“By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.” – Hebrews 11:30

We’re in the second half of Hebrews 11 and it’s more of the recounting of the heroes of the faith, but even as I read the first few lines, I already felt what God was telling me.

As we’ve talked about, we think faith is something simple — and it can be — but we look at it as something we have. It’s something we have to conjure up sometimes, or convince ourselves to have to find. But I believe God is telling us that faith is so much more alive than just a thing we’re not sure how to quantify.

Faith is the act that dictates the outcome. Like putting a paintbrush to the canvas creates a painting in the hand of the Artist, so God creates a masterpiece out of faith.

I chose verse 30 because it is especially relevant to a faith project I’m a part of called “Operation Jericho,” but as you look through this chapter, you see faith as the catalyst. Your faith unleashes God’s power in your life.

Verse 20: “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.”
It was complicated, but they were blessed.

Verse 23: “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”
Not only did they have faith in God, they chose not to be afraid. Faith and Courage are twin brothers, and the two together are a powerful force. What if they hadn’t believed?

Verse 29: “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.”

Now look at that one again. Because of the people’s faith, God divided the water and they passed through on dry land, BUT ALSO he destroyed their enemies with the same tool that came to be because of their faith.

Don’t miss that. You couldn’t have a more ideal outcome than that.

And yeah, this chapter tells us we might not live long enough to see the fruits of our faith. We might be persecuted, stoned, beheaded, forced into exile. But we are still exponentially and eternally better off because that faith is the green light for God’s blessings.

“They were put to death by stoning, they were sawed in two, they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted, and mistreated — The world was not worthy of them.” – Hebrews 11:37

Keep the faith, friend. ❤️