Without Faith It’s Impossible To Please Him

This is the third devotion in the Walking By Faith Devotional Series on the blog. In today’s devotion, we look at a key verse in Hebrews chapter 11 – the famous hall of faith chapter.

I encourage you to read the entire chapter, when you can, and notice how the heroes of faith walked by faith.

Ok, but for now, let’s look at the focus verse, which clarifies what it means to have faith.

Without Faith It’s Impossible To Please Him

Focus verse

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Devotion

Walking by faith is a lifelong pursuit.

If I’m honest, there are days when my faith wavers. While I don’t doubt God’s existence, sometimes I do fear that God will withhold His goodness from me because I’m undeserving of His blessing.

While I know this mindset is contrary to the Gospel of grace – where God’s blessing is not contingent on my performance, but on Jesus’ performance on my behalf – I sometimes fall into doubt.

In today’s verse, we read that God calls us to approach Him not only in faith regarding His existence, but also in faith of His blessing. We also read that without faith, it’s impossible to please God.

So the question is: how we can keep having faith in God’s blessing ?

Or, another question: How can we believe in God’s blessings when we fail time and time again?

How can we believe God when we go through the desert? Photo credit: Ryan Cheng on Unsplash

Well, to keep walking by faith, we need to grow in the knowledge of God, what He’s done and what He has promised, which we do by reading His word, praying, and applying faith to our circumstances. Yet, these practices on their own won’t get us anywhere if we do them in a mindset of striving. We need God’s Spirit to help us know Him more and thus grow in faith.

So, when we read the word, we pray God would reveal Himself to us through it. When we experience doubts, we pray God would remind us of His promises. And when we set about to pray, we ask God to enable us to pray in the Spirit and remind us that we are dearly beloved children of God.

The truth is, we need God’s power at work within us so that we can know Him more and keep seeking Him and believing in His grace.

So, mama, next time your faith wavers, confess that to God, seek Him with all your heart and trust He will reward you. He has promised He will!

Questions for Reflection

• What particular situations or contexts lead you to doubt God’s presence and blessing?
• How can you walk by faith in your life as a mama?
• How can you teach your children to seek God and walk by faith?

Prayer

Lord, thank You that You are real and true. Thank You that you are with me now, despite my failings and doubts. Lord, help me grow in faith and learn more about You and Your promises. I confess, Lord, that I often doubt. Please help me walk by faith, Lord. Empower me by Your Holy Spirit. Please, be with me, I pray. Amen!