Little Miss Much Afraid

I have been attending a ladies Bible study for the past few months. We are studying the book of Hebrews. What a rich book! The past 3 weeks we have been in chapter 11, the faith chapter. How I have convicted and encouraged from this chapter. I wonder how many times I have read it over the years; how have I missed so much?

I am a bit of a fearful Nellie. I always have been, perhaps always will be. But in studying Hebrews 11, the Lord has been so gently showing me how much of a time waster fear is. It achieves nothing and leaves me exhausted and empty. My mom would call me 'Little Miss Much Afraid' on occasion when I was a teenager. Little Miss Much Afraid is the main character in the book, Hinds Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard. I was/am much like her, always fretting and stewing over things I can not change, fearful over future things that I have no control over. I think I have become more fearful as I have been on my own, having to make decisions by myself, planning a future, anticipating an empty nest. These are things I never thought I would have to do alone. But there it is. So now what?

I was really struck this morning as I was doing my lesson for tomorrow, with some of the wording used. '...not afraid, choosing to endure, looking to the reward, not fearing, seeing Him who is unseen'. These to me are powerful words. Saints gone before in all their foibles, trusting, obeying, and having faith in their God to be with them, to deliver them.

The story of Abraham and Issac was a wonderful reminder of God's provision and the need not to fear, but to have faith. Here is Abraham, given a promise from God, that his son, Issac, would be the seed in which the Hebrew people would come, when he was 100 years old! And now God is telling him to take his precious son and sacrifice him on an altar! When Issac inquires where the lame is for the sacrifice, Abraham tells him, 'God will provide'. The account does not offer what was going through Abraham's mind, only the obedience of his heart. His eyes were heavenward. The other amazing fact to me, is Issac doesn't struggle, but allows his father to tie him up and lay him on the altar. If that doesn't smack you between the eyes, your wood is wet! God tested Abraham, he obeyed. Issac surrendered, God provided. Abraham's faith is marked forever in history for me to follow.

One of the questions in my lesson was to write out a definition of faith. I took the words that spoke to me and came up with this. Faith is looking heavenward, and seeing Jesus, and the riches of Christ in the midst of my circumstances. This allows me to endure, and not be fearful, because of the precious promise and blessed hope of eternity.

At the end of Hinds Feet on High Places, Much Afraid is given a new name, Grace and Glory. Though she had a fearful heart, she had a seeking heart, one with the desire to overcome. She succeeded and received that new name. Grace and Glory. When I stand before my Father, I would be pleased with faithful.