Hebrews 11:6 AMPC
But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
A simple definition of faith is 'belief and trust in and loyalty to God' or, as another lays it out, it is 'firm belief even in the absence of proof'. These definitions make clear that with faith, there is not always the full picture that tells you everything you know about a matter, but you have to take a decision. You do not have all the information, yet you have to take steps in the confidence that things will fall into place in the right way. That has got to be a tough way to live. Faith is the firm belief in someone or something, and then action is taken based on that firm belief. I cannot claim to have faith in God, and still refuse to take steps in line with that firm belief. What makes it hard is that faith requires that I take action, even in the face of the absence of proof supporting my action. This is where faith cannot be explained by worldly terms, as the human brain is wired to respond to reason, logic and common sense.
How can you expect me to jump, if there is no safety net in place that I am sure will catch me? The father of faith, Abraham, is spoken about a lot these days, and it is easy to appreciate his faith, but at the time, there were no precedents to follow. How could the man explain that a God who was not well known at the time, told him to get out of his father's house, and then go to a land that was not even told or shown to him. He left and began to walk, trusting that God would lead him to the right place. There was faith in the God who asks him to leave his father's house, and he trusted in this God by taking action to leave. It is not a wonder then, that God was pleased with Abraham, and he was blessed, not just in the physical, but he became a model of faith even for us in our own times today. He did not know the WHERE, or the HOW, but He knew the WHO. I am not given any assurance that I will always understand where God leads, but what is critical is to take the right steps in obedience to the command and instruction of God. I can never go wrong with obedience to God.
It is therefore not a surprise to read the words of today's verse. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. If God asks me to do something, and I have to wait for proof before I do it, how is that faith? If I have to be sure of everything before I step out, how is that faith? He who will come to God must believe that He exists, which is the faith bit, and then also seek Him diligently, which is the trust and action part. When both are in place, then there is the expectation of reward and blessing. If my heart seeks after God the right way, I am sure and certain of the rewards that are promised. The same chapter from where the verse is taken makes it clear that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. Those are deep words, and it is only by a daily walk with God that this kind of faith is established and built up. God wants to do mighty things in our lives, but He needs us to walk in line with His expectations. Am I willing to take the right steps in order to get all He has promised? God's time of favour is here.
No comments:
Post a Comment