The Reality of Faith: Seeing the Unseen

There's something extraordinary about faith that goes beyond our human understanding. It's not just wishful thinking or crossing our fingers and hoping for the best. Biblical faith is a powerful force that transforms our reality and allows us to see what our natural eyes cannot perceive.

When we read that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1), we often rush past those words without grasping their profound meaning. But what if we paused to really understand what "substance" means in this context?

The original Greek word carries multiple layers of meaning that reveal the true nature of faith:

Faith is Support. It's the foundation that holds up everything we hope for. This means we can remove ourselves from the equation entirely. We don't have to manufacture enough faith on our own—faith itself becomes the support system for our hopes. When we place our hope in Jesus Christ, faith supports that hope and brings it into reality.

Faith is Groundwork. How many times have we hoped for things we knew we probably couldn't achieve? We hoped, but deep down, we didn't believe we were smart enough, brave enough, or capable enough. But biblical faith lays the groundwork for the impossible. It's not our ability that matters—it's our faith in Jesus that creates the foundation for miracles.

Faith is Confidence. This transforms everything. We move from merely hoping to having genuine confidence that something will happen. Faith gives us the assurance that what we're believing for is on its way.

Faith is Reality. This might be the most powerful aspect of all. We often think of faith as something intangible, something we can't grasp or hold. But faith actually creates reality for the things we hope for. When you pray for your lost child, faith allows you to reach out and declare over them: "This is the reality—Jesus still saves, heals, and delivers."

There's a significant difference between worldly hope and biblical hope. Worldly hope is merely desire mixed with uncertainty. We say, "I hope that happens," but we're not really sure it will.

Biblical hope is different. It's desire and expectation wrapped in confidence and trust in a God who has never failed us.

Think of it this way: When children give their Christmas list to their parents, they have desires, but they understand they might not receive everything on that list. Their parents will pick and choose based on budget, behavior, and availability. But when those same children give their list to certain trusted people in their lives—perhaps grandparents or special friends—they have complete confidence. They know without a doubt that what they ask for will be given, because they trust those people completely.

That's the difference between worldly hope and biblical hope. When we come to our Heavenly Father with our requests, we can have absolute trust and confidence. We're not just hoping He might answer—we know He will, according to His perfect will and timing.

Faith gives us the supernatural ability to see things that don't yet exist in the natural realm. This isn't positive thinking or self-deception—it's spiritual vision that aligns with God's promises.

When someone is sick, faith allows us to see them healed before the healing manifests. When someone is bound by addiction, faith lets us see them free and recovered. When someone is lost in sin, faith enables us to see them saved and transformed by the blood of Jesus.

This is more than just imagination. It's seeing through the eyes of faith what God has already declared in His Word. It's looking past present circumstances to the promise of God's power.

Consider what this means practically:

• When you see someone struggling with addiction, you don't just see a drug addict—you see someone recovered in the power of Jesus Christ.
• When you encounter a lost person at the store, you don't see them as a dirty sinner—you see them as the next salvation testimony.
• When your marriage is struggling, you don't see divorce papers—you see restoration and renewed love.
• When your bank account is empty, you don't see poverty—you see God's provision and abundance.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that "the elders obtained a good report" through their faith. Throughout history, men and women have believed God's report even when circumstances screamed otherwise. They kept doors open when others would have closed them. They declared by faith that God's promises would come to pass, even when everything around them suggested failure.

Because they declared it by faith, we get to reap the benefits today. Their faith paved the way for our freedom to worship, to gather, to proclaim the Gospel without hindrance.

This same faith is available to us. We're not called to have less faith than those who came before us—we're called to build on the foundation they laid and believe God for even greater things.

When we truly grasp the substance of faith, something remarkable happens: we realize we're standing in the presence of the King. In His presence, the world slips away. Our problems don't seem so overwhelming. Our fears lose their power. Our doubts fade into nothing.

In the presence of the King, we find healing for our bodies, freedom for our minds, and restoration for our souls. In His presence, we discover that faith isn't just a concept—it's a living, breathing reality that transforms everything it touches.

Today is the day to grab hold of this truth. Whatever you're facing—sickness, addiction, financial struggle, broken relationships, lost loved ones—faith gives you the ability to see beyond the present reality to God's promised future.