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faith to draw near

Hebrews 11:6 (JDV)

Hebrews 11:6 Now without faith, it is impossible to please God since the person who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

faith to draw near

Faith requires drawing near to a God who cannot be seen. That is the tension at the heart of Hebrews. The world trains the senses to trust only what is visible, measurable, and immediate. But the life of faith begins by acknowledging that the deepest realities are not accessible to sight. God is invisible, yet he is not distant. He is unseen, yet he is not unreachable. To relate to him, faith must take hold of two convictions: that he exists, and that he desires relationship with those who seek him.

The first conviction—believing that God exists—is more than intellectual assent. It is the recognition that the visible world is not self‑contained. Creation points beyond itself. Conscience points beyond itself. History points beyond itself. Faith sees the fingerprints of the unseen God in the world that can be seen. It acknowledges that behind the order, beauty, and moral structure of life stands a personal Creator who is real, active, and sovereign.

The second conviction—that God rewards those who seek him—moves faith from mere belief to relationship. It affirms that God is not only real but relational. He is not indifferent, silent, or unmoved. He desires to be known. He invites those who seek him. He responds to those who draw near. Faith approaches God not as a distant force but as a Father who welcomes, listens, and gives grace. This is why Hebrews insists that drawing near requires believing both truths. One without the other is incomplete. To believe God exists but does not care leads to fear. To believe God cares but does not exist leads to fantasy. Faith holds both together.

This kind of faith is not blind. It does not ignore the visible world or pretend that God can be proven by sight. Instead, it recognizes that the unseen is just as real as the seen, and often more enduring. It trusts that God’s presence, though invisible, is certain. It believes that his promises, though not yet fulfilled, are reliable. It draws near because it knows that the God who cannot be seen is the God who has revealed himself in his word, in his works, and supremely in his Son.

Such faith is the beginning of every relationship with God. It is the posture that opens the heart to his presence and the life to his guidance. It is the confidence that the unseen God is both real and willing to be found.