A Faith Like Enoch

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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.

– Hebrews 11:6

Christmas morning is probably the most exciting day in my house. It’s a day when I get to sit back and enjoy seeing my children’s delight. Seeing their eyes light up and glisten with excitement, or hearing their voices squeal with joy, at receiving exactly what their little hearts wished for. What makes me chuckle a little inside is that, for some reason, they just believe that the things on their Christmas list can actually come true. It’s childlike faith to believe that a wish, a prayer, a hope is possible any day, especially on Christmas morning.

Children are such great examples of faith. They are willing to believe in the impossible, no matter how ridiculous it might seem or how many shaken no’s they receive. They will bravely take on the impossible anyday. I often wonder what my life would be like if I lived with this kind of faith. A faith that believes God is who He says He is. An Enoch kind of faith.

As described in Hebrews 11, the hall of faith, there were men and women who exemplified great faith, but one man's faith pleased God so much that he walked right home to be with God forever never experiencing death (Genesis 5:24, Hebrews 11:5). Enoch’s faith was so powerful and pure that God wanted him with him and that’s exactly what happened.

Enoch wasn’t a special human with some sort of faith-like superpower. He was a man like any other, except that He believed God to be who He says He is. “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.” (Hebrews 11:6) It was this kind of faith that moved God’s heart. It is this kind of faith I want. A faith that pleases God. A faith that moves the heart of God. A faith that evokes constant communion with God. Because faith is a key ingredient to pleasing God.

As a follower of Jesus, faith sounds so simple, yet so many believers live as if God doesn’t even exist. What would happen if we had a faith like Enoch's? A faith to believe that God is the God we read in the Bible. A faith to seek God and expect to find Him. A faith to believe that our God is alive. A faith to believe that we too will be with Him as He promised. A faith that looks to heaven with hope, knowing that the living God hears us. As the new year begins, I pray that God would grant us a faith like Enoch.

Questions for Reflection:

1. When was the last time you experienced (or witnessed) something that felt like pure, unfiltered childlike joy or expectation? How does that compare to your current approach to faith and prayer?

2. If someone observed your daily life for a month, would they conclude that you actually believe God exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him? What evidence would they see?

3. In what areas of your life have you lost the childlike capacity to simply believe that God can and wants to do what seems ridiculous or unlikely?