Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the evidence of things hoped for; the substance of things not seen."
I've gotten this question a few times, and the answer doesn’t have to be complicated; How do you know God is real? You can answer it with many words or you can answer it with one: Faith.
The entire foundation of Christianity belongs in that single word. After all, why else do we hear someone refer to their religious beliefs as “their faith”? Without that one word, we would be in constant confusion, and unease. We would never be trusting, our loyalty would be wavering, and our souls would suffer.
As said above, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. It’s a verse that can easily sum up the premise of our faith and our beliefs. Hebrews 11 was my favorite chapter of the Bible for a really long time growing up. I loved how so many of the verse began with “By faith” while listing these prominent characters in the Bible, who lived by God’s will.
This is one of those chapters that need to be imprinted in your memory as we grow and mature, and get older, because if our faith is not strong now, and build and manifested now, it will suffer as we get older, and the temptations of life wear on us.
We, right now, have to be allowing ourself to foster that relationship of faith and trust with Him. If you wanted to answer this question with a few more words, I would tell you that there are so many things in my life that go so far beyond my control, and my reach, that I would be denying myself the peace of God if I said it was all a pure coincidence. I know that these blessings, are things that I am not capable of on my own.
When we fall into times of struggle, it is Faith, coupled with hope and trust, that will bring us out of those dark waters. They will bring us out of those places of dark thought, and guilt and shame.
When you allow yourself to become trapped in the lies of the enemy and of the world, and fall to the sins you readily struggle with it, you are making a recipe for disaster.
The enemy knows your weaknesses better than you, and he knows just what it takes to trap you. Deny him that “pleasure”. Deny him the pleasure of getting the upper hand, and falling to the temptations you fight so hard against. Don’t give him any room to fill your mind with false teachings, and ways of life.
It is faith that will remind you, and restore you of the hope that He brings, and the forgiveness that is within Him.
It is faith, that will be with you on the long hard days when nothing will go right.
It is faith that will allow you to fill your soul and mind with peace, dreaming of eternity and Heaven.
Similarly, faith does not work without action. James tells us in chapter 2, verse 17, that “Thus also faith by itself if it does not have works, is dead.” Back to the car analogy last week, if you have a car great! But your car doesn’t work, and will not take you anywhere without gas! It’s useless.
Faith is your car. I'm sure it’s great, and it looks nice, and its comfortable, but without works, without gas, your car will go nowhere.
I encourage you to find the means, and the works to build your faith. Expand your mind and your understanding and seek things to build and manifest that relationship. Find verses that resonate with your being, and allow yourself to be immersed in the Word.
