September Scripture Writing Plan: Faith

Faith Is Not a Feeling

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT)

Faith is easy to talk about when everything makes sense. It gets a little harder when the prayer has gone unanswered, the circumstances have not changed, and God seems quieter than we would like Him to be. Those are the moments when we discover whether our faith has been resting in God or in the outcome we hoped He would give us.

Biblical faith is not positive thinking. It is not convincing ourselves that everything will turn out exactly the way we want. It is not denying fear, disappointment, grief, or uncertainty. Faith looks directly at what is happening and still says, “God is who He says He is.”

Hebrews tells us that faith is “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Then the chapter gives us example after example of people who trusted God enough to obey Him. Some saw extraordinary answers. Others died still believing the promises of God. That matters.

Because sometimes we quietly measure faith by results. If the prayer was answered, we say we had faith. If the door opened, we say God came through. If everything worked out beautifully, we call it a testimony. But what about the person who keeps trusting when the door stays closed? What about Abraham waiting years for the promise? Noah building an ark before anyone had seen the rain. Moses choosing obedience when obedience meant walking directly toward an impossible situation.

Faith is not proven only when the mountain moves. Sometimes faith is proven because we keep walking while the mountain is still standing.

Throughout Scripture, faith has movement to it. Faith listens. Faith obeys. Faith waits. Faith endures. Faith prays. Faith loves. Faith stands firm when fear would rather run. James reminds us that faith without works is dead because genuine faith eventually shows up in the way we live.

And even then, faith is not about having confidence in ourselves. The object of our faith is God.

Jesus did not simply tell His disciples to believe harder. He said, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). Our confidence rests in His character, His wisdom, His goodness, His promises, and ultimately in Jesus Christ.

There will be days when faith feels strong. There will also be days when faith sounds more like, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” Both can bring us to God.

This month, as you write these Scriptures, do more than copy the words onto the page. Ask yourself what they reveal about God. Notice what biblical faith looks like when it is tested, when it must wait, when fear is present, and when obedience costs something.

And perhaps most importantly, ask yourself one simple question:

What does my life say I actually believe about God?

Faith is more than agreeing that God exists.

Faith trusts Him enough to follow Him.