Faith // Hebrews 11:1

Faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Breaking that down, it helps us direct our hope beyond mere optimism and being sure of God even though we might not be able to see see Him with our own two eyes. Hebrews goes on to explore the faith of many Biblical figures who exhibited faith in such a way, and those in particular who predated Jesus. Some of those individuals — Abraham, for example — lived 2,000 years before Jesus. Let the fact not escape you that we are some 2,000 years after Jesus’ Resurrection. We might not be able to see God in the flesh like those did who witnessed Jesus’ earthly ministry, but even Jesus Himself said that those who believe without seeing will be blessed (John 20:29). We all need faith! So, to help explain it another way, faith means putting your trust in God and having confidence that he will fulfill his promises. This has everything to do with the Advent season in which we are in right now. God promised to come and Jesus promised to come again. Please have faith that God’s promises are true. Live into hope beyond a fleeting optimism that everything will be ok. How? By staking your life to God’s promise that He came, will come again, and take us all to be with Him in Heaven forever.