First Things First – Faith from First to Last

Some seasons feel like winter — cold, slow, and uncertain. The skies are grey, and it's hard to imagine anything changing. But faith is like stepping outside in shorts and sandals on the first warm day of spring. It's not denial. It's not hype. It's a response to something real — a crocus flower poking through the snow, a promise that spring is coming.

That's what Hebrews 11 is all about. Faith is not just positive thinking. It's not mental gymnastics to convince ourselves everything will be OK. It's living considering what we hope for — because God has already proven Himself faithful.

• Faith starts with reason. Like Sarah, we "consider Him faithful who made the promise." Like Abraham we "reason' that he is faithful and able to fulfil his promises.
• Faith grows through obedience. Like Abraham, who acted even when he didn't know how God would come through.
• Faith holds steady in hardship. Like those who didn't see the miracle in this life but still believed.

Faith is the substance of what we hope for. When we act in faith — forgive, trust, obey, risk, pray — we touch the edges of the world God is bringing. We aren't pretending something is true we begin to experience the thing we hope for.

Maybe your prayers haven't been answered yet. Maybe you're waiting, wondering, doubting. That doesn't mean your faith has failed. Even when snow falls on the crocus, spring is still coming.

So don't shrink back. Live by faith. Start with reason. Step with courage. Trust Jesus — not just in theory, but in action.

This Week:

What would it look like for you to live by faith this week?

• Is there something God's calling you to do that makes no sense unless His promise is true?
• Is there an area where you've been stuck in thought — but now is the time to act?
• Is there someone you need to forgive, or a place where obedience seems costly?

Pray for courage. Ask for the empowering grace to do what you never thought you could. Faith is not just about changing your world — it's about God changing you as you trust Him.