Hebrews 11:39-40 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Chapter 11 of Hebrews is that faith chapter. Listed therein is a long line of men and women who displayed faith. Referenced were many others whose examples were only hinted at in order to keep that epistle shorter than the Old Testament itself. Great men and women of faith who by all rights can declare mightier works by faith than I can, for sure. Yet they received not THE promise. I emphasize THE because there are many promises of God but THE promise here referred to is only one and that being the greatest.

So how does this reflect on clouds? Having read Hebrews, do you not know what follows?

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Rain is not provided without clouds. This great cloud of witness that encompass us round about are the vehicle of that rain. Their faith is a sign of the promise of rain. We who live in the better thing God has provided cannot flow as rivers of living waters without that rain. Whereas we do not see the Son in these times, it is the Son who is seated above who has caused those clouds to grow to so great a height that they can no longer withhold the rain.

While they could not be perfect without us, neither can we be perfected without them.

Exodus 3:6b I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

At what point in your life did God introduced Himself to you? Do you have that experience or is your story a little more subtle? Perhaps you might say “My mother told me about God.” It could be within you realm that a friend made the introduction. Perhaps you went searching within the big book to find God.

I was speaking with friends yesterday and the issue of Saul’s meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus was spoken of as an extreme example of introduction. We think about what a profound impact that moment had on Saul and changed his life and his name, to Paul. The issues of introduction of Moses and Saul to God were huge. Moses and Paul were impactful characters in the Bible, second perhaps only to Jesus Himself.

I look back at my introduction and I have to admit that moment was impactful to me, but me alone. I was afraid of becoming a bitter angry man, and I asked Jesus to save me. At the very moment I raised my hand to an alter call, I was changed. The anger was stripped away within me, I was at peace. Now mind you no one knew what was going on inside me. No one knew the change. Just me.

Was I saved?

Sadly the answer is no. That impact moment was only an introduction. Jesus revealed Himself to me as God, that He has the power to impact my life in ways I had never experienced. I say this to you so that you will understand, an introduction is just an introduction and not a salvation moment.

Both Moses and Paul submitted themselves to power. They sought to obey. They accepted Lordship. I on the other hand did not. I had not repented of my sins. I did not offer up those sins as a sacrifice to Lordship and seek to obey my Lord.

Introduction is not salvation, only an opportunity.