And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6
I have found that the amount of trust I have in someone or something is directly correlated to the way I demonstrate that trust on a day-to-day basis. Let me explain. I know my desk chair will support me when I sit down, so I never for a second lose faith as I go to sit in that chair every day. My mom is the most dependable person I know, so when she says she will do something, I never doubt that she will follow through or have a backup plan in case she does not do what she said she would do. My phone does not stay easily charged, so as a result, I take a portable charger with me everywhere I go because I cannot depend on my phone to hold a charge. In other words, the amount of trust I have in someone or something is directly correlated to the way I demonstrate that trust on a day-to-day basis. This is particularly true in our relationship with God. You see, if we have complete trust in Him, we will remain dependent on Him. If we do not trust Him, however, we will depend on ourselves rather than on Him.
Hebrews chapter 11 is a well-known chapter of Scripture that many people refer to as the "Hall of Faith." In this chapter, the author of Hebrews writes about faith. He begins this chapter by saying, "faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see" (verse 1). He then continues by describing a great number of people who were known for their faith. If you spend time reading about these heroes in the faith, you will notice that as their faith is described, actions that resulted from their faith are also described. This is because the faith of each of these heroes is evidenced by their actions, which proved their dependence on God. Because of faith, Abraham moved away from his family to a new and unknown land. Moses left a life of privilege to save God's people from slavery. Rahab risked her life to save God's people. These are only a few stories of these people of faith in Hebrews 11. Their bold faith led them to bold actions.
While talking about these amazing people of faith, the writer of Hebrews makes the statement, "And it is impossible to please God without faith (verse 6). You see, if we want to serve and honor God, then we have to have faith. We must have the kind of faith that the people in Hebrews 11 had, people who trusted God even when they could not see the end result if we want to please God.
I do not know about you, but I want to please God. I want Him to see my faith and be proud. The problem, however, is that when life is difficult, I have a hard time trusting Him and my faith waivers. Then, when I understand how God was working throughout that difficult time, I cannot believe my lack of faith. My friend, let's learn from these people in Hebrews 11. Let's hold unwavering trust in God, even when we cannot see. May He be pleased by our great faith in Him.
Take some time to think about your relationship with Christ. Have you ever placed your faith in Christ? Have you trusted Him with your life? If not, what are you waiting for? Today is the day. Pray and tell God that you believe in Him and that you want to follow Him for the rest of your life. If you have trusted God with your life, are you trusting Him on a regular basis, or are you only depending on yourself? My friend, think back through all of the ways God has taken care of you and provided for you throughout your life. As you do this, your trust in Him for your present and future will also be renewed and strengthened.
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.
It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.
All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.
It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.
It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.
It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.
It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.
It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.
It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.
It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.
It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.
But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
