Hebrews 11 The faith that "gained approval"  was looking forward to what could not be seen.  It was speaking about what would come when God fulfilled His promises. It was enduring the present because of what was to come.  Believing, obeying, acting, speaking, and looking towards the "reward".
Abraham went out to a new land and became a father of nations.
Sarah conceived and became the mother of Isaac.
Isaac spoke blessings over his sons believing that God would fulfill His promises to them.
Jacob also spoke blessings over his sons and grandsons, believing God would delivered them back to the promised land.
Moses was kept hidden because his parents believed God would preserve him.
Moses chose to be associated with the Jews instead of the house of Pharaoh, looking forward to what God promised, but was yet unseen.
Over and over men and women believed and acted in obedience because God had something greater ahead for them.
This is what we are also called to do. Set aside the "encumbrance" the things of the present life, and look ahead to Jesus, to all He has provided by His death on the cross, to all He has prepared for us from His throne as He sits at the right Hand of God.
Faith is being persuaded and acting in accordance to what we cannot see with our present physical eyes. When we have faith we our a witness of the unseen, better, heavenly treasures, the reward promised, the same that Abraham looked forward to - " the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God."   The "country of their own" that "better country, that is a heavenly one"; the "better resurrection" , the "something better for us".
We live by faith when we live in accordance to what is ahead, promised by God, witnessed by a great cloud who have gone before us, and provided perfectly by Jesus, the "author and perfecter of faith."
He lived and died, looking ahead to the  "joy set before Him" .
May we "not grow weary and lose heart".  But look to Him.
This is what I will do with His help.   I look ahead to all He has for me, in this life and for eternity.
Thank You Lord!

Psalm 121 The Lord is my helper.  The Lord is my keeper.  The Lord is my protector.  The Lord is my guard.  The Lord is my.. shade? Isaiah 25: 4 " For Thou hast been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat".  On a recent walk with my grandchildren, we found ourselves looking for the shadiest paths to bring relief from the heat of our Florida sun.  Even in the early morning or just before sunset, the July sun can be brutal.  Shade = shadow.  Ps. 16:8 "Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Thy wings." and Ps. 91:1 says " He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." To be in the shadow/shade of a tree as we walked we had to be close to it, underneath it.  We had to seek it and receive it for ourselves.  To find our shade in The Lord the need is the same.  We seek Him, we come close and under Him, we receive what He freely offers.  Relief, help, protection, blessing.  Thank You Lord for Your loving protection and care for me.  You neither slumber nor sleep, You know me and care for me always, day or night, in or out, good times or bad. I lift my eyes to You, seeking You and finding shade. Bless Your holy Name.

Hebrews 11
The "men of old" gained approval by their faith.  They were persuaded and confidant that God would do what He said, even when they couldn't see it.  These men pleased God, for they believed that He spoke the worlds into being, that He lived and loved and "paid" them for their faithfulness.
The writer of Hebrews gives us in this famous chapter a listing real life examples of faith that pleased God:
Abel pleased God by offering a sacrifice that testified of his righteousness.
Enoch pleased God by walking with Him.
Noah pleased God by listening and obeying, building an ark.
Abraham pleased God by obediently going out to a place that was unknown to him, living in a foreign land, waiting for the promise he could not see.
Sarah also pleased God by conceiving a child in her old age, believing that God would do what He said.
There is more here to absorb, but the grandchildren beckon....  Oh Lord be my shade today!
Amen

