Are you slowly shrinking?

Pretty crazy question but actually it's coming from the Bible.  I was recently reading through Hebrews and came to chapter 10 which ends with some powerful words.  Here's what it says starting in verse 37:

 "He who is coming will come and will not delay.  But my righteous one will live by faith.  And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.  But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." (Hebrews 10:37-39)

But it doesn't really stop there.  That's where someone separated the chapters, but the original writer never put a chapter break there.  Listen to what comes right after that (which would have flowed continuously originally...)

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for....without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:1-2, 6)

When you read those together (again, as they were written) you get the contrast that I think the original writer intended - the contrast of those who shrink back and those who press on by faith.  Many of us are familiar with the incredible accounts of faith in Hebrews 11 - we know it takes stepping out and believing God in tough situations - but the subtle danger that we often ignore is that to shrink back, we need only be passive.  The shrinking back occurs automatically when we simply do nothing.  It's kind of like building muscle in a gym.  It takes effort and working out regularly to build it, but to have it shrink away, just do nothing, and it will.

And so it is with your life of faith.  The question that begs to be asked of our souls is this - Is my life of faith more accurately described as active or passive?

or,

Are you moving forward in faith and actively believing God for something, or, are you slowly shrinking?

Comments

[Robert C. Miller]

POWERFUL, POWERFUL !! My son. I'd say that was worth waiting for. We are studying the book of Hebrews as one of the team teachers I will be teaching the closing chapter 13 beginning withverse 17 January 1st and I will use your blog as a sorubg board. Keep that mind & heart open and pass it on. DAD