Faith vs. Sight
We have all heard the scripture 2 Corinthians 5:7 “We walk by faith and not by sight” before. It does not imply that we are to walk around blinded and oblivious to things. However, it does infer that sometimes what we see, with our natural eyes, is not always the truth. As believers, we are to do exactly what the word says and that is believe. We are required to trust God and not doubt. We are required to use our faith in God, as a compass to navigate through life.
So what does that mean? Well, let me give an analogy: Most people have a GPS, whether it is on their phone or in their cars. Using an app or a physical GPS, we have a way to plug in a destination and receive direction. We trust that the GPS is going to take us the correct and fastest route possible. We believe the GPS will get us around roadblocks and traffic. All to reach a destination we did not know how to get to, without direction and guidance.
This should be how we trust the Lord. He is our internal navigational system. If we walk by faith which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1), we are operating in complete trust.
“The problem arises when we allow our external sight to affect our internal conviction.”
In Psalm 46:10, the bible tells us to “Be still, and know that I am God”. It takes faith to stand still (on the inside) while the world and situations are moving on the outside. (This speaks to your rooting and grounding in the word and the truth of God.) That when He has spoken a thing no matter what it looks like on the surface, His word still remains factual. For He is not a man that He should lie. It takes faith to believe when everything that is before you contradicts what God has told you. I am healed though the doctor says my body is stricken with disease and illness; I am at peace though I just buried a loved one. I am being provided for even though my financial situation doesn’t appear to match that declaration.
In order to be still and know there are a few things that you can do:
- Stop moving. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. Do not wander aimlessly but move with purpose. “For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” Isaiah 50:7 To set your face like a flint you have to have your eyes on the target and not be swayed by your external environment.
- Stop reacting. We should not react to everything that comes our way. It is something about that assurance in knowing God is faithful, just and He will never leave us. The word of God tells us to “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 That means no matter where I am in life He is with me, no matter what I encounter, He is fighting for me. Why react when God is the one that will fight our battles? Exodus 14:14 tells us, The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
- Start believing. Doubt and unbelief cannot dwell where faith resides. And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. Matthew 21:21 Belief starts inward. It starts from the heart and is pumped to all areas of your life. Once you believe and do not doubt your speech will begin to line up with the belief in your heart. You will begin to see the world around you will begin to shift change and line up the words you have spoken.
So never allow outside forces cause you to lose sight of what God has already spoken and declared in your life. If His word never returns back to Him void, then you can believe that what He has spoken shall be so. Regardless of how it looks, stop moving, set your face like a flint! Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Stop reacting and allow God to fight for us, and continue to believe that He who has begun a good work is faithful and just to complete it.