The understanding that faith provides

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith. Hebrews 11:3-4

Our understanding of God’s promises goes deeper as our faith grows. Our faith in God not only unveils what God has in store for us in the future but also helps us understand the universe. “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen” (Hebrews 11:3). When God enlightens us about the universe, it should cause us to be grateful and worship Him. The sad thing is that there will be those who will engage in deep understanding of the cosmos but they will do so apart from the Creator Himself. But for us believers, we drew comfort to the fact that God is there who despite the vastness of the universe, has His eyes on His children. From the text, the writer of Hebrews tells his readers that the universe came into order when God spoke. He created the universe out of nothing. When we fail to grasp God’s mighty power, we will be prone to imbibe the world’s despair. What we need to have is the certainty that what God had promised will come into fruition. Our sure hope once appropriated by faith to our present realities, will help us stand firm in the face of difficulties. We become active in living out our commitment to God by serving Him. The understanding that faith provides, helps us also to persevere and have the ability to strengthen by His grace those who are despairing. Also, the writer of Hebrews used the story of Abel and Cain from the Old Testament to further explain the value of faith. God saw Abel’s sincerity in his faith and not of Cain’s that God accepted Abel’s worship. Cain’s expression of worship was rejected by God for his was motivated by selfishness. “Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith” (Hebrews 11:4). In the beginning, Abel and Cain were given clear instructions how to offer their worship. Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable for he took God’s Word by faith. Our understanding of God’s Word should lead us to actions prompted by our faith in God for “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17, NASB). God desires sincere devotion prompted by faith.

Blessings,