What are you trusting God for?

We lose something, I'm pretty sure, by the helpful chapter/verse structures we enjoy in our Bibles. Yeah, it's good when it comes to referencing things in a way that others can find them, but it's bad when it breaks up thoughts. Hebrews 10-12 is a prime example.

Chapter 10 talks about those who endured hardship because they knew they had a better and abiding possession (10:34). This concept provides the context for chapter 11. What are the people of faith in this famous faith chapter trusting God for? It isn't simply about faith; it's about something more specific. It's this better and abiding possession. It is this promise that they died never seeing (11:39). It is this promise that is in view in chapter 12 when we are told to "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb 12:1-2). Because, you see, Jesus Himself exemplified this worldview: We have a better and abiding possession.

In this life, we are promised, we will endure hardships. That is a promise we will see. All, in the final analysis, comes from the hand of God and is designed to be discipline. (If you're thinking that "discipline" is simply intended to convey "training", think again. The imagery of Hebrews 12 is "scourging" and the guarantee is that it will be "painful" (12:11).) While we endure these difficulties that we know come from the hand of a loving Father, we can exercise faith. We can believe that the Father loves us and is doing it for our benefit. We can believe that this world is temporary, that suffering is short-term, and that we have a better and enduring possession. We can run the race in spite of the hardships.

What are you trusting God for? Too many times I think we're expecting God to be ... nice. We're trusting God for comfort and pleasant living and "good stuff", not realizing that our shortsighted view misses the longer panorama of a possession not of this world. We are expecting God to make things nice for us down here and He's working on matters of eternal importance. If that is what you're trusting God for, rest easy. You'll get it. If you're looking for comfort and wholeness rather than discipline and holiness, I am pretty sure you'll be disappointed. Trusting God for something better than this world has to offer will never be a disappointment.