Hebrews 11:1,13:5,14 | 2 Corinthians 4:4,17-18
If you can’t see it, is it still there?
To have faith, we need to believe in what we cannot see.
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.
Hebrews 11:1 NLT
This is the opposite of “I’ll believe it when I see it,” isn’t it! It’s more like “I’ll see it when I believe it.”
But how can you believe what you cannot see? It’s not really so complicated. First, it helps to understand why you may be blind to certain truths in the first place.
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT
Don’t freak out, but…the devil doesn’t want you see that Jesus Christ is God who came to earth to die for your sins. What?! The devil doesn’t want you to see that? Seriously?!
Yes, seriously. Why? Because you might see that there is more in store for you than what confronts you now.
For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Hebrews 13:14 NLT
If you trust and follow Jesus, you have a wonderful home with God to look forward to, after a life of serving him here on earth! That means that, when things around you get tough (or terrible, lame, etc.), you don’t have to feel sorry for yourself…because you have hope of something better.
What’s more is that the troubles you face now while serving God are insignificant when held up against this wonderful, eternal future.
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT
As a believer, when things around you are falling apart, you don’t have to get caught up in it. You don’t have to get depressed. You don’t need to despair. God loves you so much that he sent his only son to bring you into his eternal family. If you trust in Him, he won’t leave you hanging.
For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Hebrews 13:5b NLT
If you can see this truth through all of your troubles, you are looking at the invisible. And you can see it, if you believe.
So 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
Questions for Group Discussion
- If Satan “blinds the minds of those who don’t believe” (2 Corinthians 4:4) so they can’t see the good news of Jesus Christ, could he blind the minds of believers about other things? Why, or why not? Can you find scripture to back up your argument?
- Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is “the evidence of things we cannot see.” What do you think this means, exactly? Is it as literal as the existence of God, or does it go beyond that?
Challenge: See the Invisible
This challenge will surely “open your eyes” to some things…only, not literally.
You should know: this challenge will require some time out of your day–60 minutes, at least. If you feel like overachieving, pick a longer timeframe. And before you begin, ask God to open your eyes to anything he tries to show you, in this exercise or otherwise.
- Get a comfortable blindfold.
- The soft kind with the elastic strap is the best, but any bandana or scarf will also work.
- Don’t trust yourself to keep your eyes closed and go without one. You will involuntarily open your eyes as soon as you settle into the challenge.
- Set a timer for at least one hour. As stated above, you can go longer, if you like…but don’t go nuts.
- Spend at least one hour blindfolded.
- Explore where you live, using your other senses. Touch is most valuable, but rule out the others. Just be reasonable with the tasting.
- Don’t go for walks across town–that’s dangerous!
- When you finish, make notes about any discoveries you made.
