Unseen

Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV

I love this definition of faith. It’s so different, I think, than many people think about faith. I think a lot of people when they think about faith, it’s like stepping out, this blind leap into the dark, or this vague hope, or maybe wishful thinking. So, I have faith in this and I hope it’s actually going to happen, but that’s not the way the Bible talks about faith. God has not called us to a blind leap into the dark, but to bank our lives on the One who is dependable and faithful. Listen to the words in Hebrews 11:1. Faith is the assurance, like when you have assurance of something. This is faith, assurance of things hoped for. So it’s not like, I hope my team is going to win, but you don’t know if it’s really going to happen, or I hope this or that is going to happen, when you don’t really know if it will. This is assurance. You know that what you have hoped for will happen and you have conviction, like conviction of things not seen. You know that that which you don’t see is real and true. This is the kind of faith that God has called us to. Not some blind leap into the dark, but banking our lives on He who is most dependable and most faithful, the Eternal God of the universe who has given us His Word, who has given us His promises, who has come to us, who in the flesh has lived a perfect life, died on a cross and risen from the dead. There are times when we all need a little encouragement. The pressures of life are real, none of us are immune, and on occasions, we can feel weary or discouraged. Sometimes, we just need to be refreshed by taking a physical break and applying basic self-care. But there are occasions when one problem after another can leave us feeling spiritually weary. It is then, when our faith is tested, that perseverance is developed within us. Our strength to persevere is found by receiving and believing in the Word of God.

Encouragement is defined as giving someone the courage and confidence to do something. This is often thought to be with kind and supportive words, or maybe even practical help, which are all a blessing. But true encouragement, or exhortation, is found by drawing closer to God. It is there that we find our ever-present help, our refuge, and our strength. Let us build ourselves up in the faith, with the courage and confidence to trust in God, through times of great need. One way of strengthening our faith is by remembering all that God has done for us to remind ourselves of His faithfulness. The scripture reading today is a call to draw near to God and to keep on persevering in faith, through remembrance of the reconciling work of Jesus. We have been given this boldness and confidence to approach God, through faith in Jesus Christ. He has made the way, by His death and resurrection, for us to be reconciled to God. We can come to an approachable and relational God, who is attentive to us, because of Jesus’ sacrifice. What greater encouragement could there be of God’s love for us. We receive, by faith, a fresh revelation of His love, and renewed strength. For God’s Word promises that when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us!!!

Father thank You for this day and faith that is not a destination. Lord pour out Your abundant blessings over my friend and family today. Lord we can be so entrenched in our own thinking that sometimes we doubt Your Word and question Your promises, often wishing we had some concrete proof of Your love for us and yet Your Word gives us all the affirmation of this absolute reality we need. Lord Your Word and Promises are sure and Your faithfulness stretches beyond the limits of time and space. Lord thank You for the gift of faith, and we pray that day by day our loving trust in You and the reality of Your Word will become increasingly established within our hearts. Lord use my friend to be someone’s blessing today. Daddy we love you amen. Be a blessing. Love ya !!