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Hebrews 11 begins with one of Scripture’s clearest descriptions of faith: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Biblical faith is not wishful thinking or blind optimism. It is a confident reliance upon God, His character and His promises even when what we hope for has not yet become visible. That becomes especially important when life presents us with circumstances that naturally produce fear – the loss of work, health problems, family difficulties, financial uncertainty or events in the wider world. Those circumstances are real, but they are not the whole picture. Faith chooses to look beyond what can presently be seen and trust the God who already sees what we cannot.
That means faith often involves a deliberate choice. Something happens; fear rises naturally, and we reach a point where we must decide where to place our confidence. The disciples experienced something similar when Jesus spoke about repeatedly forgiving those who wronged them. Their response was, “Increase our faith.” They recognised that obedience sometimes requires trusting God beyond what feels natural to us. The same principle applies throughout Christian life. When we cannot see how provision will come, when an answer to prayer seems delayed, or when circumstances seem to contradict what we believe God is doing, faith says, “I do not yet understand, but I still trust You.”
This message illustrates that through a personal story of moving home after believing God was directing the way forward. Property deals fell through, settlement collapsed at the last moment, belongings were already packed, and circumstances repeatedly appeared to say that the move would never happen. Yet the challenge remained to move from fear back towards faith and pray, “Father, Your will be done.” Eventually another buyer came, the move went ahead, and the timing closely matched what had originally been anticipated. The lesson is not that faith guarantees every circumstance will resolve exactly as we want. It is that faith remains grounded in God even while the outcome is still unknown. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that without faith it is impossible to please Him.
John 11 gives us an even deeper example. Martha could see that Lazarus had died, and she knew Jesus could have prevented it. What she could not see was what Christ was about to do. Jesus had deliberately allowed the situation to progress beyond what anyone around Him thought could be repaired so that the glory of God might be revealed more clearly. Sometimes our greatest tests of faith come precisely because God does not act according to our timetable. Faith is not measured by success, comfortable feelings or a trouble-free life. It is seen in persistent trust when trials come. We cultivate that kind of faith through prayer, Scripture, obedience and the Holy Spirit’s work within us. When fear looks around and says, “What am I going to do?”, faith looks up and says, “But God.”
This first part establishes the foundation for the four-part message:
1. What is faith?
Faith is confidence in God concerning realities and promises that are not yet seen. It is more than intellectual belief – it becomes something we live.
2. Faith must be chosen when fear appears.
Events in life can naturally produce worry, doubt and anxiety. Faith does not pretend those circumstances do not exist. It chooses to trust God within them.
3. Faith is essential to the Christian life.
Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith becomes the lens through which believers understand circumstances.
4. Faith is revealed through perseverance.
It is not measured by whether everything goes well. Faith becomes visible when we continue to trust God during trials, unanswered questions, and delayed answers.
The repeated practical contrast is:
Fear looks at what can be seen. Faith looks towards God.
Consider one area of your life where uncertainty is producing fear or worry. Rather than trying to manufacture a feeling of confidence, return to what Scripture says about the character and promises of God. Pray honestly about the situation, then ask the Lord to help you choose faith in what He has revealed rather than allowing what you presently see to control your response.
