The One Thing That Pleases God: Faith! Hebrews 11:6

From a Facebook post on August 10, 2021 by Joy

Just a few thoughts on this Tuesday evening….

If the only ingredient necessary to please God is Faith (Hebrews 11.6) why do we struggle in this area the MOST in our journey?

We fill our “spiritual” lives with busyness, good deeds, church duties, activities - all which are good, but not intended to supersede, precede or replace faith.

Yet, a firm, deep rooted, unwavering, unshakable, believing-no-matter-what-my-circumstances-throw-my-way kind of faith in a Supreme God who defies both space & time— remains a constant battle; particularly when it appears He’s lost my address

But here’s the thing—

The enemy knows the path of having true & genuine intimacy with God is FAITH- and faith alone.

So he naturally attacks our stuff to shake our faith.

Particularity the “stuff” of relationships— especially the ones who hold realestate in the sacred spaces of our hearts.

Yep, the ones that have the greatest potential to strip me of every last bit of trust when things go south.

If he can injure us in the area of horizontal relationships, he knows it’ll be that much more difficult to have anchored trust in our incomprehensibly perfect, holy, sinless, faithful, gooooood, praise-worthy God.

If we've been wounded, victimized, rejected, misunderstood, deceived &/or betrayed by relationships originally designed & intended to represent Gods goodness, we often subconsciously project onto God that He’ll do the same.

Our wall of self protection begins to thicken & our roots of faith begins to shrivel.

But if you’ve lived any days on this earth, you know first hand that relationships will unfortunately & inevitably fail us in one way or another— some more than others—

guaranteed.

We are finite, limited, sinful human beings prone to disappoint one another— some knowingly; but mostly unknowingly.

I know this, because I’ve been the one who’s failed & disappointed & hurt others.

Maybe even you.

But… (and I pray these next few words peel back the layers of your beautiful heart & implant themselves permanently in the soul of your belief system) our transcendent & perfect God can not.

Did not.

Has not.

Will not.

I M P O S S I B L E.

“To whom will you compare Me?

Who is My equal?” asks the Holy One.

Look up into the heavens.

Who created all the stars?

He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name.

Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.

O Jacob (implant your name here) how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles?

O Israel (again, implant your name here!) how can you say God ignores your rights/needs?

Have you never heard?

Have you never understood?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of all the earth.

He NEVER grows weak or weary.

No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.

BUT those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.”

~Isaiah 40:25-31