Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
This passage of scripture teaches us the importance of faith in having any meaningful relationship with God, and the words "Must believe" give us the sense that believing is not optional, but rather essential in order for God to relate to us. Some people often wonder why this is the case, and the explanation is very simple. Because God knows everything, and we know very little, then there are many things which He says to us where we will just have to take His word for it, and trust His goodness, truthfulness, and reliability. For example, when God told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, the sacred record states that Abraham believed God, even though he was relatively old and his wife Sarah was barren. Let's read:
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless" .... 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
How was God going to pull off this rare feat was anyone's guess, but definitely not their business, for God is well able to perform that which He has promised, for as the scriptures say, nothing shall be impossible with God.
Again, when God created Adam and Eve He told them not to eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, neither should they touch it lest they die. But instead they listened to the so-called logical reasoning of the serpent, and disbelieved what God had said. The rest is history, for they not only fell, and later succumbed to death, but they also took down all of their posterity with them to the grave. It is worthy of note that God did not go into all of the fine and gory details about what exactly is involved with one's demise, nor did He give an extensive explanation of how the gradual dissolution of the body takes place. All that was needed to be said is that they would certainly die, and they sure did, because the word of God is fulfilled whether we believe it or not.
In our day and in our own experiences we often struggle with doubt as to whether God's promises will be fulfilled in due season. As a matter of fact the very atmosphere we breathe is saturated with infidelity and skepticism as it pertains to some of the most glorious promises ever made to mortal man. For instance, God has stated repeatedly in the Bible that the world as we know it will one day be destroyed by fire, and a new earth will be created, but some philosophers and scientists go about trying to disprove what has been so clearly stated. And instead of humbling ourselves to believe what God has revealed, we instead walk in the opposite direction by casting aspersions on the very concept of a fiery deluge, even though we have the sacred record of a worldwide flood before us, wherein only eight persons were saved out of countless millions. Let's read:
2nd Peter 3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you" .... 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets" ... 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
It's of the utmost importance that we cultivate a disposition to believe God with a ready and willing mind, for this attitude has a lot to do with whether we will live victoriously each day, or whether we will be vanquished in the battles of life. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to exercise a living faith in God, so that when turbulent times become the norm in society, our spiritual feathers would not be ruffled by the winds of unbelief and skepticism. Let's read:
Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
May God add his blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!