It Was by Faith That...

As we read through Hebrews 11, we find a remarkable collection of people who chose to believe God.

It was by faith that Noah prepared an ark when there was no visible evidence of the coming flood. It was by faith that Abraham obeyed God and went out, not knowing where he was going. It was by faith that Sarah received strength to conceive, even when the promise seemed impossible by human standards. And it was by faith that Rahab welcomed the spies and believed that the God of Israel was greater than the city she lived in.

These were not people who always had an easy road ahead of them. They faced uncertainty, opposition, waiting, disappointment, and circumstances that required them to trust God beyond what they could understand. Their faith did not mean they knew exactly how everything would work out. It meant they knew the One who had called them.

And here is something I love about Hebrews 11: these people were not perfect. They were human beings who had to make decisions to trust God in the middle of real circumstances. Their stories were not all the same, and neither were their assignments. Yet God worked through their lives, and their faith became a testimony that continues to encourage us today.

But the story of faith did not end with the people whose names are recorded in Scripture.

Throughout history, God has continued to call men and women to believe Him, follow Him, and step into assignments that could not be accomplished through human strength alone. Some have preached to thousands. Others have faithfully served in places where few people ever knew their names. Some have been called to lead, some to teach, some to write, some to pray, and others to serve in ways that may never receive public recognition.

Their assignments have looked different, but the same principle remains: when God calls us, we must learn to trust Him.

It was by faith that Fanny Crosby wrote thousands of hymns that continue to encourage believers around the world.

It was by faith that Corrie ten Boom trusted God and shared His love and forgiveness even after enduring the horrors of a concentration camp.

It was by faith that Amy Carmichael left her homeland to serve and care for children in India.

It was by faith that Kathryn Kuhlman devoted her life to ministry, preaching about the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

These women had different stories, different ministries, and different experiences. Yet their lives remind us that saying yes to God's call requires trust. We may admire what God did through them, but we must remember that their assignments were theirs. God has not called every woman to stand behind a pulpit, lead a ministry, or travel the world. He has a purpose for each of us, and our responsibility is to be faithful to the calling He has placed on our own lives.

Maybe your assignment will never look like theirs. Maybe your name will never be recognized beyond your family, your church, or your community. But the value of your obedience has never been measured by how many people know your name. It is measured by your willingness to trust God and follow Him.

And that brings me to something I believe we need to remember.

Sometimes, we read the stories of great men and women of faith and admire what they accomplished, but we forget that every one of them had to make a choice to believe God. We see the finished story, but we do not always consider the uncertainty that came before it. We see the ark, but we may not think about the years Noah spent building it. We see Abraham's journey, but we may not consider what it meant to leave the familiar without knowing the destination. We read about Sarah receiving her promise, but we know there were years of waiting before she held that child in her arms.

It is easy to celebrate someone else's faith when we can look back and see what God did. It is much harder when we are standing at the beginning of our own journey, holding a promise, a burden, an idea, or an assignment that seems far bigger than we feel capable of carrying.

Maybe God has placed a desire in your heart to write a book, start a ministry, teach a Bible study, encourage women, share your testimony, or speak openly about what He has brought you through. Maybe He has called you to serve in a place that does not seem significant to anyone else. Perhaps He has been nudging you toward something for a long time, but you keep waiting for the right moment, the right resources, the right connections, or a little more confidence.

You might be asking, What if I fail? What if no one listens? What if I am not good enough? What if I misunderstood what God was asking me to do?

Those questions can become very loud when we focus on our own limitations. But faith redirects our attention to the One who calls us.

Second Corinthians 5:7 reminds us, “For we walk by faith, not by sight”

Walking by faith does not mean we never feel afraid. It does not mean we have every answer or that we never struggle with doubt. It means that fear does not get to make the final decision. It means we seek God, measure our desires against His Word, listen for His direction, and take the next faithful step even when we cannot see the entire path.

Sometimes, that step will be small. It may be opening the laptop and writing the first paragraph. It may be making the phone call, submitting the application, reaching out to the person God has placed on your heart, or finally sharing the testimony you have kept to yourself. It may mean returning to something God called you to do after disappointment or a season of discouragement.

You do not have to know every step of the journey before you take the first one. You need to be willing to trust God with the step He has placed before you.

And please remember this: you are not responsible for making God's calling successful through your own strength. You are responsible for being obedient to Him. We can prepare, learn, grow, work diligently, and use the gifts He has given us, but we must leave the results in His hands. Faithfulness is our calling. The outcome belongs to God.

Hebrews 11 does not end by telling us that every person received everything they hoped for during their lifetime. In fact, verses 39 and 40 remind us that some of those who had obtained a good report through faith had not yet received the promise. Their faithfulness was not wasted simply because they did not see every promise fulfilled in their lifetime.

That is important for us to remember. Sometimes, we will see the fruit of our obedience quickly. Other times, we may never fully understand what God accomplished through our willingness to say yes. We may plant seeds that someone else will water. We may encourage a woman whose life will later encourage hundreds of others. We may write words that reach a reader long after we have forgotten writing them.

Our responsibility is not to determine how far the ripple will travel. Our responsibility is to obey the Lord who asked us to cast the stone.

So, dear sister, what has God placed in your heart?

What have you been putting off because you are afraid? What dream have you quietly surrendered because you convinced yourself that you were not capable? What step of obedience have you delayed because you cannot see how everything will work out?

Take those questions to the Lord. Ask Him to make your calling clear, strengthen your faith, prepare your heart, and show you the next step. You do not need to copy another woman's journey. You do not need her gifts, her opportunities, or her platform. You need to be faithful with what God has entrusted to you.

The world may never write your name in a book of great people of faith, but that does not mean your story is insignificant. Your obedience matters. Your prayers matter. Your willingness to serve matters. Your yes to God matters.

And perhaps, years from now, someone will look back at your life and be encouraged by the way you trusted God. Perhaps your daughter, your friend, a woman in your church, or a stranger who reads your words will see what it looks like to follow Jesus through uncertainty. You may never know the full impact of your faithfulness this side of heaven.

But you can begin today.

I want to leave you with a little exercise. Take some time to pray and reflect on the calling God has placed on your life. If you aren't sure what that calling is yet, ask Him to show you. Remember, it doesn't have to be something that puts you in front of a crowd or brings recognition. It may be something quiet, personal, and known only to you and the Lord. What matters isn't how big or small the assignment may seem to others, but that you are faithful to what God has called you to do. When you're ready, I want you to complete this sentence:

It was by faith that __________ did __________.

Put your own name in the first blank. Put the thing God is calling you to do in the second. Write it down. Pray over it. Let it remind you that your story is still being written, and you have an opportunity to respond to God in faith.

One day, your sentence may become part of the testimony you share with someone who needs encouragement to trust God with her own calling.

So do not spend your life only reading about the faith of others. Ask God to help you live a life of faith, too.

It was by faith that [YOUR NAME] said yes to God and stepped into the calling He had placed on her life.

What will your sentence say?

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

May we be women who believe God, trust His Word, and obey His voice. May we have the courage to take the next step even when we cannot see the whole road. And may our lives one day tell a story of a God who was faithful every step of the way.

Now, I would love to hear from you. What is God calling you to do by faith? Share your sentence in the comments. Your words may be the encouragement another woman needs to take her own step of faith.