The Walk of Faith is Not a Walk by Sight

 

Hebrews 11:6 says to us, 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.

One morning as I sat, wrestling with the path I was on, aching with the losses and what was being required of me, I felt the whisper, the stirring of God as the thought took form in my mind, 'Faith pleases Me'.

Faith is one of those words that's easy until it's not.  It's easy to say, "Have faith, believe."  And sometimes it is easy to do that; but sometimes it's not.  Sometimes faith is stepping when the sun is shining and it's a delight.  But sometimes taking the next step is falteringly taken, have little to no clue what is around the bend, who may come flying at you on a bike or just the right timing and two of you collide.  Sometimes, to keep walking is actually excruciating to my self protection and to let go is one of the scariest things.  To some, there may the adventurous one who delights in seeing what's ahead or around the bend; go, live in that.

But I think if we are all honest with ourselves, there is something that causes us to stop and wonder if this is the right path?  Is it safe? (insert - no it won't always be 'safe', but that doesn't mean it's a wrong place - but it will always be a place of rest, even in the storm.)  What's ahead?  Do I have what it takes?  How will I know what to do?

All those questions are ok and a part of our human wrestling in our minds.  But I have learned and am continuing to learn, that I can keep taking steps because of the One who walks WITH me.  I also know that as I walk with Jesus, I can converse with Him about my questions and fears.  (Sometimes, I might more like, drag my feet or even stomp them...)

Jesus, our Way, my Way, is also the Guide and Shepherd of our way, and we can take that next step.

It thrills me.  No, I don't like foggy and murky hard, but I am so delighted to know that in those moments, I am not a victim, I am walking with the Victor and when I keep in step with Him, listening to His voice, I find my way, the Way.

Those times when faith is one of the most difficult things to put into practice, we can tell God that.  I picture myself stopping and having a conversation with God, my Father, about how I can't go on, of all that is scary and what all hurts.

And sometimes, it's all legit; but He gently whispers, reminding me of Himself, that He is with me and it's okay.  If I stay with Him, if I keep taking steps, He holds my hand, steadying my faltering steps.

He is faithful. He is a faithful Guide and Keeper of our souls.  He will see us safely to the end.

You know, it's a lot like being blindfolded in a game, where you have someone giving you instructions or even holding your arm and giving directions.  You take faltering steps, cautious steps, but if you follow carefully what is said or lean on the one holding your arm; you get to where you need to go, one step at a time.

The same is with Jesus.  If we stay with Him, we will get to where we need to go, even when we can't see the way.  But we must trust Him and know that He is good.

We walk by faith, not by sight. II Corinthians 5:7  Faith is our shield and a shield is moveable, always keeping it in front of us as we face the darts of fear, doubt, anxiety, etc.

Faith. Trust. Sometimes it is taking the next step towards the Father, just as a parent stands in front of their young child as they encourage them to take their first steps.  God is always encouraging us to come to Him or to stay with Him; learning more of Him in every hard part of our story.

Friend, fellow-traveler, let's keep taking steps with the One who knows the way, who is the Way, and who delights and loves each step of the way.  Tell Him everything.  Stay with Him.  And we will get to where we need to be, one step at a time.

Remembering God's Provision At Every Battle Line

 

The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked, until you came to this place.

But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God, who goes before you on your way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way you should go.

Deuteronomy 1: 30-33

 

These words were spoken by Moses to the Israelites, the people he was leading.  The first time they reached the land of promise, all forgot what God had just done for them and the countless ways He cared for them.  They saw the giants and let fear take over, pushing back the provision of God.

 

God did not take that lightly.  That group then had to wander for forty years because God said, “None of these men, this evil generation shall see the land I swore to give your fathers.” (v. 34)  The adults who didn't trust God were not allowed to enter but it would be for their children.

 

I see several things here…

One is that when we forget God’s faithfulness we are consumed by fear and anxiety.  To forget God hurts Him deeply.  He often told the Jewish nation to remember lest they forget, and we really are no different.

Another thing, is so often I think that if I would be able to talk to God or have visible proof, tangible evidence of His provisions I would trust Him.  But how often have I had those very experiences and yet, when the next big giant or hard thing comes, I question His provision.  The Israelites had obvious provisions; manna, cloud by day, fire at night, water from a rock, shoes that did not wear out; and yet they did not trust God at the edge of their promised land.

 

Caleb and Joshua were the only two who remembered God and His provision and chose to trust Him as they entered the promised land to conquer, and they were the only two from that group that would enter the land.  They were not enough to convince the people, the other eight men did that; but they were the only two adults to come to the edge of the promised land the second time and enter.

Caleb and Joshua saw the same things that the other eight men saw as they scouted out the land.  They experienced the same provisions that everyone else experienced.  But previous provision to the eight men and the whole tribe faded in the presence of this new reality; the giants, the prosperity.

 

Tangible evidence of God’s love can be faith builders, stepping-stones for us but they may not be what we anchor our faith in, because just like the Israelites, we are very prone to reach for fear in the presence of something that seems so insurmountable.  God's provisions aren't always visible, sometimes they are behind the scenes or underground doing a hidden work in our hearts.  If tangible evidence would be enough, it would've been enough for this Jewish nation.

We, too, need to remember.  Remembering who God was in an anchor for today.  Our faithful God is the same.

 

God, through His Holy Spirit, gives us the power to be a victor and not a victim.  Because of Him we can enter the battleground because we know Who leads us.  Like David who saw the giant as someone who was defying God and to be conquered and the rest of the army would shrink back in fear at his formidable stance and cry.  Joshua and Caleb viewed the prosperity and giant of people as someone God gave them to conquer because of His promise.

When we remember His promises, His truths, we can step forward in confidence because He is with us and will fight for us.

One thing, it may not always look like you want it to.  You may not always have the present tangible evidence, but you can remember previous provisions and know with confidence that that is still the same, today, right now in your new and present reality.