8 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Lamentations 3-5
Hebrews 11:1-17

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Hebrews 11:1 (CSB): “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”

Hebrews 11:6 (CSB): “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

Hebrews 11 is a great chapter. It is filled with vignettes of men and women who trusted the Lord, sometimes against all odds, and found the Lord to be faithful. As a result, their lives stand as a testimony that living a life of trust in the Lord is not only possible but also worth it!

Given the importance of trust, let’s look at Hebrews 11:1 and also verse 6 to understand and live a life that pleases the Lord.

To begin, let’s look at the word that is used 24-25 times in Hebrews 11. It’s the word “faith.” But what does it mean?

The Reformers (I believe rightly) taught that biblical faith has three key ingredients: knowledge, assent, and trust.

  • Knowledge: This is the content of Scripture. To have faith, we need something to believe in. So it begins with everything the Bible has to say about God, Jesus, the Gospel, God’s promises, and much more! It is all that God says about anything and everything in His Word.
  • Assent: Knowledge is benign and has absolutely no benefit unless we understand it and agree with it. The Bible is not just true; it is the standard of truth (John 17:17). But if you and I do not give mental assent and agree with its truth claims, it does us no good. We must agree with it.
  • Trust: Knowledge and even agreement with the Bible’s truth claims do us no good unless we trust in them. We must rest in God’s person, His promises, and/or His precepts in order to benefit from Scripture.

Let me restate the above descriptions in three simple questions:

  • Knowledge: Have you read what the Bible has to say about what you are dealing with?
  • Assent: Do you believe what the Bible says about what you are dealing with?
  • Trust: Are you resting in the truth of God’s Word, regardless of how things might seem?

Now, let’s examine Hebrews 11:1 and consider what it looks like in our lives to have this kind of faith, rooted in God’s Word.

Hebrews 11:1 (CSB): “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”

The word “reality” in Hebrews 11:1 could mean “substance,” “matter,” or similar terms. Essentially, the first part of Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the concrete, tangible substance for what we do not yet see. Faith makes visible what cannot yet be seen. It trusts in the Lord so fully that it lives in the reality of what is not yet. It enjoys what has not yet happened because it is resting in the truth of God’s Word.

The word “proof” in Hebrews 11:1 means “evidence” or what is used to convince someone. Just as in the first part of Hebrews 11:1, we are told that faith makes the unseen realities of our lives so real. God gives us the grace to trust so strongly that we live in the reality of what doesn’t appear to be.

If you are saved, you are already, to some extent, living with this kind of faith. At some point in your life, you heard about Jesus and what He did on the cross (knowledge). But you were not yet saved. Then, you agreed with the truth claims of the Gospel (assent). You agreed with Scripture that anyone who trusts in Jesus is forgiven and saved. But you were not yet saved. Finally, you placed your trust in Jesus, resting in Him to make you right in the Father’s eyes (trust). This was the moment you were saved! And as a result, you are continuing to rest in Jesus, and you are assured of your arrival in Heaven one day, even though you’ve never been there yet.

This is the same sort of truth that the Apostle Peter was providing to the saints who were scattered abroad because of persecution.

1 Peter 1:8-9 (CSB): “Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Faith enables us to enjoy the truths and blessings of things that God has said, even before we receive the blessings that God promises!

Now, let’s look back at Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:6 (CSB): “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

We learn from this verse that it is impossible to put a smile on God’s face unless we are living by faith.

As a parent, I can understand this to an extent. Imagine a parent standing in a pool with his toddler standing on the edge. The parent says, “Jump, I’ll catch you.” But the toddler doesn’t jump. After much coaxing, the child refuses to jump. That parent is going to feel pretty bad inside because his child clearly doesn’t trust him. But if that child were to look at his dad and take a jump without even giving it a second thought, that dad would enjoy knowing his child trusts him. That child’s trust in his dad will surely put a smile on his dad’s face.

God loves it when we trust Him. He loves it when we rest in His promises or we do what we believe He is calling us to do, even though it goes against our every instinct in that moment.

So, if faith is the way we please God, what must we ultimately believe if we don’t trust God for anything else?

Hebrews 11:6 (CSB): “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

God wants us to believe that He exists. He wants us to trust in Him, even though we cannot seem Him. He wants us to rest in the fact that He is who He said He is, even though He is invisible to our eyes (1 Timothy 1:17; Colossians 1:15; John 1:18).

Second, God wants us to rest in the truth that He rewards those who seek Him. He wants us to believe and trust that when we chase after Him and seek deeper fellowship that we will be rewarded for doing so. On a side note, the reward is often God Himself. We seek Him and He rewards us with Himself. Only those who have experienced the overwhelming joy of being in God’s presence know how special this is! It’s what the human heart was made to enjoy!

So, there you have it, friends. God isn’t glorified, nor does it make Him happy, when we try to live life in our own strength, using our own wits to navigate the path ahead. Instead, He is pleased when we live it trusting in Him and His Word. Why not ask the Lord today to take you deeper into fellowship with Him and give you the grace to trust in Him as you embark on this day, a brand new adventure that started when you woke up this morning.

Psalm 118:24 (CSB): “This is the day the LORD has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it.”

    Spend Time in Prayer

    • Ask God to graciously give you the ability and an opportunity to trust in Him today. Might it be a bit scary? Of course. But it will be an adventure, and an opportunity to trust in your God and put a smile on His face.

    “Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
    How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!
    Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
    O for grace to trust him more!”

    Going Deeper

    If you want to dig a little deeper into Hebrews 11:6, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

    “What does it mean that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6)?”

    Sharing

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    Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)