Hebrew 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Recently my family and I enjoyed the Naval Aviation Museum. It is a hall of fame for flyers and crews who have made naval aviation possible over the years in America and abroad. It is amazing! There are hundreds of stories of heroes of all types. These people are the best of the best.
In Hebrews 11 we have another hall of fame. We often call it the Hall of Faith. It is a listing of people who accomplished incredible things. Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel.” Verse 5 says, “By faith Enoch.” Verse 7 says, “By faith Noah.” In subsequent verses we read stories of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Rahab the harlot. What did these people do? They accomplished incredible things. The Bible says, “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.” These were incredible feats.
But what do all these people have in common? They didn’t live in the same day, and despite the fact that they are all in the Bible, many of them lived centuries apart. They were very different. For instance, Abraham and Rahab could not have been more different than they were. They lived in different countries, had different backgrounds, and lived very different lives. The accomplishments of these people were also very different.
The reason they are here together is in verse 13, “These all died in faith.” These were people who lived by faith. Verse 6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” It is impossible to please God without coming to God and believing that He exists and that He is God. And then you need to realize that because He is God, He rewards those who diligently seek Him.
You see, people see what we accomplish, but God knows whom we trust. In a very short time the greatest accomplishment of everyone you know will be forgotten. Most people have never heard of most of the people who are chronicled in the Naval Aviation Museum, and those are people who stand out to such an extent that they are the best of the best throughout history. Yet, they are forgotten even though they have a museum dedicated to them.
Hebrews 11, on the other hand, is the eternal Word of God. These people will in perpetuity, forever, across time, over centuries, eons, and cultures, be in this chapter in God’s Hall of Faith, not because of what they accomplished, but because of Whom they trusted. Whom they trusted led to what they accomplished.
The truth is that maybe God’s timing is different than yours. Maybe God’s turn is different than yours. Maybe God’s resources are different than what you would expect. But, since we have such a tiny perspective, don’t you think it would be wise to trust the God Who sees all and knows all? Don’t you think at the end of your life and of this world you will have accomplished more of eternal good by trusting God than merely following some drive that you have within you? Allow God to determine your drive and direction and to provide what you need. If you will do this, then you can live like the people in God’s Hall of Faith.
Someone says, “Well, I could never be Abraham?” Really? Would you say the same thing about Rahab? We think of Abraham as a great man and Rahab as a fallen women, but from the point of faith these two people have more in common than they have different. One was a man; one was a woman. One was a Jew; one was a Gentile. One was the father of Israel; one was called a harlot before she came to faith in Jehovah. Yet, these two share the same space, God’s Hall of Faith. Why? It is because they lived by faith.
At the end of your life, people will know what you accomplished, but God will know whom you trusted. That is what matters most.