In continuation of our meditation on faith, it is pertinent to understand that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Every man and woman who pleased God in the Scriptures had faith as a top grade in their scorecards. Today, if we must also please God, then faith must be in place.

Enoch: Exhibiting The Faith That Pleases God

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God has taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God – Hebrews 11:5

The patriarch Enoch distinguished himself by His walk with God even though he lived in a generation where men had no regard for God (Genesis 6:1-6). It was at such a time when human wickedness was rife that Enoch was found to walk with God by his faith. He maintained a faithful and unwavering walk with God that death could not claim him (Genesis 5:23-24).

You also, if you must please God, must be ready to take your faith beyond the limits of discouragement and disappointments set by men.

The faith that pleases God remains unwavering despite the mockeries and flatteries of men. You also, if you must please God, must be ready to take your faith beyond the limits of discouragement and disappointments set by men. Enoch scaled these hurdles to have his name written in God’s Hall of Faith. Are you pressed to please men at the expense of pleasing God? Hold on, for if Enoch made it, then you will also make it. 

The Necessity of Faith

But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out] – Hebrews 11:6

The indispensability of faith in pleasing God is clearly stated by the author of Hebrews. Without mincing words the above verse says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God…” Faith is like a passport. Without a passport you cannot access a visa to travel to another country. Without faith, you cannot access the blessings God has prepared for you. If heaven is your permanent residence (in view), then you’ll need to build your faith in God to gain rightful access.

There is no other way of pleasing God apart from faith in Him. The basic faith you need to qualify to please Him is to believe that God exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Believing in the existence of God should inspire you to live in His fear, and believing in the rewarding ability of God should encourage you to remain faithful in His service. God is not just a user of men but a faithful rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Little wonder, all Satan’s arsenals and assaults are targeted at our faith in God. As our faith is pleasing to God, it is displeasing to Satan. We must cherish our faith more than the air we breathe because without it every effort to please God will be in vain. Let us strive to please God in every area of our lives, holding firm to the shield of faith as we march on to victory.

We must cherish our faith more than the air we breathe because without it every effort to please God will be in vain.

In dealing with the matter of faith, it is important to know that the Word of God is the source of faith (Romans 10:17). Believing God’s Word is having faith in Him. The Patriarchs were largely adjudged faithful due to their unquestionable and prompt obedience to the word of God.

Noah: A Faith That Acts on God’s Word

By faith Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God – Hebrews 11:7

It takes faith to act on the word of God, even when there’s no tangible evidence to hold on to. This was the case of Noah. Noah’s faith was commended because all odds were against him based on the instruction he was given. Before the instruction to build a ship or an ark, there had not been rain on the earth, but God sent dew from the ground to wet the earth (Genesis 2:5-6). The people of his generation might have been taunting him, ‘How could you be building such a massive ship outside water?’ He also had the weighty responsibility of convincing the people to get into the ark to evade the wrath of God. Amidst the mockeries and stiff-necked attitude of his generation, Noah persisted by faith.

The infallibility of God’s word is such that the harsh situations and circumstances of life cannot alter it; rather, it is man who can easily waiver in his faith.

By his faith, we are told he acted on God’s word. Has God given you an instruction and it seems like all odds are against you? Learn from the wisdom of God through the Psalmist: “What you say goes, GOD, and stays, as permanent as the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). The infallibility of God’s word is such that the harsh situations and circumstances of life cannot alter it; rather, it is man who can easily waiver in his faith. Like Noah, when you act on God’s word, the result will be intimacy with Him, and you will see God’s promises fulfilled in your life.

Abraham: A Faith that Obeys Even When the Path Is Unknown

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going – Hebrews 11:8

Faith is not self-confidence, but the ability to obey God even when it is not convenient. That was the case of the man Abraham. Called to go to an unknown land by a God he had not seen but only heard sounded ‘foolish’ to the natural man, but his obedience justified him in the sight of God and men.

When you decide to walk in faith, oftentimes you may be misunderstood and your decision to follow God’s leading may not make sense to your contemporaries, but God will always prove them wrong if you remain steadfast in Him.

When you decide to walk in faith, oftentimes you may be misunderstood and your decision to follow God’s leading may not make sense to your contemporaries, but God will always prove them wrong if you remain steadfast in Him. Today, that single act of obedience has paid off for Abraham, the father of faith, as the Bible calls him. Are you on the verge of making a decision that will forever affect the course of your life? Is God in that decision? How much have you obeyed God’s instruction? The faith that wins is not only anchored on receiving from God but in obeying Him in all things; for it is in this that the Father is glorified.