Probably one of the most difficult instructions in the Bible is “…walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul encouraged the believers with this truth, “It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going” (2 Cor. 5:7, Message).
The point is: Every Christian must walk by faith.
We must “regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our convictions… with trust and holy fervor; thus walking not by sight or appearance” (Amplified). We all know it’s easy to get pulled astray when our decisions are based on how things look or how we feel. But what we tend to forget is that God’s Word does not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:10-11).
In other words, when we walk by faith we are following a path structured by God’s Word and His Spirit which promises to guide us to the destination our faith was targeting. For example, you and I learned in math class the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. In the same way, we should be careful to keep our faith (and thus our actions) on God’s promises regardless of outside influences.
What I’ve come to learn is that when we live by the appearance or perception of things, our straight line begins to curve off-course. And, if we continue in that pattern, we miss the target altogether and end up disappointed.
If only we could look back and see the two lines: the path of faith God drew for us and the path we took on our own.
How many disappointments could have been prevented if only…? The good news is, in His graciousness, God allows us to get back on track, aligned with the target. All we have to do is repent and once again, “…walk by faith and not by sight.”
In Luke’s account of the life and teachings of Christ, I’m reminded of a story that might help us:
In Jerusalem, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took [Jesus] into his arms and blessed God:
God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised.
With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation; now out in the open for everyone to see:
A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations and of glory for your people Israel.
(Luke 2:25-32, Message)
The scriptures don’t tell us how old Simeon was when he met Jesus and His parents in the temple. But based on what he said we can conclude he was well on up in years. So I wonder how long he waited (in faith) to see God’s promise come to pass?
Even if it had only been one year, I wonder how many of us could follow his example of perseverance? Twelve months is a long time. But I believe Simeon waited much longer than that–I believe he held on to the promise of God in faith for most of his life. The Bible doesn’t say, but Simeon most likely suffered times of straying from his faith–simply because he was human. It’s possible that he entered the temple on more than one occasion and based on sight alone thought he had found the coming Messiah. Who knows if Simeon strayed for years watching a particular child grow (maybe even into a man) before he realized he had missed it?
My point is, no matter what, Simeon hung in there until his faith in God’s promise was fulfilled. If he strayed, he got back on course.
It really is that simple. So be encouraged today that whatever promise you are holding onto, if you’ll stay the course, you’ll find God is faithful.
