Hebrews 11: 1 -7
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
DEVOTIONAL
We love to read Hebrews 11—Faith’s Hall of Fame—and rightly so as it is a wonderful reminder of our great forebears in the faith. I admit the ones who conquered kingdoms are more appealing than the ones mixed up with lions, stones, and saws. Whatever their experience we read that their exercised faith had as its reward an abode with the Father. Note: not faith in faith but faith in God.
This is wonderful! However, there is more to this story. Immediately before chapter 11’s Faith’s Hall of Fame Hebrews 10 warns us, very sternly, of those who were careless with their faith. Read this chapter to see how it introduces Hebrews 11. After this warning Hebrews 10:35 and following advises us to hold onto our confidence as we develop endurance in verse 36. In chapter 10, we are warned and then challenged to hold and grow to emulate the heroes in the following chapter.
The first question for us to answer is: how are we holding and growing? What are we feeding our faith? Are we digesting the nutrients necessary for growth?
As we hold and grow we develop an increasing assurance in the promises of God. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (v.1).” I like how William Thayer puts it: “Faith is pictured not as wishful thinking but as the present possession of future realities.” The promises of God and His Spirit’s indwelling allow us to embrace Christ Himself as our unchanging foundation.
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (v.1).”
This Advent season focuses our attention on the unwavering faith of Jesus who–we are told–was tempted in all things just like us. He pleased His Father as we can please Him by continually drawing near.
Author: Richard Lawson
Other Scriptures for today:
- Psalm 122
- Genesis 6:1-10
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