Hebrews 11 Faith, the assurance of what we hope for, the conviction of things we do not see.  Faith, well is sometimes a hard concept to grasp, at least for me.  Do I have it? Or don't I? How can I measure it? Where do I find it?  I want it. I think I have it, but am I fooling myself?   Am I the only one who struggles with this?
Faith - Greek word pistis - persuasion, credence, conviction, reliance, constancy in the profession ( of reliance on Christ for salvation).  Assurance - Greek word hupostasis - a setting under, a support, essence, confidence, substance.  Compound of 2 words - hupo - under, beneath, or below and histemi - to stand, abide, appoint, .. establish, hold up, present.   Hope - elpis to anticipate, expectation, confidence. Conviction - elegchos - proof, conviction, evidence, reproof.
Faith  is then being convinced and persuaded.  It comes underneath us and supports and hold us up. It gives us hope, confidence and anticipation of that which we don't see yet, the promise of salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus.  Romans 8:23-24 says that we eagerly wait for "our adoption as sons the redemption of our body."  It is "in hope we have been saved".  In anticipation of the unseen.  Eagerly awaiting all the fullness of salvation in Jesus.
Faith, we are told in Hebrews 11, brings approval- gives a testimony - to be a witness, testify, bear record,  give evidence.
Faith also brings understanding.  Understanding of Who God is, the Creator Who spoke everything into existance out of nothing.
Faith is what pleases God, for it is by faith that we come to God.  We believe that He Is.  We believe that He wants us to seek Him.  We believe "He is a rewarder of those who seek Him".  Rewarder - misthapodotes -a renumerator - one who repays or recompenses, pays for services.  He counts our faith as having value and worth.  It earns something in His sight.
What Grace we have in our God and in Christ Jesus.  For it is by faith we are saved.  It is by faith that we stand, and it is by faith that we walk.  Simple but complex. Oh for grace to trust You more!
Amen

Hebrews 10:26- 39 "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God".   Think of it.  Our Creator. The One Who rules all of Heaven and earth.  The One who sends wind and rain and withholds it by His will.  The One who does the impossible and who never grows weary or tired.  Everything is His.  All creation, all of the universe and beyond, is in His Hands.   And the writer tells us that we will be terrified to fall into His Hands. Why? Because when He judges,  he judges righteously. "The wages of sin is death".  

  We have only one hope and that is Jesus.  If we "trample underfoot the Son of God and (have) reguarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which (we are) sanctified, and (have) insulted the Spirit of grace"  (v29) .  Then we deserve a worse punishment, a "terrifying expectation of judgement".  

Instead, we need to cling to Jesus.  To know that we have a "better possession and an abiding one".

To endure, to do the will of God, to receive His promises.  Live by faith, don't shrink back. Be assured that what we hope for, we will receive.  See the evidence in the lives of the "men of old". 

Believe that God is and that He will reward those who seek Him. 

Oh be careful my friends.  Walk by faith and don't shrink back. Don't ignore or reject the "knowledge of the truth".  Don't trample on Jesus or insult the Spirit of grace. The "blood of the covenant" is the blood of Jesus, poured out for us, for forgiveness of our sins.  It is sacred and holy.  Don't think that it is common or profane.  Be among those who say, " But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul".  Amen!

Psalm 123 "To Thee I lift up my eyes, O Thou who art enthroned in the heavens."   This is prayer, the essence of communication with God, the reality of relationship with our Creator and Savior.  He is "enthroned in the heavens".  Matthew Henry's Commentary says that we are reminded of this truth by the Lord's Prayer model, "Our Father, Who art in Heaven".   This is the place where "He manifests His glory".  A place of power and of prospective.  The place of authority and holiness.  A place where His throne is established.  A throne to which we can bring our appeals to when we are in need.

  Our part is to "lift" our eyes.  We look to Him.  We watch and wait on Him. We direct our thoughts heavenward.  " our eyes wait on The Lord, the eye of desire and prayer, the begging eye, and the eye of dependence, hope, and expectation, the longing eye."  He is our only Hope.  "We desire mercy from Him, we hope He will show us mercy, and we will continue our attendance on him till mercy come."

This is prayer.   Not a ritual, not a recitation of names and needs.  Not a stab in the dark, scream from a foxhole, or wishes on a star.   This is the deeply profound experience of a child, a servant, a creation, coming humbly, yet boldly, to the feet of the Holy One, Who loves us and Who can help us with every need.  It is looking up into His Face, meeting His Eyes, and expressing what is on our minds and in our hearts. Knowing that He already knows, but that He wants to share in this time with us. That He alone is able to perfectly guide, help, bless, and keep us.

