“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 

On this first day, before elaborating on practical aspects of faith, we thought it was crucial to start by defining what faith is. We can see from the verse above that without faith, it is impossible to please God, as it is a crucial ingredient that determines the way we seek God and come to Him. We encourage you to read the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews, also sometimes known as the “faith hall of fame”. In it we see examples of people who lived by faith, and it helps us understand what faith is about. But at the very beginning of this chapter, in verse 1 is the definition of faith itself. Here is what it says: 

“Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (confidence) of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 

Three key terms here: Realization (or awareness/knowledge), confidence (or trust), and things not seen (or invisible/not proven). As we read through Hebrews 11, or even the Bible as a whole, we see that these three terms are always present when faith is manifested. It starts by a realization, revelation or knowledge about something or someone which is believed to be true even though it cannot be proven or explained, even though it cannot be perceived by our five senses. Basing themselves on this “irrational” knowledge, the men and women of faith demonstrated their confidence by performing acts, which are the evidence of their trust in the promise and its giver. 

It is by faith that we are saved. We accept and declare the unproven revelation that Jesus took all our sins at the cross and that He will raise us from the dead and we will spend eternity with Him. And because of this unshakeable confidence in His resurrection power, though impossible to prove, we live our lives to glorify Jesus and point people to Him. It is by faith that every day, Christians worldwide defy all rationale and break all odds by believing that impossible things can happen and seeing them come to pass! Examples include healing from incurable diseases, barren women conceiving, financial debts being completely paid off etc. Where there is faith, there is an effusion of God’s miracles! But then again, we should not lose focus: If faith is just about having a strong hope or confidence in things not seen, and acting out of trust as though they were already there, then what is the difference between Christian Biblical faith and positive thinking, where one affirms the things they hope will come true in their life, like buying a new house or car? The difference lies in the source of your faith; what it is built on. Consider a building: no matter how well-built it is, it is only as solid as its foundation. So where does genuine Christian faith come from? Go ahead and read Romans 10:17 and we will discuss this tomorrow! 

Prayer: 

God, I humble myself before You this day so that You may renew and strengthen my faith in You and fill me up with Your Spirit. Please, grant me the understanding I need to apply faith in my everyday life. May I recognize that in every circumstance, all I need is to wait on You and believe in that no matter is too hard for You to handle. Help me prevail over every obstacle that comes my way. Teach me your ways, O Lord, and continuously remind me to walk by faith, and not by sight. In Jesus’ name, amen.