When we think about faith, we often think about believing in God for something big. We think about trusting Him for provision, for healing, or for direction. But Scripture shows us that faith goes deeper than that. Faith is not just believing in God when everything makes sense. Faith is trusting God when nothing makes sense. Faith is not built on what we can see, but on what God has already said.
Hebrews 11 reminds us that faith is what pleases God. It is not our performance, our background, or our abilities. It is our willingness to trust Him. The Bible says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is not a blind leap. It is confidence in the unseen realities of God. We did not see Him create the world, yet we believe He did. We do not always understand His ways, yet we trust that they are right.
As we come to Hebrews 11:20–21, we find two short verses that might seem easy to pass over. But inside these verses is a powerful truth about faith that we cannot afford to miss.
“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff” (Hebrews 11:20–21).
These verses point us back to Genesis and show us that true faith is trusting God’s plan, even when we do not understand it.
1. Faith Must Be Personal, Not Borrowed
When we look at the lives mentioned in Hebrews 11, we see generations of faith. Abraham had faith. Isaac had faith. Jacob had faith. Joseph had faith. But each one had to make that decision personally.
Faith cannot be inherited. You cannot live off your parents’ faith. You cannot rely on someone else’s relationship with God. There comes a moment when every person must choose to trust God for themselves. The faith of others can guide you, but it cannot carry you.
This is especially important when we think about missions. The command in Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28 is not given to a select few. It is given to every believer. God calls each of us to have a personal faith that responds in obedience. A borrowed faith will never move you to action, but a personal faith will.
2. Faith Is Not Dependent on Perfection
As we study Isaac and Jacob, we quickly realize they were not perfect men. Isaac showed spiritual passivity. He lacked discernment at times and even allowed personal desires to influence his decisions. Jacob was known as a deceiver. He manipulated situations and made choices that were far from godly.
Yet God still used them.
This reminds us that God is not looking for perfect people. He is looking for people who will trust Him. The presence of flaws does not disqualify us from living by faith. If that were the case, none of us would qualify.
In our own lives, we often hesitate to step out in faith because we feel unworthy or unprepared. But faith is not about our ability. It is about God’s ability. When we trust Him, He works through us in spite of our weaknesses.
3. Faith Accepts God’s Plan Over Our Own
In both accounts referenced in Hebrews 11, something unusual happens. In Isaac’s blessing and in Jacob’s blessing, the younger son receives what would normally belong to the older. This was not tradition. This was not expected. This went against everything they would have naturally chosen.
And yet, this was God’s plan.
Isaac had to accept that Jacob would receive the blessing. Jacob had to accept that Ephraim would be blessed above Manasseh. In both cases, God’s way did not match human reasoning. But faith required them to accept what God was doing.
Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Faith does not argue with God. Faith does not try to reshape His will. Faith submits. It says, “God, even if I do not understand, I trust You.”
4. Faith Trusts God Even When It Makes No Sense
At the heart of these verses is one simple but powerful truth. Faith is trusting God when you do not understand.
There are moments in life when everything inside of you will say that something is wrong. Your feelings will be loud. Your reasoning will push back. Your instincts will tell you to take control. But God’s Word will point you in a different direction.
In those moments, faith is choosing to trust God over your feelings.
Just like a pilot must trust his instruments when his senses are misleading him, we must trust God’s Word when our hearts and minds are confused. What we feel may seem real, but it is not always right. God’s truth is always right.
There will be times when obeying God feels risky. Times when following Him seems like it will cost too much. Times when you cannot see how things will work out. But faith says, “I will trust Him anyway.”
This is where missions begin. The call of Christ in Matthew 28 to go into all the world does not always make sense from a human perspective. It requires sacrifice. It requires surrender. It requires stepping into the unknown. But faith responds with obedience.
Faith that pleases God is not complicated, but it is costly. It means laying down our understanding and trusting His. It means following Him when the path is unclear. It means believing that His plan is better, even when it looks different than ours.
So the question is not whether you have faith. Everyone has faith in something. The question is where your faith is placed.
Reflection Question:
Are you trusting God’s plan, or are you resisting it because you do not understand it?
