“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

On Friday, we hiked the 3-mile “Delicate Arch” trail.  It took us over chert (a hard, shiny rock that the Native Americans fashioned into tools and weapons), very large open areas of “slickrock” and along a ledge that hugged a steep cliff.

It was about the equivalent of climbing to the top of a 50-story building.

Except the “stairs” were steep slanted rock.

I’m in pretty good shape, but I’ll be honest with you…there were times when I wasn’t sure that I wanted to continue.  It was hot.  My quads were burning at times.

It didn’t help that we had eaten lunch before the hike (not a good idea!).

Hikers coming down the trail encouraged us by saying “It’s worth it!” and “You’re almost there!”—even though we would climb another fifteen minutes and wonder what in the world “almost” meant in their vocabulary.

But what I loved about this moderately strenuous trail was that it kept the star of the show hidden until the last minute.  As we climbed and hiked and crept along the ledge, it wasn’t until we climbed over the last rocky crest that the awesome sight came into view—Delicate Arch.

Wow!

What a sight!

She was magnificent!

We sat and just looked at her for a long time before we began the short hike to stand beneath her archway.  Other hikers were glad to reciprocate in taking pictures, although we appeared as ants in her shadow.

We lingered a long time afterwards just gazing at her.

I think the effort it took to get there made it even more special.

What was funny was that we then became the “downhill” hikers and I found myself saying “You’re almost there…it’s really worth it!”  And then chuckling because I realized that they probably had another tough half-mile to go.

Going downhill gives you a different perspective on “almost”.

I started thinking about Hebrews 12:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

I was imagining the “cloud of witnesses” who had the eternal perspective looking down at us with almost the same kind of encouragement:
“Don’t give up!”
“You’re almost there!”
“Believe me, it is really worth it!”

It really is.

Our faith is not some blind leap in the dark.  It is based upon solid evidence.  Yes, it isn’t seen.  That’s what makes it “faith”.  But true “faith” that God has given us isn’t a belief in non-existent, ethereal wisps of fairy dust.  It is based upon hard evidence.  Romans 1 says that the evidence in creation is “plain” to everyone.  At one time, the resurrected Jesus appeared to over 500.  It is the “assurance” and “conviction” of things not seen.  The New King James uses the word “evidence”.  I think that is right.

We couldn’t see Delicate Arch until we got there.  We struggled and sweat and burned and slipped and crawled and huffed and puffed our way along the trail.  Why?  Because we believed that the thing that was “unseen” was worth the journey.  Others were telling us it was worth it.  They were encouraging us.  But they couldn’t show it to us.  We had to wait until we reached the end of the trail and then we would behold it for ourselves.