What Can’t Be Seen

Hello, I'm Bill Crowder, and I'm glad you could join us for today's encouragement from the Our Daily Bread devotional. I'll be reading our meditation that I've entitled, What Can't Be Seen. Historians say the atomic age began on July 16, 1945, when the first nuclear weapon was detonated in a remote desert of New Mexico. But Greek philosopher Democritus was exploring the existence and power of the atom long before the invention of anything that could even see these tiny building blocks of the universe.

Democritus comprehended more than he could see, and atomic theory was the result. The scriptures tell us that the essence of faith is embracing what can't be seen. Hebrews 11 one affirms, now faith is confidence in what we hope for, and assurance about what we do not see. This assurance isn't the result of wishful or positive thinking, it's confidence in the God we can't see, but whose existence is the truest reality in the universe. His reality is displayed in his creative works, and made visible by revealing his invisible character and ways in his son Jesus, who came to show the Father's love to us. This is the God in whom we live and move and have our being, as the Apostle Paul put it in Acts 17 verse 28. As such, we live by faith, not by sight, yet we don't walk alone. The unseen God walks with us every step of the way.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Hebrews chapter 11 verses 1 through 6. Now faith is confidence in what we hope for, and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith, Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings, and by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith, Enoch was taken from this life so that he did not experience death. He could not be found, because God had taken him away.

For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Let's pray. Father, sometimes it's a struggle to believe what we can't see. Nevertheless, you've promised your faithful love and that you'll never leave us or forsake us. Help us to rest in the promise that with you we never walk alone. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.