“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
The term “NOW faith” indicates a present tense believing that what Yehovah has promised is going to happen. It is not a passive kind of faith. It takes hold of the promises of Yehovah and begins to see, to envisage, to “envision” (see ahead of the promised thing coming into physical manifestation), and to call and talk about those things that are not yet physically seen as though they were seen – simply because if Yehovah said it, we choose to believe it – and that settles it. Because we accept that what Yehovah has said and promised will come to pass, we begin to see the fulfilment of His promise in the physical world we live in. If He has promised He will provide our daily bread, our physical needs being met, a relationship to be mended, a problem to be solved, a loved one coming to faith, we begin to paint a picture in our minds of what that will be like when the promise appears in the flesh.
Faith sees as actual fact the thing that has not yet appeared to the natural senses. Hope is believing despite the evidence saying what you are believing for does not and cannot exist – then watching as the evidence appears in the natural realm. “NOW faith” will not only keep you sane and emotionally stable while you wait for the physical manifestation to appear, but it will also keep you in close contact with Yehovah, because while the physical evidence is still “on its way” you stay close to the One who promised, waiting for Him to bring it to pass.