Hebrews 11:1 may be one of the verses we know best, but still struggle to understand. The New International Version says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for, and assurance about what we do not see.” The Message Bible says, “By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see.” Yesterday, I listened to a sermon by Dr. Tony Evans where he says, “Faith is acting like God is telling the truth!”
Most believers want to live by faith. We want to act like God is telling the truth. We want to have confidence that what we hope for can happen. We want what we can’t see, can’t understand, or can’t fully contemplate to be in the hands of the One who actually can see, and understand, and contemplate for us. We want faith to be our lifestyle and not simply an idea we visit now and then.
So, to quote Tony Evans again, He says “faith is acting like it is so, even when it’s not so, in order that it might be so, simply because God said so!” Perhaps those of you with a mama that told you what she wanted in no uncertain terms, “because I said so” can grasp this saying easily. So, let’s go back and consider that faith is acting like God is telling the truth. We believe God exists. We believe God loves us. We believe God created the universe we live in, so why do we struggle with whether God is telling the truth? The fact is, God can only tell the truth, so we don’t really have to figure out that part.
Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, reminds us that faith is not a matter of cherry picking. Faith is something we live in every hour of our lives. Faith is the thing we give back to God so He can act on our behalf. It’s our faith that tells God, “I believe in the prayer I’m saying right now.” It’s our faith that says, “I’ll do this thing God wants me to do, even though I don’t fully understand the direction.” It’s faith that says, “I’m here, God. Send me.”
You may face an issue, an idea, or a challenge you don’t understand, but when you believe God is with you, you can go on faith and act like it is so, so that it might be so, because God said so. Faith requires you to act and let God know you are willing to trust Him for those things you do not yet see. Faith is saying to God, “I believe you all the time. I believe you are always telling me the truth. I believe in you.”
Since God created the entire world out of nothing, don’t you think He can take those things you do not yet see, and create the best option just for you? Faith opens the door to all that’s possible for you and every person on this planet!
God gave you the gift of faith so you could use it, live in it, enjoy it, and return the gift to Him every day.
Faith is your calling card to God.