Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
I am excited to start our journey together by focusing first and foremost on an in-depth study about faith.
This scripture has a lot of meaning. Pause for a moment after reading the words. Faith is the foundation of everything we cannot comprehend at first. It develops into a knowledge, or testimony, of that particular thing we did not understand initially. We are going to start at the first instance of faith and build up over time to that grandiose knowledge we are all seeking or have found.
We can have faith in almost anything, or anyone for that matter. It begins as a hope for something that is physically or spiritually out of our reach. We cannot at that particular instance know the end from the beginning. This happens quite often in our lives—you’d think we would be experts by now! That is not the case because each experience is different. When you went to bed last night, was there something gnawing at your heart? Were you thinking of a loved one, your job, or your education? Did you hope that whatever was bothering you would somehow make itself right sooner rather than later? That thought, that HOPE for things to be made right once again, is faith.
Let me share with you an experience of my senior year of high school. I was finally eighteen and could not wait for high school to finally be over. I wanted to find a school to go to and begin the education towards my dream job of becoming an optometrist. If you have any knowledge about the current status of how much a college education costs, you have a glimpse towards my biggest fear at that time. How in the world was I going to pay for my college education, which would total eight years of school, four of which would be in graduate school? I did not come from a wealthy family. My parents struggled. We lived paycheck to paycheck. I worked during high school to help my parents pay their bills. Here I was, an eighteen year old girl with a big dream, but without any idea of how I was going to reach it. However, I had faith that somehow I would become an optometrist one day. At that time, I did not know what school I would attend, what scholarships I would apply to, or what obstacles lay ahead. I literally “saw” nothing. I had a dream, a hope, and jumped. I had faith that it would work out. And it did! (I will share more about my story with time)
Can you recall a similar experience in your life? I invite you to think about it. Write it down or share it with a close friend or family member. Feel free to share it with this community if you would like.
Remember that scripture every time you face a trial in your life. And don’t forget to look back at the trials you did conquer. Together, they will provide much needed strength.