Hebrews 11 is often called the faith chapter, or even the Hebrews Hall of Faith. The author begins the chapter by defining what faith is.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.             - Hebrews 11:1

He goes on to say that faith is how the people of the ancient world gained approval. It’s what set them apart. In fact, we can’t even begin to please God without faith. (verse 6) The chapter lists many men and women who had pleased God by the way they acted on their faith.

Let’s zoom in on Abraham’s story today. He had to trust God for a lot. He obeyed God right away. We see this multiple times in his life:

• He left his home when God called him, not knowing where he was going.
• He lived in the promised land, owning none of it, except for a small plot he bought to bury his wife.
• He knew his current situation was not the end goal but looked forward to the city built by God.
• He believed God for the son He promised, even though Abraham was past his prime.
• He was ready to sacrifice this promised son, believing God could bring him back from the dead.

Even with that life of faith, Abraham was not perfect. He made some mistakes along the way. You can see that with most of the people mentioned in this chapter. A good many of them have a past mentioned in Scripture. 

But God still used them. Every single person God has called has been imperfect. What matters is that we believe God by faith, and act on it.

Speaking of perfection, another term for perfection is finished or complete. Not a single person mentioned had received the end result of what was promised. God’s promise wasn’t dependent on their lifespan, nor does it end with ours.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. - Hebrews 11:13

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. – Hebrews 11:39-40

Let’s thank God for the promises He has fulfilled and look forward to ones to come. 

What step of obedience can you take today as you walk out your faith?