Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1-3, 6-10


11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.


Today’s title is "To Believe is to See"

One of the most universally accepted maxims is " to see is to believe". Why is it so? In my opinion, people think so because we normally get the most information through seeing. Although we gather information and knowledge in many different ways, nothing really compares to the amount of information we get through our vision. Some say that more than 90% of the information we get comes through our eyes. I believe that's why people can't believe anything unless they see it. We fully understand such human attitudes. But is it really true all the time? Most people of faith will definitely say “No” to the question. Although they didn't deny that we gather most information through seeing, they knew that our ability to see with our physical eyes are very limited. They believed what we see is indeed a tip of the iceberg of what really is in and around our life. Anyone with a reasonable mind can agree to it. The famous writer Ernest Hemingway even said that "Those who do not believe something just because they have not seen it are fools". In life, there are so many things that we don’t see and can’t see. To deny the fact is a fool. Even though we are a wonderful creation of God, we have clear limits. Our intelligence and strength are limited. Our time is limited. Our boundaries of living are limited too. We just can't see everything there is. Our eyes can also be easily misguided for our mind is corrupted. We tend to see what we want to see only, not what really is there. The Bible says that God is fundamentally invisible, for He is Spirit. No one can see Him unless He reveals Himself to us. Like God, many invisible things are more fundamental in our life than visible things. The invisible aspects of life such as love and trust are much more important than visible things. This is why our faith comes before seeing. We can see many more things when we believe, not the other way around. How about you? Is still seeing is believing for you? I really don't want you to be trapped in the foolishness of "seeing is believing". Believe! Then you will see. That's what Abraham and Noah did. That's how many believers lived throughout history. Are you ready to follow the footsteps of the faithful?