assurance | Thoughts About God

Faith

Thoughts_About_God — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:03:52 +0000

“Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

The antidote to fear is confidence in God, and that comes through faith. Fear hangs over our head like a constant vulture, ready to devour us. In the book of Hebrews, faith is the essential “engine” of the Christian life. It moves beyond mere head knowledge to a deep trust that results in action and endurance. Chapter 11 describes this best. It is often called the “Hall of Faith.”

Fear can be described as a terror of the unknown… worry, doubt and concern about the future. Most of what we worry about never happens and whatever does happen is far from being as difficult as we had imagined.

Affliction is temporary while Glory is eternal. The only way to overcome fear is through faith. Biblical faith is active trust and reliance on God’s character and promises, not just intellectual belief, serving as an assurance of unseen realities and the foundation for salvation, demonstrated through obedience and action, growing through hearing God’s word, and enabling believers to overcome obstacles and live by God’s truth rather than sight. It’s a gift from God, a response to His initiative, bringing peace, purpose, and victory through Jesus Christ, as expressed in Hebrews 11:1 as “assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”.

Faith resides at the core of Christianity and the Christian life. While the Bible has much to say about it, faith is a challenging concept to define. A biblical definition of faith reaches beyond mere belief—the simple acknowledgment that God exists—into the realm of trust. Genuine faith involves abandoning all human reliance on self-efforts and placing total dependence upon God’s character, His actions, and His promises, as revealed in His Word.

The apostle Paul said, “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith does not put trust in bank account balances, headline news, or the doctor’s report. As Scripture says, “We don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18, NLT). When the world seems to be falling apart, our faith stands secure on the rock-solid promises of God.

On a scale of 1 to 10, where does your faith score?

by John Grant
used by permission

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Hope is In Him

Devotionals — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 08:03:15 +0000

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7

Most people understand hope as wishful thinking, as in “I hope something will happen.” This is not what the Bible means by hope. The biblical definition of hope is “confident expectation.” Hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown.

Without hope, life loses its meaning. The righteous who trust or put their hope in God will be helped, and they will not be confounded, put to shame, or disappointed. Those who have this trustful hope in God, have a confidence in God’s protection and help and are free from fear and anxiety.

Recently I experienced a medical condition that has a high mortality rate. As I lay in the hospital hooked up to more wires than the local power grid, I contemplated my mortality.
I hoped I would recover, as I have a lot of living yet to do. But I hoped beyond that …. real hope and trust in my eternal salvation. Even faced with my current situation I knew with that expectant hope that all would be well and regardless of how I came out of the hospital, soon or someday I would see the face of Jesus.

As the great songwriter Edward Mote wrote decades ago: ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ, my righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name’.

APPLICATION: Do a “hope check.” Where is your hope; your assurance? Make sure your eyes are on Him and on Him alone.

By John Grant
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

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Assurance of Victory

Devotionals — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 09:03:13 +0000

“This is the victory that conquers the world, OUR FAITH.” 1 John 5:4 (NCV)

What is unique about the kingdom of God is that you are assured of victory. You have won! You are assured that you will someday stand before the face of God and see the King of kings. You are assured that someday you will enter a world where there will be no more pain, no more tears, no more sorrow.

If you have no faith in the future, then you have no power in the present. If you have no faith in the life beyond this life, then your present life is going to be powerless. But if you believe in the future and are assured of victory, then there should be a dance in your step and a smile on your face.

By Max Lucado
Used by permission
From: The Inspirational Study Bible

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about/