They Thought It Was Over, But It's Only Just Begun.

Bible text Hebrews 11: 1-3, 6, 24-29. Habakkuk 2: 1-4
Hebrews 11 - ¹ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ² For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.³ 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.
⁶ 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.
²⁴ By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. ²⁷ By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. ²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.

Habakkuk 2 - ¹ I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. ² Then the LORD answered me and said:
“ Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. ³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. ⁴ “ Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The just shall live by faith appears 4 times in the bible. God is trying to ensure this is pivotal in your life. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We can define substance as an 'underguarding', so your hope is your underguard.

Faith is a paradox to the natural unsaved mind, and Hope is an abstraction. When hope dies, decay sets in. The things that kill our hope are death, tragedy, disasters, delay, failure, greedy and selfish people, bad experiences, unfulfilled ambitions, to mention a few. Hope plays an important your life, and God says to start off with hope because without it, faith has nothing to anchor.

Why is Faith so important?
God created the universe by his word. The word made the things that weren't seen or visible, to become visible. In the realm of the spirit, what is not seen is superior than that which is seen. That which is not seen is what gives birth to that which is seen.
2Corinthians 4 - ¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸ while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
It is because of their faith that Daniel was able to step into the Lions den and sleep till the morning, and for Jesus to sleep on the boat during the storm

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing from the word of God. And without faith it's impossible to please God. It is in God that your faith finds its substance.

There are 3 dimensions to your faith:-
The past, the present, the future. We can use bunches of bananas to describe these. A bunch of green banana represent the future. A bunch of ripe banana represent the present. A bunch of over-ripened banana represent the past.
Men would push aside the bunch of green bananas into the dark but not knowing that in the dark is where it will mature (it'll eventually blossom in its appointed time). Men would gobble up the bunch of ripe bananas as it is appealing (it is in its appointed time). Men will discard the over-ripened bunch of banana saying it has past its usage. (it's appointed time is over).

Lets focus on the over-ripened bunch of bananas. Even though it might seem it has passed its appointed time and is written off. If these bananas are peeled and put inside a bowl, pour some flour in, some oil, some salt, and mashed and mixed together, we can get a delicious tasty treat when it is fried.

In conclusion:- Even though the over-ripened bananas might have been written of, it still is useful and serves a purpose. Your life can be like that of an over-ripened bunch of bananas, and people might have written you off, but if you keep your focus and remain faithful to God, all things will work together for the good of those that love the Lord.