Real Faith

All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.

Hebrews 11:39

WHEN WE FIRST come to trust Christ, we often have little idea of what we’re getting into. We don’t physically see him or feel him. We simply take what the Bible says and stake our lives on it. When we make decisions in faith, we often feel as if we’re “shooting in the dark,” having no idea where those decisions will lead. Faith can take us on an unexpected journey. We may enjoy experiences we never dreamed possible. And, of course, there are also times when life looks scary and we need to depend on that faith to support us.

Think about those people of faith referred to in the verse. They rarely had the Scriptures to encourage them, surely not what we have today. They were often rejected, hated, tortured, and killed. Some faced lions. Others died by the sword or by incineration.

What held these people together at those times? Faith. They saw something beyond this world. They saw God and his Kingdom. They saw his promises.

Faith is like a sixth sense. By means of faith, you understand and become convinced of realities unbelievers could never grasp. Where does it come from? The Bible says over and over that our faith is part and parcel of being a Christian, a gift of God.

Do you see with the eyes of faith? The main thing to know is that faith will sustain you through everything. And then one day you will see God, and your faith will be rewarded with tangible reality.