Faith in the Unseen

Lessons from Noah

Have you ever played the trust fall game? One person volunteers to close their eyes and fall backward, relying entirely on a partner to catch them. The person falling is essentially saying, “I can’t see you, but I believe you’re going to catch me.” The catcher replies, “I’ve got you.”

However, the game only works if the person actually falls. If they stand there saying they trust their partner but don’t let themselves fall, that isn’t real trust. The trust fall is a lot like living by faith; you can’t always see what’s going to happen, but you trust the one guiding you to catch you.

This past weekend, Pastor Dave brought us back to the story of Noah, showing us one of the clearest pictures in the Bible that faith is not just what you say you believe, it’s what you do because you believe.

Hebrews 11:7 tells us: “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with goldy fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household…”

Noah put his faith to work by acting on a word spoken by God, even though there was no physical evidence of rain. He trusted that God was guiding Him in “things not yet seen”.

Perhaps you are in a similar “things not yet seen” season right now? Maybe God has asked you to surrender a relationship without the hope of a new one in sight, or perhaps you’ve felt to be generous even though you yourself are believing for breakthrough. How do we respond in these moments by faith?

Like Noah, we must learn to Trust God’s Word, Trust God’s Process, and Trust God’s Timing.

1. Trust God’s Word

God spoke, and Noah responded. It sounds so simple, but it would have required immense faith for Noah to act on what God asked him to do. The rainfall and flood that God was warning Noah of would have been unprecedented. He wouldn’t have seen a flood like this previously, and neither would he have seen a boat so big on dry land, yet He took God at His word, and he went to work as Genesis 6:22 shows us, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

Hebrews 11:7 goes on to tell us that Noah “…became heir of righteousness which is according to faith.” Faith often means trusting what God says before we can see the full scope of the outcome with our own eyes. It is truly putting Proverbs 3:5-6 into practice.

I experienced something similar in 2010 during my second year of university in Boston. God spoke to my heart clearly: my season in Boston was ending, and I needed to go to Bible School. I didn’t know when, where, or how, but I knew that God had spoken.

With many unanswered questions ahead of me, I took the next steps by faith. I handed in my resignation as a resident assistant, packed up all my belongings, and I said goodbye to my friends without knowing when or if I would ever see them again. By faith I moved back to Vancouver. Through that transition, I was strengthened by God’s word and being surrounded by church community.

That decision ultimately led me to the Coastal Church Internship program in 2011. Little did I know that it would be during that internship program, I would begin to sense a call into ministry. Now, in 2026, I am in my fourteenth year on staff at Coastal Church. We, like Noah, don’t always know the full scope of God’s plan when He asks us to act, but it is always to our advantage to take Him at His word.

A practical step to be able to trust God’s word, is to know His word. A simple step you can take today is committing to read the Bible daily. God sounds like His Word.

2. Trust God’s Process

Not only did God speak and give Noah a warning that a flood was coming, He gave him the specific blueprints needed to build the Ark: the measurements, and the list of materials. God provided direction for the process, however it was up to Noah to pick up the hammer and get to work.

Likewise, when God leads us in a certain direction, we can trust that He will supply for what we need, but we, like Noah will need to “pick up the hammer” and take steps forward.

God is in the details.

When God spoke to me back in 2010, He didn’t just close the door to Boston, but he provided direction for the next step, Bible School. However, because I didn’t know which one or when, I had to seek Him in the details. I had to do my own personal study and due diligence into different programs, locations, and opportunities. He had given me just enough direction to keep moving.

It is important to remember that there is grace in the process. Ruth Graham, the wife of the late evangelist Billy Graham, had it written upon her tombstone: “Construction complete. Thank you for your patience.”

I appreciate this sentiment. It reminds us that we are all a work in progress, and just because we may be in the middle of construction, It doesn’t mean that God isn’t in it. He is continuously at work within us, so trust His process.

Philippians 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finished.”

3. Trust God’s Timing

It is thought to have taken between 50 to 75 years for the Ark to be completed. That is a long time to be living in the middle of the process. For decades, Noah was faithfully trusting God that there was a purpose for the Ark that he was building. For decades, Noah would have likely faced criticism and mockery from others who couldn’t understand what he was doing.

But God’s timing was perfect.

When we look at the story of Noah, we can easily miss the goodness in God’s timing. The flood didn’t come halfway through construction of the Ark; the flood came when the Ark was completed. God was patient, which would have been patience and mercy extended to those around Noah as well.

There is a saying attributed to missionary Jackie Pullinger, “We live in a microwave world, but God is a crockpot God.” So often we want things instantly, but in God’s Kingdom, things take time.

God may not be early, but we can trust his timing that He will never be late. In your life and your current situation, His timing is perfect. If you are in a season of waiting on God’s timing, let Isaiah 40:29-31 be an encouragement to you:

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Through the life of Noah, we can see that to live by faith and for the “things not yet seen”, we must be willing to Trust God’s Word when He speaks, Trust God’s Process when the work is hard, and Trust God’s Timing when the wait seems long.

Perhaps you find yourself standing at the edge of your own “trust fall” right now, weighing whether to fully lean into the One you cannot see. My encouragement to you is simple. Take the next step.

As Corrie Ten Boom has been credited saying, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” You may not be able to see exactly what lies ahead, but God is faithful. As you place your trust in Him, He will surely order your steps.