The past two meditations taught us what we need to exercise effective faith. Positive confessions must be matched with corresponding actions. These two constitute both the spirit and practice of faith. Does this suggest that once we speak and act, we will always come up with our desired ends? Not always, as other things are necessary to aid our faith. Love has to be added to the equation. When we started with this series, we mentioned the three controlling forces of the universe -faith, hope, love. Paul stressed that the greatest of them is love. That means the exercise of faith can never be complete outside of love. Galatians 5:6 puts it expressly that faith works by love. Anyone stretching his faith for something must go on loving God and his or her neighbours.

Our text shows another thing that must accompany faith; which is patience. Abraham received a promise of a child from God. God changed his name and that of his wife. That’s a way of making them confess what God promised them long before the baby arrived. Interestingly, the child did not come until 25 years later. This is the point which the writer of Hebrews is bringing to focus. It took patient waiting for the promise to become a reality. Patience is an accessory of faith just as love is. Faith can never be a substitute for patience.