“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”- Hebrew 11:1 NKJV
Imagine you have a friend who has just finished driving school. You know he practiced and passed each class until he successfully obtained his license. Now, he asks you to be his passenger. While you might have an idea of his driving skills, you haven’t seen him drive before, which may affect your trust in his ability to do so. In this scenario, faith is demonstrated when you get into the car and trust that he can drive you safely to your destination.
The anchor scripture introduces us to the faithful actions of the great men and women of the Bible. Through this definition of faith, the writer of Hebrews helps us understand why these individuals acted as they did and shows us how we can live a faith-filled life.
Firstly, faith is the substance of what we trust God for. It can also mean ‘assurance’ or ‘confidence.’ As believers, our faith is seen through our complete confidence in Jesus Christ and our trust that God will fulfill His promises. Faith is essential in our relationship with God. (Hebrews 11:6). Our confidence in Him shapes everything we do. For example, Abraham left for an unknown destination simply because God led him there. He had such confidence in God’s promise that he obeyed without hesitation (Hebrews 11:8).
This teaches us something powerful: when faith is active in our relationship with God, we have a deep assurance that He will keep His promises. This assurance helps us walk in obedience and trust, even when we can’t see the full picture.
Secondly, faith is the proof of things we can’t yet see. Looking at the faith stories in Hebrews 11, we see how the patriarchs of faith lived believing in the promise of salvation through Jesus-a promise they never saw fulfilled in their lifetime. Yet they kept believing and acting in accordance with their faith. (Hebrews 11:39)
Moreso, faith is what helps you hold on when things don’t look like what God promised, or when His promises seem to be taking a long time to materialize. It helps you align your daily reality with what God’s promises. Even when things look different from what God has said, faith keeps His promises alive in your heart, shaping how you live each day.
Dear Believer, your journey with God began with faith-the moment you believed and received salvation. It is the foundation of how we live as believers and influences our daily actions. Remember, we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Bible Reading Plan: Numbers 30-31; Acts 13: 1-22