"Without faith it is impossible to please God." — Hebrews 11:6

It's a startling claim, isn't it? We're told not merely that God is pleased by our faith — that alone would be simple and encouraging. No, we're told it's *impossible* to please God without faith. If we won't put ourselves in a position to believe what we cannot see, we cannot experience His pleasure.

We have a lot of subtle ways of rebelling against faith. We get discouraged and frustrated waiting for answers to our prayers. We assume God hasn't answered when all we hear is silence. We base our decisions on the evidence in front of us rather than on the promises and wisdom of God.

Maintaining faith can be extremely difficult, but it's absolutely necessary if we're going to please God. The tension between faith and sight becomes our testing ground — a place to demonstrate what we truly believe about Him. Will we hold on to what we know to be true, or will we live under the tyranny of everything visible? The line between the two can get blurry, but the choices we make on that testing ground can be monumental.

Regardless of what you see — choose faith. It always pleases God.

Have a blessed week, everyone.

Donnie