Week 08 · Trusting God and being trustworthy
Faith and Faithfulness
Read together: Hebrews 11:1-16
Also read: Proverbs 3:5-6 · Luke 16:10
The same word covers both trusting God and being someone who can be trusted. A marriage needs both, and the second is built in small things.
The heart of it
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Every couple in Hebrews 11 obeyed before they could see the outcome. Abraham left without knowing where he was going, and Sarah is named for believing God about a promise that made no sense at her age.
They died without receiving the promises and still called themselves strangers looking for a better country. That is a picture worth keeping in a marriage: some of what you pray for you will not see finished. You keep going anyway, because God is not finished.
Faithfulness is the other half. Jesus said whoever is faithful in the least is faithful in much. In a marriage the least things are the ones that build trust: doing what you said, being where you said, telling the truth about money, minutes, and your phone.
What to notice
- Without faith it is impossible to please Him, and the definition given is believing He is and that He rewards those who seek Him.
- Sarah is commended for faith even though she laughed. God works with real people.
- They saw the promises afar off and embraced them.
- God is not ashamed to be called their God. That is the reward of faith here.
Talk together
- 1What are we asking God for that we cannot see any evidence of yet?
- 2Where have I broken small promises to you? Say them; do not soften them.
- 3Is there anything about money, time, or my phone that I have not been fully open about?
- 4What promise of God do we need to embrace afar off in this season?
- 5What would make you trust me more in the next month?
Your own journal
Answer these on your own during the week. They are yours; you are never required to read them out loud.
1. Am I actually trusting God with the thing I am most afraid of, or just managing it?
2. Where am I unreliable, and who pays for it?
3. What have I hidden that trust cannot grow around?
4. Write out a promise from Scripture you want to hold on to this year.
5. Ask God to make you dependable in one small named area.
This week's challenge
Sit down together and be fully open about one area — money, calendar, or phone. No accusations, just full information.
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1
Pray together
Name what you are trusting God for out loud, and ask Him to make each of you fully trustworthy.
Next week: Meekness