Hebrews 11:1 Faith

The Bible defines faith for us. To quote the King James,

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1.

Oooo, evidence. I love that.

Years ago my Brazilian friend gave me a Bible in Portguese. I can't remember which version it was because I gave it away, but I do remember that I just loved that verse in Portguese. It used the word "guarantía" for the English "substance". So, to me, it read:

"Now faith is the guarantee of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Guarantee? I just LOVE that. When I looked that verse up online just now in Portuguese, it gave me "certeza" instead of "guarantía". So, the Portuguese NIV reads like this:

"Ora, a fé é a certeza daquilo que esperamos e a prova das coisas que não vemos." Hebreus 11:1

Can't find my Portuguese/English dictionary, but "certeza", if I recall correctly, means "certainty". Ooooo, certainty! That's niiice.

The Spanish (RVR version) translates it much the same way:

"Es, pues, la fé la certeza de lo que se espera, la convicción de lo que no se ve."

I love that, too, because to me that reads, "Now faith is the certainty of what is hoped (or waited) for, the conviction of what is not seen."

(Okay, I just said "love" four times. I can't help it.)

So we have faith as being:

substance
evidence
certainty
guarantee
conviction
and proof (I forgot that one, the Portuguese goes on and uses that instead of 'evidence')

Isn't that just RICH?

Anyway, I share all that because this is just one of those times in life that I find myself in complete faith. I don't doubt we are going to Argentina. I can't explain it, except that I have faith. I know we will be in Argentina sometime, maybe next year. I just know. I'm certain of it. God has given me the faith, and that's my proof. It's evidence of what will happen. It just is. The end.

Sometimes we wonder out loud where the money will come from, and we pray it in of course, but I'm not worried in the least about it. Isn't that weird? I can see it with my spiritual eyes. I just can. That's the wonderful, beautiful, amazing thing about faith. "Pues, es don de Dios" - it's the gift of God (Eph. 2:8).

:)