Tag: Hebrews 11:1-6
Faith Pleases God
Scripture reading for October 28: Hebrews 11
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, through he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:1-6
In this chapter of Hebrews, we have the record of some of those in Scripture who by faith pleased God. An initial step of faith is to believe that God exists, although He is Spirit and cannot be seen with the human eye. Further progress in pleasing God comes when we choose to believe that God created the universe. Scripture offers the story of creation in the early chapters of Genesis and plainly states that God through the Holy Spirit brought creation into being through His Word out of nothing. It also states that man was created by God in His own image and likeness.
In this passage two people are mentioned as having faith that pleased God. Abel, the son of Adam, pleased God when he brought a blood sacrifice in contrast to Cain, his brother, who brought produce from the ground. God commended Abel and rebuked Cain. Although Abel was murdered by Cain, through his act of faith he is still speaking to us today! His reward was to be commended by God and written in God’s book. Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam and he chose to walk with God. He walked so closely, that he was taken right up to heaven as a reward. God is pleased with faith and rewards those who seek Him by faith through His sacrifice, His Son Jesus Christ. All who believe and walk with Him await the reward–eternal life in Father’s house!
If you stood before God today, are you assured by this passage that you would please God? Have you come before God with the final blood sacrifice that He has already accepted? Does Enoch’s reward give you confidence to walk by faith each day?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for all those recorded in Scripture who have walked by faith and pleased You. Thank You for Your Son, Who ultimately walked by faith in every Word You spoke, offering His own blood as the final sacrifice for sin. I await my reward! Amen.