“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
This morning I read through Hebrews 11, and it has me contemplating faith. This assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Assurance and conviction resting firmly on the foundation of who our God is – who He has declared Himself to be in the Bible.
Our God who is faithful, who is strength, justice, and righteousness. Our God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever present, and who is sovereign over all things without question and without equal. Our God of holiness and majesty. Our God of compassion and mercy. Our God of grace, hope, and a steadfast love that does not waver, even for a moment.
He is the mighty God who shows Himself to be a fortress for those who take refuge in Him. He watches over His Word to ensure it accomplishes every purpose He has, and His Word proves true (Jeremiah 1:12; Isaiah 55:11; Psalm 18:30).
This is the God we look to and ground our faith in. The God of our salvation. This is God, and there is no other, and no other name by which we must be saved – only the name of Jesus (Isaiah 45:22; Acts 4:12).
Jesus was the only hope we had to escape the wrath of God for our sinful choices. And in His mercy and great, unfathomable love, He came to die in our place. Showing us the love of the Father for us and the power of God to conquer death and create a salvation that would make us alive again. A life, a joy, a hope, a peace we never knew was possible – not until we knew Him.
Apart from Him, our hearts ache for this faith, this assurance, this hope. Especially when what fills our eyes is sadness, sickness, death, pain, betrayal, disaster, and wickedness. We can lose sight of His goodness when we feel surrounded by all the struggles of this world and this life. We experience this resounding sense in our hearts: ”It shouldn’t be like this.”
And that’s true, it shouldn’t be. This wasn’t God’s original design. All of this is what sin and darkness has done. Massive consequences of our sinful hearts and the workings of dark spiritual forces.
But our God is still faithful. He is still here, actively present and working in our lives. He is still sovereign, still good, and still the unstoppable light that pierces the darkness in our hearts and in the world. Our God who has come to bring us hope. Our God who is able to work all things for good, showing His glory, power, and grace. His Word still proves true, as it always has – and no darkness can stop that. He has already overcome (John 16:33).
So let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Choosing to fill our eyes with Him and His truth, walking in faith, hope, joy, and obedience. Eagerly anticipating the day when He will make all things new and the world will be filled with His light, the certain future for all who believe in Him for salvation. Because Jesus has conquered all, and He is coming again, Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11).
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”
Revelation 21:3-5a
In Pleasant Places 