Hebrew 11:6 (NKJV): 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.
What does the word 'faith' means here? As I was doing my study, the Lord began to show me what it means, i.e. 'coming to nothingness of self/flesh'. It's about being in total reliance on Him (& not on our flesh or self-effort). It means when we 'come to nothingness of self/flesh', we allow ourselves to die to our own ability to 'achieve' our desires/goals. Instead, we look to His ability working in us (& through us). Paul put it aptly in Galatians 2:20 when he said, 'I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.'
How about the words 'please Him' here? It is 'euaresteo' in Greek, from the word 'euarestos' which means 'fully agreeable'. So, Hebrews 11:6a can be understood this way: "But without coming to nothingness of self/flesh, it is impossible to be fully agreeable with Him." Being 'fully agreeable with Him' is to be 'in harmony with Him', or 'flowing with His will' for you, thus, allowing Him to bear fruit through you (in His way).
Let's look at the life of Moses now. For the first 40 years in his life, the Bible says he was 'learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians ('picture' of the world), and was mighty in words (eloquence in speech) and deeds'. But when he tried to 'deliver' the Israelites by his own hand (own way & effort), things went awry, and he had to flee to the land of Midian. Nothing significant seemed to happen after that, and it seemed like he has lost everything, including his God-given destiny!
And by the time God appeared to him 40 years on, he had nothing but a rod in his hand (Exodus 4:2), and even then, God asked him to cast it down on the ground! (Exodus 4:3) He had come to 'nothingness' of himself by then, and he even lost his eloquence of speech (Exodus 4:10), and just before that, he also said, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11) You see, when he thought he had 'nothing left in him' anymore, that's when God thinks he's ready! God then said, "I AM WHO I AM"! He wanted Moses to know that 'HE IS', and He is able if he would let Him be!
When you come to a realization that 'you cannot by your own strength', that's when He can!
Beloved, maybe things have not seemed good for you recently, but because He is in you (& will never leave you nor forsake you), all things will work for good to you! (Romans 8:28) And of course you don't have to go through the 40 years Moses went through. But will you let go of your way & let Him have His way? Will you also let your 'seed' die & be buried? (like Moses cast his rod on the ground) And when the Lord begins to 'water' your seed, that's when it'll germinate, sprout, and bear fruit! Notice the 'rod' was never the same again when Moses was asked to pick it up. This 'seed' (or 'rod' in Moses' case) is a 'picture' of your calling & destiny in life. And the rest, of course, was history! Moses went on to fulfill his God-given destiny, by His leading & grace. Praise the Lord! And God can do likewise for yours too! Amen.
