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Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

Have you struggled with your faith?

Have you thought, “If only I had enough faith…”

Every time I open to chapter 11 in Hebrews, I wonder how it would have summed up my life and my faith story. Many of the verses begin with the words, “By faith…” and go on to tell how they demonstrated their faith in God’s promises during the challenges and trials of life.

Each of these people was given a test of their faith. Many of the tests were far greater than anything we have ever experienced.

But this chapter reminds me that having faith in God and His power DOESN’T guarantee a perfect happy ending.

When the tests have come to my faith, what was the outcome? Did I trust God more? What did I believe about God during those difficult times?

Chuck Swindoll has said:

When calamity strikes, when the bottom falls out, your theology will be the only thing left. And it will either be the life preserver that keeps you afloat or it will be the weights around your feet that pull you under.

My faith has been hit with some really huge tests. I remember specifically a time when my marriage was hit a lethal blow when I found out my husband had a secret addiction that was literally killing him. My faith cratered for a while because I thought my life should have been more like an equation in algebra rather than a middle school math word problem. You know the kind, with random details that don’t seem to connect in any way.

My faith really struggled during those very difficult years. If God loved me, why were these things happening? Believers shouldn’t struggle like this!

But as I finally allowed God to fulfill His purposes in my life, marriage, and family, my faith began to grow. I was so thankful for that growth – it allowed my faith to stand strong when the next test came along.

Widowhood.

When you read the entire chapter of Hebrews 11, you see story after story of lives under tests of faith. Did they all respond perfectly? You might get that idea by just reading this one chapter, so it is important to interpret Scripture WITH Scripture.

When we see the story of Noah, turn to the passage in the Old Testament about Noah.

The story of Abraham and Sarah needs to be read alongside the verses in Hebrews.

Have you read the passages about Moses?

Or the ones about conquering kingdoms or being sawn in half? Those are pretty extreme opposites. It definitely doesn’t close with, “And they lived happily ever after…” like fairy tales do.

You walk away realizing their faith stories were not perfect – no one’s is.

Especially not mine.

Someone said we can fake our faith while we sit beautifully dressed in the pew or when we teach that lesson in the children’s class or even while posting on social media. But we cannot fake our faith when the test hits us square between the eyes. When hardships come or when relationships fail, our faith and what we believe about God will either be a life preserver or a weight around our feet.

I wondered what would be written about ME at the end of my life. Maybe something like this: By faith, Liz kept believing when it didn’t make sense. By faith, Liz trusted God for the journey into widowhood. By faith, she walked through the valley of the shadow of death. By faith, God turned her weaknesses into strengths. By faith, Liz embraced the season of singleness.

Notice how this chapter doesn’t record all the weak times – just the faithful times. Matthew 17:20 reminds us that even if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, it will be enough for Christ to use. God’s grace will help us through the times we struggle to believe. The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith (Luke 17:5). But ultimately, in the next chapter in Hebrews, after all the stories of faith, we are reminded that God is the author of our faith. He will bring it to maturity (Heb 12:2).

So how is your faith today?

Stronger after testing or weaker? I encourage you to take a moment and pray:

Father God, thank You for the life preserver that my faith can be during difficult times in my life. Help me never forget the truth of Who You are – You love me, You know me, You take care of me, and You will never abandon me. Give me faith to see Your beautiful character today. Amen