“By Faith…”

 

                When I first began presenting lessons, I had a habit of using Webster’s dictionary to define the term or topic that I was wishing to cover.  For instance, if I was going to preach a lesson on the topic of “Lying”, my opening statement would sound something like this: “Webster’s Dictionary defines “Lying” as “marked by or containing untrue statements”.  My reasoning was simple; by defining the terms I was ensuring that everyone knew exactly what I was talking about.  The writer of Hebrews 11 does the same thing.  Hebrews 11 contains various examples of individuals who were able to accomplish great things in their lives and they were able to do so because of their faith.  So, in the very first verse of the Hebrews 11, he wants to make sure that we are all on the same page of what “faith” really is by defining it. “Faith means being sure of the things we hope for. And faith means knowing that something is real even if we do not see it” (Hebrews 11.1-“The International Children’s Bible).  Once we understand the term, we will be readily able to comprehend why these examples were able to do what they did.  For instance, how was Noah able to build an ark with no experience? By faith!  How was Moses able to lead the nation of Israel? By faith! How was Rahab able to save her family? By faith!  These individuals were so “sure of the things we hope for”, even when they could not see it”.  The lesson for us today is this… what have we done “by faith”?