Walk by Faith

"...for we walk by faith, not by sight..." 2 Corinthians 5:8

Whenever there is the word "for" in the Bible, you should look what is before it to find out what it is there for!  The verse before this says that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.  The verse after it says that we should rather be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.  Paul struggled with this in Philippian 1:23-24.  He would rather go to heaven and be with Jesus, but for the sake of the believers he needed to stay here on earth. 

What is your hope?  Are you hoping in marriage?  In money? In a career?  An education?  Or are you hoping towards heaven?  How you answer that question will determine whether you can walk by faith or not.  Faith is believing in things not yet seen (Hebrews 11:1)  If you are hoping in that which is seen, that is not faith.  Our faith is to be placed in the promises of Jesus - life eternal with Him in paradise.  When that is our faith and our hope, the things of this world will fall into place.  God may want you to get that degree, that career, that money, that man.  He may not.  When we walk by faith in Jesus, then we trust that He will work out the details of our lives preparing us for heaven.

A gymnast who walks on the balance beam has learned that she must focus on the far end, not the next step.  When she looks ahead, her steps are steady.  When she looks at her feet, she will falter.  Look to the end.  Look to Jesus.  Look to heaven.  Then your steps will not falter and you will be able to walk by faith that God is working all things out in your life. I am in a little town in nowhere Texas.  My husband is no longer in full-time ministry.  My body is aging and in need of repair.  My boys are gone.  This in not where I want to be or where I thought I would be at this age.  But... I choose to walk by faith.  God has allowed all of this.  He has a purpose and a plan in it.  I will look to Him and, step by step, walk by faith in His goodness, His love, His faithfulness, His promises.  He will never leave me or forsake me.  That is enough.  I am content.  I am more than content!  I am excited to see what God will do.  Who will He bring into my path?  What opportunities will He open for me?  Sight is dismal, but life walked in faith with the Faithful One is exciting and free!

Hint for the day: By nature, we all walk by sight.  That is being human.  With Christ we have the ability to walk by faith.  It has to be taught though.  Be deliberate as you go through life with your mate or children to point out what the world says and what God can do.  For instance:  When we started homeschooling in the 80's the world said that we were nuts!  God called us and was faithful through 21 years!  At times we moved when it didn't make sense financially or socially.  But we placed our trust in God and moved anyway.  What an adventure we have had!  Have your children make a newsletter of a big trip or move or decision that goes against the world or against logic.  This can be defining for them.  Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.  Help them to choose the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of this world.