By Faith We Believe in One Who Creates Something Out of Nothing

I'm going to spend some time over the next couple of weeks writing here about Living by Faith and what that can mean in a practical sense for us right now right where we are. We'll be looking at Hebrews 11, AKA "The Hall of Faith." In Hebrews 11, the writer lists the names and actions of many people who lived by faith, and whose faith was proven genuine as it was tested. You might want to begin today by reading Hebrews 11. If you don't have a Bible in front of you, click here and you'll be able to read it online. (I've chosen the NKJV, but you can choose the translation you prefer.)

Hebrews 11:1-3 will be our passage for today's post:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

According to Scripture, faith itself is the evidence of the unseen things we claim to believe. Our faith, or our trust in God, is the substance of that which we hope for in Christ. This is not something we can manufacture on our own or through our own striving. It's a natural byproduct of our growing relationship with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. This trust in God is what gave the elders (those mentioned in the Hall of Faith) their good testimony--trusting God is what equips us to live life well.

In Verse 3 we read that it is by faith, i.e. trusting God, that we believe in something we can't see: that the worlds were framed by the very word of God--His voice made sounds which called an entire universe into existence. It's amazing! As I read and hear more and more about evolution and the Big Bang and all of those theories trying so desperately to disprove a Divine Designer of all that we see in nature and humanity, well, they just haven't convinced me. You don't get intelligence from non-intelligence. You don't get life from something that is not alive. With all of their intelligence and technology, even Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, or even all of humanity combined, haven't even come close to the creativity of our God.

This verse also teaches us that we have a God who can and does make something out of nothing. When I was in high school, I had a friend who was (and still is) an atheist. He and I had respect for one another, though, and were able to have friendly dialogues with each another about our beliefs. In one conversation, he brought an article about how scientists were on the verge of cloning a sheep. He said "See, human beings can now create a sheep through cloning another sheep from DNA." (This was back in 1990.) I remember, politely saying to him, "Well, whenever anyone is able to create something out of nothing, by simply using their words, let's talk." I didn't mean this to be argumentative, but only to say what I'm saying here: Our God creates SOMETHINGS out of absolute NOTHINGNESS. And, it's by faith that we can believe this and base our lives and our eternal destinies upon the fact that God is who He says He is and does what He says He will do.

One last thing about this, and one that means so very much to me. God can create something out of what I see as a "nothing" (hopeless) situation: could be a marriage, a relationship, a ministry, a dream, a lost friend...whatever! If you are dealing with a situation that feels hopeless, have FAITH! If you're in a marriage and it seems all love is gone (i.e. nothing is left between you), have FAITH! Just as God placed something (His Spirit) where there was nothing (our lost state without Christ), God can speak life into any hopeless situation.

There is nothing that is too hard for God. And, as I mentioned in a recent post, God ALWAYS does the most loving thing. He isn't in a panic over your situation. He isn't caught by surprise. He is never caught off-guard. We can completely trust Him in each and every single situation.

~So, where are you in your faith walk? God accepts you and loves you at every point in the growing process. Offer Him what you have and who you are. As I pray oftentimes, "God, I believe. Help my unbelief!"...and He always does...in His perfect way and in His perfect time.