Based on Hebrews 11:8-22 (New King James Version)
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.”
What kind of faith pleases God? To begin, we would need to define faith, and we could start by describing what faith is not, at least not the kind of faith that is divine, the faith that the Word of God speaks of. For example, faith is not about positive thinking. Faith has nothing to do with fulfilling our own will. Faith does not control God, nor is it a way to make God do something He does not want to do. Likewise, divine faith never goes against His Word. Understanding these things, we would realize that what many people think of as faith actually has nothing to do with what God teaches. Most of the time, both love and faith are misunderstood and misinterpreted, making them out to be something completely different from what they truly are and what God intends for them to be.
The Bible teaches this concerning faith: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:1-3. Therefore, upon understanding what is written, we should be able to see more clearly that faith is not within itself a feeling, an idea, or a concept, but something that goes far beyond that. For example, the Word teaches us here that faith helps us understand that the entire universe was created through the Word of God. So, faith is more about being focused on a Person, on the person of God and His actions. Faith is the way we can intellectually grasp or reason, in some way, that the Invisible One is the one who created and made everything visible. Therefore, faith is the vehicle that somehow connects God with humanity; it is what God has incorporated into human beings so that they have the capacity to go beyond the visible, in short, to have the ability to believe in God.
Now, this leads us to the next point, that faith within itself doesn't have much meaning on its own, but rather, it acquires its great value when we apply it to God. That's when faith truly becomes an unlimited power, where it takes on its true value, which makes all the difference in the world. I'll explain it this way: If a person places their faith in material things, then it actually becomes useless to them, because their trust is placed in something that is finite, corruptible, and limited. For example, what does a person gain by placing their faith in money? It's true that money has a certain value in this world and that it's necessary for many things. But what good is money in eternity? Can money erase sin? Can money give you eternal life? Can money fill the void in a person's heart? Can you buy heaven with money? No. In the same way, what do we gain by placing our faith in other people who are just as fallible and limited as we are? It's true that a relationship between people has great value, but, nevertheless, it has no power in the things that truly matter, in the eternal things. Everything that exists in this world will one day cease to be, even ourselves. Everything that is tainted in some way or another by sin has an expiration date. So, on whom is it truly worthwhile to place our faith? On God who is perfect, who loves us, and who reigns and lives forever and ever. And the Word says this: “But 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 diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.
Therefore, the faith that pleases God is the one that is firmly established on Him and on everything He does, especially on His Word, which is responsible for all of creation. And we understand from the Bible that the Word is Christ, as it is written: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:1-4. The Word (Christ) is the one who makes all things possible, from our daily existence to eternity, as it says: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:15-17. The Lord is ultimately the greatest thing that should nourish our faith, for He is the personification of God. And what did the Lord show us while He was on earth? He performed great and incredible miracles. He taught us about His kingdom and how to attain eternal life. He demonstrated God's great love through His actions, by giving His life as a ransom for us, dying on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for our salvation. And finally, He was resurrected from the dead on the third day and was seen ascending into heaven, to the right hand of God's throne. All of this was witnessed by the people of that time, and they bore witness to this reality. The Lord said: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-6. So, who else has done what the Lord has done? Who can promise us what only He can give? Nothing and no one are like Him. So, have you placed your faith in the Lord as the Bible teaches so that you can please God, or are you still placing your faith in something else, rendering your faith useless? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!