Text verse: “For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
- My righteous one will live by faith. (Hebrews 10:38)
Sight can be deceptive. Appearances can be deceiving. And even if the appearance is accurate, there is more to the story than we realize. We see many examples of this throughout the Scripture. The Cross. And if you take a moment to think about it, you can identify conclusions you came to about a situation or a relationship that weren’t the end of the story.
When things were at the worst they had ever been in my life, it was the death of the dream as I had envisioned it, but the birthplace of it as God knew I desired it, and in accordance with His purposes.
Romans 8:28 tell us that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and who are called according to His purposes. In other words, our highest good and His purposes are not in conflict with each other. “Thy will be done” is not a concession. It’s not just resignation. It’s yielding to God’s purposes and His plans for my highest good.
God is not like Robin Hood. He doesn’t rob your well-being to give it to someone else. Instead, Acts 20:35 tells us “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”
- Isaiah 58:11 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry… your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”
- Proverbs 11:25 tells us “A generous man will prosper and He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
- After Jesus washed the disciples feet and instructed them to do the same, He said, “If you know these things, you are blessed if you to them” (John 3:17).
- And of the greatest sacrifice in the history of the universe, of Jesus it is written: “ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:8-11).
Our trust is nurtured when we remember God is not a taker. He is a Giver! He doesn’t deplete He abundantly replenishes. Therefore, when He exhorts us repeatedly to trust in Him; it’s not about His ego; it’s not about our loss; it’s about our abundance.
That’s the context of last Friday’s Just a Moment piece I wrote: The Lord coaches us into deeper trust in Himself, not just trusting Him to give us the things we want but trusting in who He is. That He loves us. That He is always faithful. That He is always mindful of us. And that His will is “good, acceptable, and perfect” (Romans 12:2), even when it does not align with my will. As it is written, “Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You” (Psalm 84:12). The greatest blessings are in the trusting… For in the place of trust, there is peace, security, hope, joy, and perseverance. It’s a place that helps us put things in perspective and where we receive the Lord’s assistance in accepting His.
The greatest blessings are in the trusting.
- Isaiah 26:3 – “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”
- Psalm 112:7 – “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.”
- Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
- Jeremiah 17:7-8 – But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
- Psalm 112:7 – “They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”
Trust is the active ingredient to getting to know the Lord better. How do I know if I’m getting to know the Lord better Psalm 9:10 tells us, “Those who know His name will put their trust in Him.” To know Him is to trust Him.
How do I know if I’m growing closer to the Lord? Am I growing deeper in our trust in Him?
How do I know if I am growing deeper in trust in Him? It’s not about the strength of our faith, but the consistency of it. Where am I turning consistently for my sustenance and strength? It’s about my orientation: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You” (Psalm 56:3).
Walking by faith is a partnership. The Lord reveals His faithfulness to us by intervening in miraculous ways providing us good things. He knows that is necessary to build our faith. Our part of the partnership is to trust in Him whether He reveals His work to us or not. Because we trust in His character even when we don’t get the results we want.
For many of us, the problem is not that we forget to pray; it’s that we forget to trust. After we have prayed.
Walking by faith means trusting as much as we are trying. As much as we are trying to work out solutions to our situations we are trusting in God’s character and purposes.
Paul calls it a fight of faith. No matter whether you are a believer or not. This life is a fight. Faith is a fight, too. But it’s the right fight.
Trusting in God requires some grit. It is not soft or meek. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15) “Our God is able to deliver us… but even if He doesn’t…” (Daniel 3:17) “Though there are no figs…” (Habakkuk 3:17) “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
This kind of trust requires grit and that grit comes from believing in who God is. That “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11) That, “He who did not spare His own Son…” (Romans 8:32).
Trust in God means investing in the truth that God is with me, God is for me, God is faithful to me, and God knows me. It means holding onto that vision of Him continually.
It means not spending all our energy trying to escape trials, but leaning to rest, wait and follow Him in the trial.
It means receiving the grace He provides without judging its sufficiency. It is sufficient.
It’s making sure our faith is securely placed and not just trying to secure our place, remembering God is our refuge. Not our circumstances.
And in all of it, it means seeing it’s not by might or power that my faith is strong, mature and focused, but by His Spirit. Which brings us back to relationship.
Practically Speaking
- Ask Him what this looks like for You.
- Do what tunes You in to Him.
- Because whatever the specific means, the heart of the matter is relationship. It is not a technique or formula. It is connection. It is sincerity and humility.
- Value your requests and desires but treasure Your trust.
This is our only shot to walk with the Lord exclusively by faith: “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8)
So today, let us thank God for the privilege and the blessings of trusting in Him, and His ceaseless commitment to helping us abide there. “We walk by faith and not by sight.”
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