How strong is our faith? The writer of Hebrews described faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It is not hard to believe in something we can see with our own eyes. Yet, faith often calls us to trust in things that we cannot verify with our senses.
Abraham stands as the great exemplar of faith. Stephen told his story in his great sermon. God sent him to a different land, but gave him no inheritance there. As a nomad, Abraham traveled through a foreign land with no place to call his home. But God promised him that his descendants would inherit the land. Problem. Abraham had no descendants. Still, he trusted and found God faithfully kept all of his promises.
Recently I found myself in a place where people had begun to lose their hope. Looking into their eyes, I wondered what it would be like to face an uncertain future. This is challenging for Christians as well as non-Christians. But it must be so much more difficult for the person who has no faith.
Can we trust God to do what he says he will do? We can. The strength of our faith is its object. In whom do we trust? Jeremiah praised God in the middle of his lengthy lament: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed. His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23). Paul would later declare to the Corinthians, “But God is faithful” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
How strong is our faith today? The more important question is, “How great is God’s faithfulness today?” Abraham’s story reminds us, “Very great.” We can trust God. He has never failed us. He never will.
