“For we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7
The Lord’s coming will be like a thief in the night. It will be a total surprise for those who do not watch for Him. Even when we are watching, we are sometimes caught off guard by unexpected mishaps. It will often be a moment of “glory,” but it might be when we are tired or weak. They are humbling experiences, but they test the metal of our character.
God is glorified in our weaknesses, and His joy is our strength. There are days, moments, and seasons in our lives when God takes us by surprise. This surprise may feel like a big blow to our dreams, hopes, and expectations. We may not even be conscious of it at that moment, but often those big surprises require us to lay ourselves at His feet and surrender to Him and the unknown. At times, I just have to smile and shake my head! Of course, this is God’s plan and purpose for my days. It is then that I become aware that I must remove my thoughts of fear and trust Him, knowing in my heart without any hesitation, that this is His plan and the path that He has placed before me. I must conclude that God has different plans for us as the years unfold. It demands a lot of faith! Faith not in ourselves and our abilities, but faith in our Jesus who loves us and walks with us in the path of life, a path filled with His Grace.
Christians make a life-changing commitment to love and follow Christ but often fail to live in the fullness that God has purposed for them. On such occasions, we must recommit our faith. We must never forget that the only thing worth holding on to in our lives is our faith. We must choose to put our faith in Christ throughout our lives, trusting that He is the Author of good things and the Giver of life even when our lives are not going the way we have planned.
In Hebrews 11:1 we read,
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
There are times in our lives when things don’t look encouraging, when life is full and chaotic. We feel inadequate! But it is at this moment that we know and must be conscious that our faith is being put to the test even though we cannot see the purpose. It is hard to be confident in God while our path unfolds before us, and the circumstance or perhaps our mental state is bigger than we can imagine.
When the storms of life hit us, they almost always appear to be stronger to us than God’s Word. We cannot afford for a moment to allow our perceptions to control us! It can be very deceptive and damaging! So, my question is, what are we going to do when circumstances strike us, putting fear in our hearts? Where is our faith? God wants us to trust Him with all our mind, soul, and heart without hesitation. It is here that we must be of good courage, knowing that we must walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). It pleases our Father in heaven.
I find myself often asking God for the faith that I will need to trust Him in my life. And then I realize I must live in a state of humility amid my humanity. This is powerful! God intends for us to live in fellowship with Him. He wants me to trust His Grace because His Grace is sufficient for all I am lacking.
“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Walking by faith is not the easiest road to take. It may not seem to be a road that makes any sense from the outside, but there are so many blessings filled with God’s presence and faithfulness, building our faith stronger and stronger as we draw nearer and walk closer to Him, the Author of all good things.
As we walk this path of life, we must turn our hearts and fix our eyes on Him, even as we face the unseen, walking by faith alone. If we walk not by sight, our vision becomes much more focused.
“And 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 seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
Is God asking you to trust Him perhaps today, with the assurance of things unseen? Remember, God gave His only begotten Son so that we may boldly live our lives, trusting Him instead of what is right in front of us.
May our Lord help us to walk our path of life by faith, trusting in His goodness and His Grace with that assurance of things unseen, believing that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
The above post is an excerpt from the book, Be Still My Soul: A Collection of Essays about Finding Hope and Encouragement in the Face of Suffering and Trials by Luci Partain. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!
