"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

Most of us know that it's required that we believe that God is. We've heard and believed the story: that man was created in God's image, tempted by the devil, and believed his lies rather than God's truth. We know that means he was thereby separated from God, dead spiritually, unable to be in right relationship with his Creator. Not willing to lose relationship with mankind, the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of a virgin, live a sinless, grace-filled, healing, miracle-working, perfectly obedient life. His Son then offered that life on a cross, where He died, was buried, and rose again three days later offering His blood as a sacrifice to cover and pay for the sin of every individual who would ask for that covering. His Spirit has come to indwell us, to seal us for heaven, to enable us to work the works Jesus did and to transform us back into His image.

We believe God is.

But how often do we remind ourselves of the rest of this verse?

We want to please Him. But pleasing Him is impossible without faith. Because believing He is? It's not quite enough. In order to persevere ... in order to pick up those cheerios, tie those shoes, to read a bedtime story one more time ... to wait up for the late-returning teen, to check the math paper, to diligently discipline the one who's neglected the chores yet again ... to keep believing for that husband, to try to stretch the penny just one more inch, and to do it all not with fingers clenched and teeth bared but with joy? It won't happen without faith.

Faith that He sees.

Faith that He knows.

Faith that He cares what you're going through; what you're facing; what you're withstanding; what you're waiting on.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

If we can't see them, it's because they haven't happened yet. And if you look over all of that chapter of Hebrews, you'll note: not one of the heroes of faith received all they were hoping for. Which is why, perhaps, they are heroes of faith.

Believing He is? It's not enough.

If He is ... and He isn't for you? If He is ... but He doesn't see? If He is ... but He doesn't care?

You won't hang on, mama. Culture will blow you way too hard for that.

Grasp this, today ... deep, deep in your heart: He is. AND He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

He will reward your labor. He will respond to your cries. He rewards the ones who seek. Not the ones who do everything perfectly; not the ones who have all their theology in neat boxes; not the ones who know enough to write books on parenting; not the ones with the most promotions at work or the most adulation at church.

He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Let's put ourselves in that category, shall we? Let's pray. Let's read His word. Let's go without a meal once in awhile and fellowship and have times of silence. And let's ask Him to help us believe; to help our unbelief; to fill us with faith that He is our Rewarder. Because that kind of faith? That's the kind that fills us with joy even as we wait. We need a long-range vision willing to trust that God Himself will be our reward--since it's Him we are seeking, it's Him we're ultimately after, and He is more than willing to let Himself be found. What greater reward could there be?

Blessings, Misty, Encouraging Beautiful Motherhood