By Faith

Now faith is the substance

Of the things we hope for,

The evidence of the things

That as yet we cannot see.

So that faith is a substance

As real as my circumstance,

God provides the evidence

By His faithful providence.

By faith the elders of old

Received a good report,

Worlds by a word from God

Exist through His support.

By faith we accept all this

We were not there then,

But the Bible says it’s so

And dares to tell us when.

 

In the beginning God…

First cause of everything,

Nothing made without Him

Through Him all is existing.

Abel offered unto God

By faith his sacrifice,

And obtained the witness

That pointed to the Christ.

Enoch was translated

By Faith he did not die,

By his godly testimony

Death he would defy.

Without faith it’s impossible

To please the Great I AM,

Any one that comes to Him

Must believe or be damned.

For He is the Rewarder

Of all who seek Him out,

Who come to Him by faith

Hallelujah! Hear the shout!

By faith Noah was warned

Of things he had not seen

By faith he trusted God

In the ark he was redeemed.

Not only Noah alone

But seven in his family,

Would build the world anew

By faith through God Almighty.

Abraham was told to go

To a place he did not know,

By faith he obeyed and went

Knowing God had told him so.

God gave him Isaac and Jacob

Heirs of the same promise,

He looked for the city of God

There are many on that list.

By faith Sarah received

Strength to conceive his seed,

Delivered a child in old age

By faith, God’s word in deed.

Out of Abraham’s loins

A man who was good as dead,

Came forth a great multitude

By faith in the word that God said.

These all died in faith

The promise they didn’t receive,

But having seen afar off

They embraced and also believed.

They also sought a country

Unlike from which they came,

By faith they looked to heaven

By faith in Jesus’ name.

 

Abraham was severely tried

By faith he offered Isaac,

And almost slew the little lad

But God stopped him in his track.

Isaac was the promised seed

In whom all would be blessed,

By faith he blessed his two sons

Before he took his rest.

By faith when he was dying

Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons,

By faith Joseph before he died

Told of deliverance to come.

 

By faith Moses was hidden

In the great river Nile,

Raised in Pharoah’s courts

Yet never was defiled.

By faith he forsook Egypt

Fearing not the wrath of the King,

Trusting Him Who is invisible,

He who can do anything.

By faith he kept the Passover

And sprinkling of the blood,

And passing through the Red Sea

Experienced that God is good.

 

By faith Rehab the harlot

Hid the spies from being found.

By faith the walls of Jericho

Came crashing to the ground.

There is more that can be said

Of Barak, Jephthah and Gideon,

Of David, Samuel and Samson

Who by faith subdued kingdoms.

These stopped the mouths of lions

Quenched the violence of fire,

Escaped the edge of the sword

And out of weakness were inspired.

Women received their dead

Raised to life again,

Others for a better resurrection

Endured all the pain.

Others were cruelly mocked

Some stoned and sawn asunder,

Some imprisoned yet with bonds

Some in sheepskins wandered.

Destitute, afflicted and tormented

Of whom the world was not worthy,

They wandered in deserts and dens

But kept their spiritual integrity.

And having obtained a good report

Received not the promise then,

God provided something better

By faith we can be perfect in him.

Stewart Russell © 2014