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.

Another Year, The Unknowns That Lie Before Us Gives Us A Choice

 

I don't know about you, but me, when I'm asked to trust Jesus it's easy to say the words when not much is at stake, but in the trenches, my heart rushes towards fear. F.E.A.R.

From my often morning place of time with my Father, I see branches that in the morning light form the letter F.  Fear of all that was looming and is at times still looming.  Relationships fraught with tight pain.  I want to manage, to fix what is broken, to keep things from breaking, but, it's not mine to do.  It leaves me fraught with anxiety and stress.

There's another F word, Faith.  

That morning and many mornings that followed, I have a choice as I face the day, another year, Fear or Faith.  Which one will I reach for??

The way may oft times be laden with unclear, dark moments, but I know we have One who goes with us each step of the way.  He is the Way!  He parts waters, walks on waters, and calms storms.  He is the same today, tomorrow and each day!

One particular morning I was more fragile, weary, and worn in the battle, laying on the ground, wondering what I was to do?  Do I keep fighting or let go?  Oh, another F word (and by now, no I'm not swearing), Fight!

Faith. Fear. Fight.

I asked the Lord, "What do I do?"

(Fight, my daughter, fight) How do I keep fighting?  In Ephesians 6 we have the armour of God and in verse seventeen we are told the the sword of the Spirit is the word of God.

So, I take the word of God and wield my sword, even from the ground.

And then, I'm rallied by friends and family, coming alongside to aid in the battle to fight.

Friends, this new year that we're standing on the threshhold of can so easily have us reaching for fear and then control to manage it all.

But there is another choice, Faith, and that requires a letting go and a choosing to walk a path where many steps are not very clear, except to stay with Him, the Way because His steps are sure and confident.

Friends, I don't know what pain or ache or trauma your soul may be carrying, but I do know the One who we can be confident loves us and cares for us each step of the way, even if the steps are rocky and they cut deep.  

Picture with me as we're taking a hike.  The summer of 2023 our family took a trip west and did many a hike.  A lot of the hikes had easy places to walk, others places were quite the feat to master.  And sometimes my husband would take my hand to steady me along the way or my Majestick walking stick kept me quite steady as the way beneath my feet was anything but smooth.

So, our Father, with us, steadying, holding, encouraging us when the way beneath us is anything but clear or smooth.

As we step into 2024, we have a choice in our Fight - Faith or Fear.

And so I do both... I fight and I let go.  I let it go to God and wield my sword, the words of God.  As  only God can untangle all that is, I stay with Him and choose to believe His words with Faith and I Fight...

The Way Came to Show Us the Way

 

Jesus came.

Why? Why did He come?  He could have spoken words, created something, or did something else to make a way back to Him.  After all, He created the world out of nothing and with the spoken word.  He formed man with His hands out of dust.  He could have stayed in heaven and spoken words, used His hands to form something, but no, instead He came.

He came to show us the way back to Him and the way of His upside-down kingdom.  He came and used His hands to touch the leper. the blind, the lame with healing.  He touched, He cared, He lived the way.  He told us that we are to love, to care for those around us like He does, giving it because He loved us, unhinged on the behaviour of another. (Note, this is not condoning abuse or saying boundaries are not in order.  This is from the perspective of insult, our people not coming through for us like we'd like or they should.  We all fall short.  There is a difference between damaging relationships and simply human-fault ones.)

Jesus was ridiculed, slandered, rejected, denied, and betrayed.  Yet, He still loved, stretching out His arms and giving His life.  This sacrifice is for all and is open-ended on His part, because He is love. He gives love in the sunsets and sunrises.  He gives love in the grace extended and the invitation that is always open for  us to come to Him.  He stays with us even when we at times stray from Him in our disappointments, etc.  His love is not given considering my behaviour, His love is given because He is love.

He came because actions speak louder than words.  He came for you and me. 

This Christmas season, let that settle in your heart.  Let His love go deep and take it for what it is, His unconditional love.  Let it ground your doubts, settle the unrest of your soul, and whisper it's truth deep within. 

It will be the way through because He is the Way.

He is the Truth, and the Way and this reality brings us Life, because we have Him.

Living With Both Joy and Sorrow is Living Full

 

In this world we have sorrow.

In this world we experience joy.

I once really struggled with how to live with both. How can I smile when I am hurting, physically or emotionally or both?

How can I say I am well when I'm not?

I thought I had to choose until I couldn't.  Because choosing meant that one reality needed to be discarded in lieu of the one I chose. Choosing one negated the other and both were very much a reality.

That's when I discovered the peace of living with both at the same time. And I realized both can coexist together. Both can be held with an equal right to be present and living with both made my life full.

Full of today.

Full of the presence of Jesus. 

Full spectrum of life's emotions. 

I can sing and cry.

I can laugh and mourn.

Picture with me one of those surveys that have a line and on one end there's the number one and on the other is the number ten.  One end says needs improvement and the other says excellent. You are supposed to rate the product you purchased or the experience you had. 

It captures and gives place to rate the spectrum of one's experience. 

So it is with joy and sorrow, pain and healing, storms and sunshine... to live with one on one end and the other on the other end; you live with the full spectrum and a life that experiences a peace which passes understanding.  

To encompass both is really to encompass the full of life.

