The Substance of Things Hoped For

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

There have been so many times since January that I have said or thought, "this is where real faith begins," Yet, somehow, God kept stretching that faith into more and more faith, asking me, "will you believe Me under these circumstances?" "How about under these?"  We have now truly entered a place in this prayer where the circumstances seem utterly impossible for God to answer and today He is asking, "will you still believe I can answer?" I admit, I am desperately holding onto my faith, trying to keep the fear Satan is constantly throwing at me crucified. It is at times like these I am so very thankful for the prayer warriors God has given me as friends. I am so thankful to have a visible accountability partner here in Hawaii, one who prays with me every day, as well as a long range one in Chicago, one, who though time constraints and family obligations keep us from daily contact, has not failed once to keep the faith in this journey. It was she who I turned to tonight when fear came on strong. It was through her faith and encouragement that God reminded me of the passage quoted above. It was this verse that God used to calm my fear and ask me once again, "do you still believe I can answer?"
     As I explain what God showed me tonight, I am borrowing heavily from the analogy my study Bible used to explain the faith of this verse. 
First, as a child, I expected to get gifts on my birthday (okay, so I do as an adult too, I coach my students every year on what would be great gifts to buy me). I had (have) an assurance that there would be gifts. Why? Because I had gotten them in the past. My parents and friends had always bought them and I had no reason to expect them not to.  In the days leading up to my birthday, I would begin to anticipate what those gifts would be, some I knew, others were surprises and some, although I knew what they would be, were not exactly as I expected them to be...they were better. That's what God is still trying to tell me, I have no reason to believe He won't come through on this. there has NEVER been a time He hasn't fulfilled a promise. I just need to sit back and anticipate all the ways He plans on fulfilling this request, not fearing He won't answer.
     Second, the words 'hoped for' and 'evidence' are key words to our faith. "Hoped for" implies a certainty, as in ,"it was all I had hoped for." Evidence implies a confidence, as in, "the evidence left the jurors little doubt as to who the real culprit was." We have a certainty in our faith based on the character of Who God is. Nothing has ever proven He is anything other than what He says He is, there is a definite certainty to that. Based on that, I can have confidence that what He promises He'll do, He will. When He promises in Matthew 18:19 that where two are agreed and ask in His will, He will do it for them, He means it. I've no reason to doubt it and 15 days left of school shouldn't change that.
     I wish studying out these verses meant that there would be no more fear, however, Satan isn't that kind. What this does mean though is that I have more ammunition with which to fight him. God is Who He says He is and NOTHING can or ever will change that...so I'll do my best to sit back and anticipate all the good things God has in store for this visit.