James2

"Has not God chosen those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?"

Every year the rich, at Christmas, will shower each other with gifts that we don't need! At the same time, the majority of the world will go to bed poor and hungry. How must this look to God? What does he see?

This verse gives me great comfort. While the poor in this life continue to struggle, they often are filled with faith. It is their faith that will be rewarded richly for eternity. But the challenge for those of us who have remains. Will we be rich toward God? Will we love those who are in need.

Do something of real value this season.

Heb. 11

Is our faith tied to the things of this earth or is it rooted in the expectation of a life that will come? "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having see them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." v. 13

Faith that is aimed toward this life, is not faith at all. The great men and women of faith lived with eternity clearly in focus. I know of very few "believers" who have this kind of faith. We seem to think that our faith somehow guarantees us the best in this present life! Even though that was never true of NT believers or of Jesus himself, we still tend to fall for this "false gospel".

Faith is not a temporary thing rooted in this present life. Faith that comes from God is focused on the life that is to come. This life rarely offers what we want. If our faith is rooted in the hope of this life, we will be sorely disappointed.