A visual that helped me tremendously is the posture of two hands... to hold out both of my hands.  In one is placed what is hard, what hurts, and what emotion I am feeling.  In the other is placed the Greater Truths of Jesus and my choice to believe Him and if I can't in the moment, I say I want to.  In this hand is placed the choice to trust and in faith, stay with Jesus.  Then either lift them both up as an offering of praise or fold them together in a prayer for strength, for eyes to see Him, and a heart to trust.

For Jesus was fully man and fully God.  He came as an infant, born of a woman, life, flesh and blood, with feelings.  And yet, He embodies full divinity.  It's a mystery and a paradox that is the way of Jesus still today.  His ways are beyond ours but to live with both/and is to live fully alive in Him.

To experience pain is to know and experience healing.

To know disappointment is to realize there is hope.

To experience loss opens the way for comfort.

To know darkness is to experience the gift of light.

To be dead spiritually is to realize and experience the gift of our Saviour, Jesus and His life.

So the wrestle continues not in a new way of believing Him, but in a way each time something happens to choose Him again.  To choose to stay with Him, now, today and to find Him again in this both/and.

The Voice of Light

 

The morning light filtering through the trees, illuminating.

I've always been fascinated with the highlights of light. 

Light exposes. Light reveals. Light pierces through. 

Light pushes back darkness. Darkness fades and disappears as morning dawns.

Jesus is the Light.

"I am the Light of the world; He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12

Jesus came in night, all was dark, not only physically, but dark with Roman rule and 400 years of silence with no voice from the Lord through any prophet. 

Waiting. Silence. Pain and hard.

But there were those who held on to the promise of a Saviour, a Messiah. 

Simeon, Luke 2:25, this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel. 

Anna, Luke 2:38, And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. 

And there were those whose hearts were open, looking, waiting, anticipating, to receiving the promise. Simeon and Anna are two of more that received because they were open and looking. 

Mary, not only opened her heart to possibilities, but also opened her womb and then her arms to cradle, to house the very Promise itself. 

We have the written promises of God and we too can choose to hold on to the promises He gives.

What promise speaks into your story today? What promise of God's truth would anchor your drowning heart in Him?

Find it. Claim it. And speak it over your heart.

Light a candle in defiance of darkness. Jesus is the Light. He is the Victor and in Him we too, can be overcomers, victors!

Let's keep our eyes on Him, the Light!

The Gift of Abundant Life

We all want life. There's something within us that wants to succeed, to make an impact, to bear fruit.  We really do want to live, even though many times we may want to give up. Grief and pain disturb us, it's not what we were meant to experience.

God breathed into us His breath of life and life is what He still wants to give us.  He tells us in John 10:10 that we can have life abundantly. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly."

We have an enemy, a thief.  He comes only to steal the life away from us.  He wants to kill it within us.  He wants to destroy life, because when he does, he destroys and gets at God.  He takes something away from God and that is the gift of life.

What does this life look like in your mind?  Bearing fruit?  Being successful at something you enjoy?  Good relationships?

Winter will be following this season of autumn.  Is that life?

What really is life and on top of it, what is the abundant life?

The way of Jesus is a way of paradoxes.  To fully know one thing, we must experience another.  And something I'm starting to see over and over, is that, life isn't always visible.  Actually, I'm realizing, the truest of life happens within.

A tree, when stripped of all leaves, is left bare, naked and vulnerable, is still very much alive.  Winter is a season of rest from producing to replenish.  Roots go deeper in search of nourishment.  Life is happening within.

Just like the tree, we too, have seasons of what feels like we're being stripped, left bare, open, and vulnerable.  

In my own journey, I've come to realize that these seasons are for Jesus.  They are the space He wants us to go deeper with Him.

Have you stopped to wonder why?

We get mixed up a bit, off course in what life is or at least I so easily can gauge my life in what "I am producing".  It's easy to define our success and life with what we do.

These moments of being stripped, finding ourselves bare and vulnerable are moments of grace and an invitation back to the heart of God.

The life within is the truest life and the life He wants to give is deep within our souls.  For when the harsh winds and storms of life happen to us, sending us bending and careening, it's only His love that anchors us.

For me, in my deepest and darkest season, I learned to know God's love for me just as deeply.  Actually deeper, for His love is greater than darkness and hard. It is the abundant life.  It's one that cannot be contained and is not stopped in the face of adversity.  It enables one to see beyond and it is an anchor when the harsh winds blow.

It is knowing loss that we see what is truly important.  It is knowing rejection that kindness shines brighter.  You see, for me, I discovered that when I was stripped, then I discovered what was really of value, what is the most important thing.

And that is simply Jesus.  "The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10.  His love is not hinged on me, doing good nor is it altered when I take a misstep.  His love doesn't change, it only changes me.  Deep within and abundant life takes root.

It's life that can't be taken away because it's not hinged on something that can be lost, but it's tied, anchored in Someone who is faithful, Jesus.

When His love grips us deeply, it grounds us, frees us, and gives us our voice.  Ephesians 3:17-19 (NASB) , "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God." (emphasis added)

In any season, in any joy or hard, let Him whisper His love, unconditional love, in your ear and let it go deep.  Search for Him.  He has told us that when we seek Him, we will find Him.  You may need to wait, but you will find Him. Lamentations 3:24, "The LORD is good to those who await Him, to the person who seeks Him."

And the life you find when you do, will transform you.  He may or may not change your storm, but He will change you.

Sometimes He calms the storm in your heart and other times, He will calm you, so that  you may know Him even deeper.

Friend, fellow-sojourner, I wish you Jesus.  For when you have Jesus, you have everything.