Devotion 511

“Hope Is Not Faith”

Reference: Psalms Chapter 33

Faith is the Substance of things hope for.

 Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Hope is looking for the substance. Faith says I have the Substance.

Hope says the Lord shall heal me. Faith says the Lord has already healed me when He hanged on the Cross.

Hope says I am afraid. Faith says death, where is your sting. Even death is swallowed up in victory when Jesus Christ hanged for me on the Cross.

Hope says I am waiting for the return of Jesus Christ. Faith says Christ is already here with me and in me in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

Hope says I cannot wait to complete my weary journey on earth to go to heaven. Faith says I’m reigning in heaven with Christ today.

Hope says Lord save me from my enemies. Faith says God already saved me from all my enemies when He hanged on the Cross. He has given me rest on all sides.

Hope is in the wilderness. Faith lives in the Promised Land.

Hope is in the outer court. Faith lives in the Holy of Holies, separated unto God, shut in with God, and shut out from every noise of the world.

Hope does not see the evidence. Faith sees the unseen evidence, and has the evidence.

Hope says I will rejoice. Faith is already rejoicing.

David writes “rejoice in the Lord.”

Let’s read:

Psalm 33:1-3 “Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. [2] Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. [3] Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.”

Faith rejoices not based on circumstances. Faith rejoices always because they have inherited the Promise of God. This Promise is the Holy Spirit. He brings continuous joy to the soul in all circumstances A joy beyond our comprehension.

Acts 16:24-25 “Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. [25] And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”

Joy whether feet in stocks or on the mountain top. Because faith has already received the Promise.
Faith is not waiting to die. Faith has already died and raised in a newness of life in Christ. Faith has ALREADY passed from death unto life.

John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

And will never die.

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: [26] And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Hope is waiting to conquer all things. Faith has ALREADY conquered all things.

We continue our reading:

Psalm 33:4-9 “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. [5] He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. [6] By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. [7] He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. [8] Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. [9] For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast”

Faith is the Word of God.

Hope one day will defeat sin, sickness, death, snd Satan. Faith (the Word of God) has ALREADY defeated sin, sickness, death, and Satan.

We continue our reading:

Psalm 33:10-12 “The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. [11] The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. [12] Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”

Hope waits patiently for the Lord to choose and bless him. Faith knows he was chosen, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and predestinated even from before the foundation of the earth.

Ephesians 1:4-5,13-14 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: [5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, [13] In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, [14] Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Hopes looks to what God will do. Faith sees God work ALREADY finished.

We conclude our reading:

Psalm 33:13-22 “The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. [14] From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. [15] He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. [16] There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. [17] An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. [18] Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; [19] To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. [20] Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. [21] For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. [22] Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.”

David was hoping in the Lord. Today, we don’t just hope in the Lord. We have the Lord constantly in the Promised Holy Spirit Who is our faith.

Let your hope turn into faith. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. Faith has overcome all things, in Christ!