Reading Hebrews 11 has made me stop and think about what faith really means. I think sometimes we’ve made it sound like believing in God means everything will work out the way we want. Pray, trust Him, and things will get easier.
But that isn’t the whole story this chapter tells.
Noah built before he saw the rain. Abraham went without knowing where he was going. Moses chose hardship with God’s people over the comforts he could have stayed in. Their faith changed the way they lived. It cost them something.
Then there’s the part near the end that really makes you pause. Some people were delivered. Others suffered, were imprisoned, and died. Both were commended for their faith. The ones who suffered didn’t have less faith just because their story ended differently.
That makes me wonder how often we measure God’s faithfulness by how comfortable our lives are.
Faith is more than saying “God’s got this” when we’re hoping for a good outcome. It’s trusting His character when we don’t understand the outcome. It’s obeying when it’s inconvenient, waiting when we’re tired, and believing His promises reach beyond what we can see in this life.
I’m still learning that. I want answers, a clear plan, and reassurance that everything will be okay. But Hebrews 11 reminds me that faith doesn’t mean I get to know every step ahead of time.
My reflection this Sunday is this: am I trusting God Himself, or only trusting Him to give me the outcome I’m asking for?
That’s a harder question. But I think it’s one worth sitting with. 🤍
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
— Hebrews 11:1
Love,
Fowler Homestead
