At the time Hebrews was written, the original readers were suffering persecution for their belief in Jesus. The author no doubt wanted to encouragement them to stay the path. I love how the author chose to define faith. Most of chapter 11 is a biblical roll call of faithful servants. For them, faith was a reality, and we see the proof of it in their lives. “Faith” relates to confidence, trust, assurance, and commitment. Faith includes discernment of God’s reality and activity in the world as well as complete trust in and commitment to God. Faith helps us see God’s work around for us. For instance, I look at the sky and see God’s handiwork; someone else might look at the same sky and merely see clouds or stars. Faith opens our spiritual eyes and enables us to understand that the universe was created by God’s words. It awakens us to the truth of who Jesus is and what He did for us. Faith can include intellectual belief or theological truths, but biblical faith includes personal trust and commitment that is evidenced in our daily lives. A question to ponder…what are some things that have planted seeds of faith in your life?