Yes, I lift my eyes to You Lord, to You who is on Your Throne in Heaven.  Amen.

Hebrews 10  Since the old covenant has been replaced by the New Covenant , then the old system of sacrifices is no longer needed.  In fact the Word says that God takes no pleasure in them.   Instead this "order" is taken away and the new order is established.  "By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."  His offering is for all time, for all sins, for all those who are sanctified.  Sanctified - made holy.  Forgiven. Cleansed. Righteous.

And since this is true, we have "confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus..."to the throne! To the feet of the Father, to the One enthroned in the heavens. This is why I can do as the psalmist said, and lift my eyes to look at Him.  Thank You Jesus for making the way open, for ripping the veil, for washing my sins away to be remembered no more.  I am Your child, Your servant, Your creation, and I lift my eyes toward You. Thank you. Glory to You.  Blessings and Honor to Your Name. Amen. 

Psalm 123 When we lift our eyes to The Lord, when we watch Him closely, to obey as carefully as a servant does his master or a maid her mistress, when " our eyes look to The Lord our God". ... what is it that we see?  Grace.   "Until He shall be gracious to us."   The prayer becomes a prayer for Grace.  "Be gracious to us, O Lord, be gracious to us".  Grace is the title of a book by Max Lucado.  It is a wonderful overview of the broadness of the grace of God.  Listen to the chapter titles:

The Grace-shaped life

The God Who stoops

O Sweet Exchange

You can rest now

Wet Feet

Grace on the Fringe

Coming clean with God

FearDethroned 

Unscrooged Hearts

Chosen Children

Heaven Guaranteed

Yes Grace brings us to Him, who sits on the throne in Heaven.  To all He is, to all He does, to the One Who loves to be gracious to us. Watch His hand. Ask for Him to be gracious and then watch until He scoops out grace for you. 

Thank You Gracious Father! I lift my eyes to You. 

Hebrews 10  Because Jesus opened a new way into the holy place, the place of God's presence, through His flesh and since He is our high priest, THEN we can :

draw near with sincere faith

have full assurance of faith

our hearts are sprinkled CLEAN

our bodies washed with pure water

to hold fast our unwavering hope

For He is faithful. 

Because this is true we need to encourage each other to love and do good. We must meet together to help and encourage one another.  For the day is drawing near!

Psalm 122  To go "to the house of the Lord" was to David, something joyful.  All of Israel was required to go to Jerusalem for certain feasts. It was a long journey for many.  It may have been a dangerous or difficult trip.  But for David, it was a blessing.   He went to "give thanks to the name of the Lord" . He prayed for peace and prosperity.  He sought good for Jerusalem.  For here is where the house of the Lord was located.  The throne of David was there too.  But that is secondary to the house of the Lord, the dwelling place of the most High God. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" is often mentioned.  But the true worth of Jerusalem's peace is the presence of the House of the Lord.  Someday we will see that perfect peace in the New Jerusalem, with the throne of God and the Light of the Lamb. Oh, we will be glad to go then! Nothing will keep us away.
If we KNEW that Jesus was (physically) in our church building, wouldn't we go gladly?  No more dragging ourselves out of bed, making excuses why we can't go... I don't feel well, it's raining, there are only hypocrites there, etc.  We wouldn't care who or what else is there if we could sit with Jesus!  He is the One who died for us.  He is the One who makes us whole.  He is the Good Shepherd, the always Faithful God, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of lords.  We would run as fast as we could, wouldn't we?
He is there, in the midst of the believers. He is present when we worship Him together in spirit and in truth. He is there, but our eyes are blinded by our unbelief, by our excuses, by our lack of gladness in going to the house of the Lord.  Oh, forgive us, forgive me, Jesus.  May I be glad in Your Presence always.  Open my eyes Lord!  I want  to see Jesus!