Without Wavering: Resilient Faith Built on the Promises of GodSample

What We Mean When We Talk about Faith

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by this our ancestors were approved. By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.”

— Hebrews 11:1-3 (CSB)

The description of faith in Hebrews 11:1 is part of a wider theme in Hebrews—an invitation to see how the things in the world around us are best understood through the bigger picture of God’s story, a story that began with creation and culminates in Jesus. In fact, this is where the whole book begins.

When I think about the definition of faith, it’s like the foundation of a sturdy house or the active ingredient that makes the recipe work. It’s the quiet yet bold something that whispers hope and light in the midst of so much dark. Faith is what moves us to believe and to see, even when we can’t make sense of it. It’s like the breeze you feel on a spring day or the oxygen we inhale with every breath. We can’t see it, but it’s there.

When I read Hebrews 11:1-3, I see an invitation to live out my faith based on the reality of the hope I have that Jesus lived and died for me, that He conquered death so I can spend eternity with Him, and that He will do as He said and return and right all wrongs. This is the good news, the gospel, Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection as the sacrifice and atonement for all our sins (Rom. 1:3-4). Jesus is the Perfecter, the One who was, and is, and is to come (Rev. 1:4).

May we remember that our faith is a gift! God is the Creator and Giver of it (Eph. 2:8-10). We don’t have to will our way to a more resilient faith; we couldn’t if we tried. One key to an unwavering faith in Jesus is surrendering each day, each moment, to Him. It’s believing in His promises and allowing Him to use you for the good works He has planned.

Before you close today, spend time in prayer. Thank God for the gift that is your faith and for Jesus, the One in whom your faith is secure.