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.” Hebrews 11:3

Hebrews 11:3

In today’s devotional Faith is the undeniable theme of Hebrews 11. As Christians, we are called to live by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). Building on his previous teaching about the necessity of faith to endure (Hebrews 10:39), the author begins the chapter by describing the nature and quality of faith (Hebrews 11:1–3). One foundational quality of faith is a firm conviction about invisible, non-tangible realities. For example, one must have faith to believe God created the world out of nothing: “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” (Hebrews 11:3, NKJV).

Not only did God form the entire world and everything in it from nothing (Romans 4:17), but He did it by merely speaking. He commanded all things into existence, forming and shaping them through His authoritative, creative word. Seventeenth-century Bible translators penned, “The worlds were framed by the word of God” (KJV). In the original language, the term translated as “worlds” speaks of “everything that exists anywhere.” Framed means “created, furnished, equipped, and prepared for a use or purpose.”

God made the whole world by speaking forth His Word. He called forth the light, land, and sea creatures, as well as everything else that He made. He had inside Him the kind of earth He desired but He needed to speak forth the Word to bring to pass what He desired. Each time He spoke, the Holy Ghost acted on those words and caused what God spoke forth to appear. This is also true about you, as God’s child, for you’re made in His image and in His likeness.

“Words are the most powerful thing in the universe… Words are containers. They contain faith, or fear, and they produce after their kind.”

—Charles Capps

DAILY DEVOTION