Yesterday, I introduced the concept of chutzpah, or the kind of bold, audacious, and forward faith that characterized Old Testament Jewish culture, and to which we should still aspire today. While describing something can be helpful, there’s nothing quite like a story to illustrate the power of a word, so that’s what I want to share with you in this devotion. Author and speaker Lois Tverberg describes an account in one of her writings of a bus driver and a passenger in Jerusalem. To offer some background, Israel has lots of traffic and many impatient motorists. In fact, I once heard a tour guide say that, “One of the great things about Jerusalem is all of the lights come with noises, because every time a light turns green, every car honks, instantly.” In fact, since the traffic is so bad, residents often opt to take the bus, and that’s where this story picks up. One day an older woman got on a public bus, walked right past the driver without paying her fare, and sat down. When he confronted her and asked her for money, she turned her head to the side, looked out the window, and ignored him. Meanwhile, the bus was stopped on a one-way street, and cars started honking like mad. Not to be deterred by the lady’s refusal to pay, the driver turned the engine off, put his feet up, and began to read the newspaper. This “standoff” between the two of them went on for a long time, and finally, after being yelled at by her fellow passengers and many disgruntled drivers, she got off the bus and left. No matter how wrong or unprofessional we might deem these actions, both characters in this story had chutzpah of the same kind as Abraham, who refused to give up his “seat” of blessing, even though it took years to see it manifest! 

My friend, in the area of faith, it’s hard to offend God. While the temptation is to be meek and polite in His presence, He is not taken back when you hold Him to His Word, and He won’t flinch if you insist on being met with His favor. Every promise He has given to you is “yes and amen,” and even as society stands barking at your stubborn belief, the Lord delights in meeting your audacious expectations. Your Savior is still working wonders in the world today, and like a muscle, He wants to strengthen your trust and stretch your anticipation so you can experience all the goodness He has in store for your future!