Without Faith...

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6

This just hit me as a "verse of interest" today. Lets start with the second part. Anyone who comes to him must believe he exists. That's kind of the first step, isn't it. Anyone who's decided to give their heart to God first has to wrestle with his existence. Do they believe he exists? That he created everything and gave us the choice to follow him of our own free will. Ultimately, as a person makes the decision to give their heart to God, they have made that choice. They have decided that yes, God does exist, and I believe in him and his son Jesus.

And then usually after that initial meeting our desires grow more intense. We want to know more, we want to spend more time with God, so we earnestly seek Him in His Word, and in prayer, and in fellowship with others. Because we are earnestly seeking more time with God we are rewarded with more. We get that time we so crave and so desire.

Then we get back to the beginning of this verse. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Because we've come to know God and have relished the time in his presence, we do have a desire to please God, to do everything we can to help share his love with others. But then a crisis will take place. Something that makes us question our faith, or we find ourselves in a place where we are completely reliant on God to take care of us, and doubt begins to creep in. Will God really provide what I need? Questions and doubt come to the surface, and we're no longer pleasing God because our faith has faltered. Hebrews clearly states that without faith, pleasing God is not possible. So what are we to do in those times?

Well, we are to pray. Wholeheartedly, asking for help restoring our faith. And we turn to God's Word to help remind us of his faithfulness to us.

" Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

"My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;" Psalm 121:2-3

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12