Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Reflection
Faith deals with the future and those things that we can't see or know. We come close to God in faith. We come close to God trusting that God takes care of our future. God takes care of what we don't know about or even can't see. We come to God in faith and trust with hope.
Our lives are a witness to our faith in God. Through faith in God things may not always be blessings. There are ups and downs and ins and outs of life that greet us daily. With faith we trust God with our lives with our future and what we can't see. We trust God in the trials. We trust God in the blessings. We walk our lives as a witness to our faith in God.
God walks in faith with us as well. We can see over the hill, over the trees, and into the Light of God the promised rewards of God's walk in faith with us. Rewards beyond this life on earth and into eternity is the triumph of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ our Savior.
These unseen things we speak of are real and true. These unseen things are the proof of God's love for all his people. Without faith in the unseen things of God we could never rationalize or explain creation or our own very existence. We would be lost for words and unable to explain our own being without the faith in the unseen things of God.
Our faith in God is our conviction that we believe in what God has told us. We believe with our very lives and trust God through the pain and in the blessings. We trust God to the unseen and we trust God with our future.
Our faith is in God's Word. We can live assured that the Word made flesh in Jesus will lead and guide us in our walk. We can live assured that our conviction to God and what God has done for us will take us to that reward God has prepared for each one of us. In this, our faith in God will lead us to look beyond death for an experience that will be seen and realized in all of God's grace and glory.
Prayer
Lord, I place all of my life in your hands in the faith and trust and with the hope of what you have in store for me... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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