"Now faith is being sure we will get what we hope for. It is being sure of what we cannot see". Hebrews 11:1 (New Life Version)

Many of us can quote this verse of scripture, and yet, we may not have a working understanding of what it really means. The above verse states very plainly that faith is "NOW", faith is a reality, faith is something that gives "substance" to things before they become visible to the natural eye.

You may be wondering, how can we have evidence of something we cannot see? The answer can be found in 2 Corinthians 4:18 which reads, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal". (KJV); "We do not look at the things that can be seen. We look at the things that cannot be seen. The things that can be seen will come to an end. But the things that cannot be seen will last forever". (NLV)

But again, how do we not look at something that we can clearly see?  The answer is, we look beyond that which we see, by focusing our attention on something else.  Well, that sounds good, but are we just suppose to pretend that what we see does not exist?  Absolutely not!  Christianity is not pretending that what we see does not exist.  Nor is it living in denial of our circumstances.  Though our physical eyes may see whatever is before us at any given time, the key to not looking at what we see, is to focus our attention on something else.  As Christian men and women, our focus must be on what God has already said in His Word. 2 Corinthians 4:18 doesn't  just tell us not to look at the things that we see.  It also tells us to look at the things that are not seen.  As we focus in on the promises of God, we can begin to develop a picture on the inside, of His promises coming to pass in our lives.  The more time and attention we spend focusing in on what God has already said, the easier it will be to literally see like he sees, and more importantly, to act on His Word rather than our circumstances. 

According to Hebrews 11:6, if we want to please God, we have to live by faith. "A man cannot please God unless he has faith. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is. That one must also know that God gives what is promised to the one who keeps on looking for Him".

Let me give you an example:

In the book of Joshua in the Old Testament, Joshua had the awesome responsibility of leading  several million of God's people into the Promised Land.  The ancient city of Jericho, which was the first city captured by Joshua and the Children of Israel, was a fortified city surrounded by massive heavily guarded walls.  The Bible says that Jericho was, "securely shut up. . . none came out, and none came in."  (Joshua 6:1).  As Joshua and the Children of Israel looked over into the Promised land, their physical eyes saw a great fortified city, surrounded by  massive walls.  It is then that God said to Joshua, "See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor."  Yes, Joshua sees a fortified city with his eyes, but God intends for him to see something else.  God intends for Joshua to see victory based on the Word that He has already spoken God previously told Joshua, "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given  (past tense) unto you . . . There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.  Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swore unto their fathers to give them." ( Joshua 1:3, 5-6)   Joshua knew that the wall was there.  But he also knew what God had already promised him.  Because he focused his attention, and acted on God's promises, it didn't matter if there was a fence, a wall, a valley or a mountain standing in the way of  the Promised Land.  The power wrapped up in the Word of God was enough to supersede any obstacle, big or small in Joshua's life in ancient Jericho, and it is enough in our lives today.  God is the same All Powerful, All Knowing, Wonder Working God that He has always been.  But now it's our turn to focus our attention on what He has already said.  It's our turn to see that His promises enable us to overcome all of the Jerichos we are faced with in this day and time.  It's our turn to not only see the Victory, but to walk in it.  It's time for God's people to "WALK BY FAITH, AND NOT BY SIGHT!"  (2 Corinthians 5:7.)