There are times I wish people would just cut to the chase. No pretense, platitudes or polish. Just say what you mean.

That’s one thing I love about the Lord and his Word— He doesn’t mince words. His language is exact. He plainly told Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit and was quite clear— “thou shalt surely die.”

The Bible doesn’t mince words with us, either. “Be sure your sin will find you out.” (Number 32:23) “Be not deceived; God is not mocked.” (Galatians 6:7) And— “without faith it is impossible to please Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

That verse in Hebrews, “without faith it is impossible to please Him,” has always made me a little uneasy. I’ll admit I am a bit of a people pleaser. With family, friends, and especially those in leadership, I strive to be pleasing.

Not everybody has this tendency and to be honest, I sort of envy them. Some seem to march to the beat of their own drum and have an unshakable confidence that they’re doing everything right— whether you approve or not.

But as Christians, we should desire to please the Lord. After all, He so graciously gave us this life and an eternal home in Heaven. I think it’s the least we can do to ask: Lord, what do you want from me? How can I please you?

And so we come to that verse in Hebrews. Pleasing the Lord requires faith. Faith—the evidence of things unseen. Trusting in promises. Trusting words from a supernatural Book.

I wrestled with this quite a bit when my mother was sick.

On one hand, I would read verses in John like, “if ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it…” (Jn 14:14) Or in Matthew: “with God all things are possible…” (Mt 19:26) People would come up and tell me they were “praying for a miracle” for my mom. Praying for “complete healing.”

Of course, I prayed for those things too… or did I?

When I saw mom in pain and suffering, I just wanted mercy for her—whatever that looked like. Whether it was healing or homegoing. Was I lacking in faith because I wasn’t specifically and persistently praying for her miraculous healing?

I asked my Pastor directly about this. Was I wrong to not believe that God would heal my mom? I told him I feared I lacked faith because the situation seemed so hopeless. I said I was surrendered to whatever God’s will was, but that I feared God was not pleased with me— fearing that I lacked faith that He would perform a miracle.

His response was simple and straightforward: Faith is trusting God to do as He desires, not as we desire.

That conversation came back to mind recently as I was reflecting on mom’s illness. I began meditating on the rest of the verse: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is…

That phrase— “believe that he is” feels a bit grammatically awkward doesn’t it? That He is … what?

And as I thought on the verse, the answer came, that He is … God. The I AM. That He is all the things that He says He is.

He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. His Word tells us in Proverbs 8:17: I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me.

When mom was sick, my mind was always swirling with the unknowns. I couldn’t see the path ahead. I couldn’t predict what life was going to be like two months, two weeks, or even two days from any given moment.

You may find yourself in a similar place— facing uncertainties, not being able to clearly see the next step, and needing a measure of faith larger than you’ve ever needed before.

When I encounter these situations, do I acknowledge the fact that God is God? Do I acknowledge the fact that His ways are higher than mine? Do I acknowledge that His plans and purposes are far greater than I could ever imagine?

And when I walk through difficulties, do I seek Him early on in those trials? Do I look for His hand? Do I seek His will?

I often remark that I don’t write from the mountain top. I can’t write from a position where I feel as though I’ve attained and dole out aged wisdom. But I can see now how I have grown in the last year.

“Without faith it is impossible to please him” no longer feels like a measuring stick that I’m falling short of. Now when I read that verse, I feel an invitation to trust Him more.

I couldn’t see that before. I thought that faith meant demanding more effort from myself, as though the more fiercely I believed, the more likely I could see my prayer answered.

But now I can see: there is faith in the waiting. Faith in the surrender. Faith in pouring out your heart to God and trusting that no matter what He does, it will be the right thing.

This one was a little tender—thanks for spending a few moments with me. If it was a blessing, would you consider sharing it with a friend? Maybe someone else could use a little encouragement today too.

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