations but what are the fruits of those hopes? 

Many a speaker and motivational guru have come and gone with the message of dreaming and believing and creating the life of your dreams. All of us love to dream about what may be and we can implement the changes necessary to pursue those dreams and achieve most if not all of them. Most of us find the journey is much more intriguing than the results. So you want that “thing” whatever your “thing” is and you dream about it, you pursue it with all you have. You affirm it to be true knowing it will be and you enjoy the hope that comes with the journey. Hope can be o so good. 

Does the target of our hopes matter? Is it all about what we hope for for ourselves or is there a greater hope, a greater dream, a greater purpose? Several of Paul’s statements in Hebrews 11 give a deeper sense to “hope”. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)  “FAITH” is being sure and certain. We can be sure and we can be certain of our personal affirmations, our personal hopes and dreams. It takes faith. Is that where we should place our hopes? 

Of course, Paul’s message is of a faith and hope in God. How we must have faith in the invisible. He used several examples from the word of God to reveal this hope. I love what he says in Hebrews 11:4 the faith of Abel and how, even though dead, it STILL SPEAKS. Abel wanted to give God what he deserved, Abel’s best, and that example still speaks to us through the word of God today. 

The bottom line for today’s affirmation is found in Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (NKJ) 

We “must believe that He is.” That is today’s affirmation “I believe that He is.” Do you? I have already experienced just some of His rewards for seeking Him. I have a new hope that makes my old hopes seem so, well, hopeless. How shallow was I to hope in only what I could achieve. Can I, will I achieve great things? YES, I have now doubt, if it is His will.  I have faith in it. Now I have become to believe that because He is, because He is so far beyond my understanding that my hopes lie now in a dream that I can not even imagine. I just know that if I believe in Him and hope in Him. He will show me hope beyond my wildest hopes. 

Paul gave us examples of how, Noah, Abraham and others had faith in the unseen and did great things. They did great things here on earth, as we can, and yet they “were longing for a better country–a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”  Hebrews 11:16(NIV)  Even though they did awesome and world changing things here on earth, yet they still longed for a heavenly place. Their ultimate hope was in heaven. So there are hopes and then there are hopes, aren’t there? He had prepared a place for them and He has prepared a place for us. 

Amazing things can and will be done through faith. Paul spends several verses here recalling some incredible things that people of the word have done because of their faith.  Faith in a God and a purpose greater than themselves. A mission that STILL LIVES. 

In verse 40 we are told God has provided something better for us. I believe it do you? 

Tom Raines

Christian Affirmations 4 Life