ICS Daily Devotions
Believe the Unseen

Hebrews 11:1,6 (NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

We have not been left orphans to fend for ourselves in the midst of trials and tribulations. We can rest assured that Jesus knows our plight and is interceding for us at the right hand of the Father! We fumble and fall but God does not tire of lifting us back up and staying us on the course. We need only to reach out to Him by faith and in faith.

When that veil was torn, we have been granted access to the Holy of Holies. The blood of Jesus Christ opened up the way into the throne of grace. We have access to God by faith! We can now walk with God, just as Adam walked with God in the Garden of Eden. The relationship has been restored!

Romans 1:17 (NKJV) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’.

God had made salvation possible through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. It is a justification by faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross. We now have the righteousness of Christ imputed on us. We must continue to live by faith in this life even as we look towards being united with Him in heaven when we pass on to glory! As it is said in Hebrews, our faith pleases God.

‘Seeing is believing’ is very pragmatic and it really is quite difficult to fault people for subscribing to this belief. And yet, we are called to believe without first seeing. Faith must move us beyond what we hear, what we see, and what we feel. It might seem odd, even insane, at times; there is no need for faith otherwise. We are asked to place our faith in God’s Word and the promises that He has given us. The Word of God gives substance to our faith.

But why? What gives us the confidence that there truly is substance in the things we hope for? Because it is about God. We can trust His character. We can place absolute trust in His Word, which He is constantly watching over to perform. He said that He would die and that He would rise again. He truly did die and truly did rise back to life. We serve a Risen Lord! Although, we cannot see Him with our earthly eyes, we someday will. Right now, let the eyes of our heart be opened and guide us to believe the unseen.

Sermon Series: The Day that Changed the World – Resurrection Sunday