Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Noah is one of the prominent members of the Hall of Faith described in this chapter.
Noah is listed as an example for a very clear and specific reason: He pleased God by doing all that was asked of him. Noah was a good steward, faithful in uncertainty, trusting and repentant in the wake of mistakes. He was not perfect—but he trusted the God who is.
Hebrews 11 lists many who set this example for us to follow, the cobblestones showing us the way.
But it tells us that we cannot please God without first acknowledging that God is truly God. We must believe that “He is.”
We are invited to believe God is really God—not a genie in a bottle we can conjure up when we need help, not an innocuous Santa who hands out goodies. God is a consuming fire and an ever present help in the time of need. God is the Sovereign Creator of all, who became the servant of all. He is the very definition of love.
The Hall of Faith is not about people who used God to become famous. God is not the voter who needs to be convinced. He is the God who needs to be served.
We do not define God. God defines us. And if we want to have a Hebrews 11, award-winning faith, we have to submit to God as He is, not as we would make Him.
If we don’t believe God is God, then it won’t make sense to diligently seek Him. It will make a lot more sense to diligently seek our own way. If we don’t see God as God, we are inclined to have the attitude of “That might be OK for others, but I know what is best for me”.
God alone knows and seeks our best, and if we want to be let in on the answers, we need to seek His voice.
Trusting God is a risk. Belief and faith are acts of vulnerability. It is simultaneously an act of letting go and stewarding the opportunity of a lifetime.
Wisdom and reward begin with this: an acknowledgment of God. If we are going to build an ark based on His specifications, we have to start by trusting in Him as the Creator, designer and sustainer of the universe. To acknowledge that if we build an ark according to His specifications, it will turn out for our best.
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