— Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
Faith isn’t a feeling. It’s not vague optimism or wishful thinking. Faith rests — because faith has something, or rather Someone, strong enough to lean on.
When I ride a roller coaster, I don’t put my confidence in my own white-knuckled grip. I relax into the restraint that holds me. The same is true in the life of a believer. If the object of faith is a chair, you sit. If the object is a ride restraint, you lean back. If the object is Christ, you stop trusting in yourself and rest in Him.
Faith is the visible act of trusting an invisible God.
Hebrews 11 then leads us through a living hallway of witnesses whose lives still preach: Abel offered what God desired most, Noah obeyed before rain had even been invented, Abraham stepped into the unknown, Moses gave up privilege for the sake of Christ’s reproach, Rahab risked everything on a promise she could not yet see.
The lyrics of "World Not Worthy" traces it:
By faith Abel gave an offering,
By faith Noah built the ark,
By faith Abraham left the homeland,
By faith Sarah bore the spark.
They saw the promise from a distance,
They confessed they were strangers here.
Looking for a better country,
God prepared a home so near.
By faith Moses left the palace,
Chose disgrace with God’s own side.
By faith walls of Jericho crumbled,
By faith the sea opened wide.
Kingdoms conquered, justice given,
Lions’ mouths were closed in fear.
Weakness turned to strength in battle,
Faith that overcomes the years.
Some were tortured, chained, and beaten,
Some were sawn and left unnamed.
Wandered deserts, caves, and mountains,
Still they praised His holy name.
The world was not worthy of them,
Their faith was their victory crown.
They looked ahead to the Savior,
To the King who’s coming down.
The world not worthy of them,
They carried the fire within.
By faith they lived, by faith they died,
The promise burning in their eyes.
The world not worthy of them,
Yet heaven calls them as friends.
By faith we run, our eyes on Him,
The author, finisher—our King!
They all saw future promises more clearly than present circumstances. They didn’t get the full reward in their lifetime — but they saw enough of God to trust Him anyway.
And then comes that chilling line: “…sawn in two.” According to early tradition, this was Isaiah under the wicked reign of Manasseh. No applause. No comfort. No earthly payoff. But heaven took notice.
Hebrews says, “The world was not worthy of them.” Some people live by sight and chase the approval of crowds. Others choose what pleases God even when it costs them dearly. The world doesn’t know how to measure what God calls precious.
The chapter ends without a conclusion, because the story of faith continues with us. “God had provided something better for us…” (Hebrews 11:40). We exercise faith when the answer hasn’t come, when the wound hasn’t healed, when the longing remains beyond reach. We look to Christ — the founder and perfecter of our faith — and believe that soon, very soon, we will see clearly what we trust today.
Lord, give us faith that rests — not in our grip, but in Your grace. Amen.
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