The Faith Chapter
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. - Hebrews 11:1
I once heard Hebrews 11 called “The Faith Chapter.” Hebrews 11:1 is one of the first verses that stuck with me when I recommitted my life to Christ as a young adult. This morning, as I read through Hebrews 11, it hit me a little differently.
Hebrews 11:3 made me process that if I truly believe and “understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command,” then how can I not trust that the Lord has me covered regardless of the outcome. Having faith felt more simple than it has before.
I now understand as a more seasoned believer that what His plan is may, and often does, look very different than my plan so my faith should be in the knowledge that God wants to bless me with a hope and not just a future but, I believe, an amazing future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
As I dug deeper into Hebrews 11 and read through the examples of faith-filled folks like Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and Moses, it struck me that they were just the beginning of the faith journey that grew through many generations. Most of them didn’t get to see the fruit from their faith. (Hebrews 11:13) I can look back on hard and frustrating times in my life where faith is all I had, and to be honest, it was shaky at times. Reminiscing on those seasons reveals how good God is and that my faith should have been in the Creator, not the outcome.
Hard times strengthen our faith muscle to prepare for the next struggle which inevitably will come. But what’s even sweeter is that those times grow our relationship with The Father as we build trust. Oftentimes, the result of our difficulties isn’t as important as the experiences we have with the Holy Spirit and closeness with The Father that comes out of it.
JOURNAL: Do you have faith in the outcome or the Creator?
PRAYER: Lord, it feels a little odd to thank You for hard times, but thank You! Because in those times, You draw us closer. Please cover those in the middle of a tough time with Your peace that passes all understanding. Help them to sense Your Spirit and be reminded that You love them so much and have a great plan for their life.
I once heard Hebrews 11 called “The Faith Chapter.” Hebrews 11:1 is one of the first verses that stuck with me when I recommitted my life to Christ as a young adult. This morning, as I read through Hebrews 11, it hit me a little differently.
Hebrews 11:3 made me process that if I truly believe and “understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command,” then how can I not trust that the Lord has me covered regardless of the outcome. Having faith felt more simple than it has before.
I now understand as a more seasoned believer that what His plan is may, and often does, look very different than my plan so my faith should be in the knowledge that God wants to bless me with a hope and not just a future but, I believe, an amazing future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
As I dug deeper into Hebrews 11 and read through the examples of faith-filled folks like Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and Moses, it struck me that they were just the beginning of the faith journey that grew through many generations. Most of them didn’t get to see the fruit from their faith. (Hebrews 11:13) I can look back on hard and frustrating times in my life where faith is all I had, and to be honest, it was shaky at times. Reminiscing on those seasons reveals how good God is and that my faith should have been in the Creator, not the outcome.
Hard times strengthen our faith muscle to prepare for the next struggle which inevitably will come. But what’s even sweeter is that those times grow our relationship with The Father as we build trust. Oftentimes, the result of our difficulties isn’t as important as the experiences we have with the Holy Spirit and closeness with The Father that comes out of it.
JOURNAL: Do you have faith in the outcome or the Creator?
PRAYER: Lord, it feels a little odd to thank You for hard times, but thank You! Because in those times, You draw us closer. Please cover those in the middle of a tough time with Your peace that passes all understanding. Help them to sense Your Spirit and be reminded that You love them so much and have a great plan for their life.
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