Evidence of things!

First, let’s go to Hebrews 11 and start with verse 1, where the Apostle Paul says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is a tangible assurance of what we hope for, even when we can’t see it yet. But how can faith be the evidence of what isn’t seen? Well, think about it: if you’re in a dark room, you can’t see anything until there’s light.

The Bible says, “The entrance of Your words gives light.” It’s God’s Word that brings light to any subject, and as we study this, we see that faith is like a title deed. One translation says faith is the “title deed of things hoped for.” Don’t we all hope for the things God has promised? In 2 Peter 1, it says God has given us everything needed for life and godliness through His promises, so that we might be partakers of His divine nature. Notice Peter says “might”—in other words, if we act on God’s Word and live by faith.

When we talk about faith as the “substance of things hoped for,” it means that faith stands in place of the things we can’t yet see but are ours through God’s promises. Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” We’re told to hold tightly to our confession of faith because if we let it go, we can lose it. Many people think confession only means admitting sins, but confessing also means agreeing with God’s Word. Just like confessing in a courtroom means you agree with the accusations, confessing God’s Word means we agree with what He says about us. When we speak God’s Word, we’re aligning our words with His truth.

Faith works in the heart, as Paul says, “For with the heart, man believes.” Faith is more than words on a page; it’s a spiritual force. I believe faith is the divine energy of God, found in His Word. But for it to work in us, it has to get inside us. Faith only works in the heart.

In Genesis 1, we repeatedly see “And God said….” God created by speaking, calling things that were not as though they were. He spoke light into darkness and creation into being. God released His faith through words, and that same creative power is in us. Genesis 1:26 says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion.” God’s intention was for us to exercise dominion like He did—by speaking faith-filled words. This doesn’t mean we’re trying to be God; it means we act in faith the way God would act if He were in our situation.

Faith as a seed works when it’s planted. In Luke 17, Jesus teaches about forgiving someone seven times a day. The apostles asked, “Lord, increase our faith,” realizing they would need faith to forgive like that. Jesus didn’t tell them they needed more faith; He told them to use the faith they already had, like planting a seed. A farmer knows that no seed produces a harvest until it’s planted. You can pray over seeds in the barn all day, but nothing happens until they’re planted.

Faith as a mustard seed is powerful because it’s unchanging. The mustard plant, they say, can’t be crossbred or hybridized. This might be why Jesus used it as a symbol of pure, unwavering faith. When you have faith that doesn’t waver, you can speak to obstacles, like the Sycamine tree, and they’ll move. The Sycamine tree here represents unforgiveness, a deep-rooted problem. Jesus is showing us how to use faith to uproot and cast out unforgiveness permanently. When you cast something into the sea, it’s gone for good. He’s showing us how to forgive by faith—by speaking it and declaring it until it’s gone.

Faith comes by hearing, specifically hearing God’s Word. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” As we speak God’s Word over our lives, faith grows within us. This faith becomes the assurance of our healing, provision, and peace.

Faith as a seed is a faith that speaks, plants, and grows. Jesus said, “Whatever things you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them” (Mark 11:24). When you pray, believe in your heart that it’s yours. You may not see it immediately, but it will come in time. Faith is speaking God’s promises even before we see them manifest.

Many people say things like, “I guess I’m getting sick,” or “I just can’t forgive them.” These are words of doubt, planting the wrong seeds. But if you want healing, if you want peace, if you want forgiveness, then plant seeds of faith by speaking what God says. Speak His promises over your life. Say, “I am healed,” “I am forgiven,” “I forgive them.” Jesus said we would have whatever we say if we believe and don’t doubt.

So, if you have faith as a mustard seed, faith that is unwavering, you can move mountains. Whatever you need, speak it with faith, because God’s Word in your mouth has the power to change your life. Keep confessing, keep believing, and watch that faith grow and bear fruit in your life.