Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. 4 By Faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. 5 By Faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. 6 And without Faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Hebrews 11:1-7
Faith is the realization of everything for which we hope. The Bible describes our hope for happiness, peace, health, success, and many other things. But these hopes can only be actualized through faith. The almighty God creates in abundance all that we could hope for and more. God wants to provide us with all that we need and hope for, and He is willing to give us all we need to live, survive, thrive, and be healthy. He gives us wisdom, skill, ability – all of it!
We do not receive all for which we hope because the Lord gives it, and we must receive it through faith. The Lord delivers faith through His Word and the Holy Spirit. God gives us everything through the Word and the Holy Spirit. It is not through our efforts, good fortune, or anything of this world that we gain what we seek. Faith in God delivered through the Holy Spirit and Word, not wealth or success, brings our hopes to fruition.
The Lord gives us everything we need through the Word and Holy Spirit. Then the only way we can receive them is through BELIEVING and OBEYING. Believe and obey! When we believe His Word and Holy Spirt AND obey them, we receive what the Lord provides us. God gave Daniel the Word for him to believe and obey. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Daniel received the word of God. Daniel followed the commandment of the Lord though it meant death in the lions’ den. He survived the lions’ den because the Lord delivered him by his faith.
If we believe and obey, miracles happen, people are healed, and blessings are received. Nothing in this world is impossible to overcome if we believe and obey. The Lord received Abel’s offering because he believed and obeyed. Enoch met the Lord because he believed. God saved Noah and his family from the flood because he believed. If we fail to believe, we give up our rights to receive God’s blessing. Abraham believed and obeyed the Lord, and he begot Isaac in his old age.
Yet, we fail to believe, or we abandon the Word and the Holy Spirit when faced with hardship. We falter when danger comes our way. For those who suffered persecution for their faith during the Korean War, they overcame because they believed and obeyed. Similarly, we need to believe and obey his Word and the Holy Spirit to receive all that the Lord wants to give us. Hebrews 11 describes all those who achieved success through their faith. How do we believe and obey? When the Lord inspires us with the Holy Spirit through our conscience, we must follow it no matter how difficult. When the Lord gives us direction and guidance through his word, we must follow it to receive His blessings.
Summary
1. Only through faith can all our hopes be delivered.
2. God delivers on our hopes through His Word and the Holy Spirit.
3. We can only receive what God provides through BELIEVING and OBEYING His Word and the Holy Spirit.
a. When the Holy Spirit guides us through our conscience, we must follow
b. When the Word provides us direction, we must follow its guidance
GOD FIRST 
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