Daily Devotional | Faith in What Is Unseen

Faith is a kind of vision. But unlike ordinary sight, faith concentrates our attention on things we cannot see. Noah and Abraham are good examples. God commanded Noah to prepare for a disaster unlike anything humanity had ever seen before (Gen. 6:13–22). Jesus tells us what things were like when Noah was building the ark. People were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. They carried out their lives oblivious to what was about to befall them. All the while, Noah kept building a refuge that would have saved their lives had they believed his warning (2 Peter 2:5). Peter calls Noah “a preacher of righteousness” whose faith was in such sharp contrast to the unbelief of his generation that he served as a condemnation against them. “[Noah] condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith” (Heb. 11:7).

When Abraham was called to leave his family and home, he did not have a travel brochure, itinerary, or description. There was only God’s promise to show him the location that he would later receive as an inheritance (v. 8, Gen. 12:1). Abraham and his family lived like those who are homeless, even when they arrived at the place God had promised to give him (vv. 9–10). He believed God would enable Sarah to have children, even when the physical evidence indicated such a thing was impossible (vv. 11–12).

The kind of faith that pleases God welcomes His promises “from a distance” (v. 13). It is the faith of those who love Jesus, even though they have not seen Him. Those who possess such a faith receive as its result the salvation of their souls (1 Peter 1:8–9).

Go Deeper

Has God ever called you to take a bold step into the unknown? How did you react? What can we learn from the examples of Noah and Abraham?

Pray with Us: Lord, thank you for all who have gone before us, especially those recorded in this “Hall of Faith” (Hebrews 11). Help us to learn from their example, looking not at our circumstances, but only to You and Your promise.

BY Dr. John Koessler

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. John authors the “Practical Theology” column for Today in the Word of which he is also a contributing writer and theological editor. An award-winning author, John’s newest title is When God is Silent: Let the Bible Teach You to Pray (Kirkdale). Prior to joining the Moody faculty, he served as a pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, Illinois, for nine years. He and his wife, Jane, now enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.