2 Corinthians 5:7 we walk by faith, not by sight.
For a time we are conscious of God's attentions, then, when God begins to use us in His enterprises, we take on a pathetic look and talk of the trials and the difficulties, and all the time God is trying to make us do our duty as obscure people. None of us would be obscure spiritually if we could help it. Can we do our duty when God has shut up heaven? Some of us always want to be illuminated saints with golden haloes and the flush of inspiration, and to have the saints of God dealing with us all the time. A gilt-edged saint is no good, he is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and altogether unlike God. We are here as men and women, not as half-fledged angels, to do the work of the world, and to do it with an infinitely greater power to stand the turmoil because we have been born from above.
If we try to re-introduce the rare moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are making a fetish of the moments when God did come and speak, and insisting that He must do it again; whereas what God wants us to do is to "walk by faith." How many of us have laid ourselves by, as it were, and said - "I cannot do any more until God appears to me." He never will, and without any inspiration, without any sudden touch of God, we will have to get up. Then comes the surprise - "Why, He was there all the time, and I never knew it!" Never live for the rare moments, they are surprises. God will give us touches of inspiration when He sees we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never make our moments of inspiration our standard; our standard is our duty.
Oh, wow. I am beyond convicted. I don't want to walk by faith. I want to see God in tangible ways every day. I want to hear Him clearly speak to me. I want to see Him clearly move in my circumstances. And I am threatened when He is silent in my circumstances. Though I say I believe Scripture is God's revelation, my response to it when He is silent otherwise shows I do not find it sufficient at all. I am feeling convicted, and that is a very good thing. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and the just shall live by faith, not sight. I hope this is an encouragement to you as it has been to me.
5 comments:
I think there's a balance though.
The desire to see God move in tangible ways is good, because it's what we're destined for. "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
So faith would also include taking that desire and submitting it to the particular way (and time) God says (through Scripture) that he will fulfill it.
I understand what you are saying. Yes, I long for that day when He is face to face with me and this world works in the ways He created it to work. My problem is waiting patiently in hope when it doesn't work that way.
That is a very timely entry for me right now. The unknown is looming in front of me and I have asked God more than once to just e-mail me an itinerary. Thanks for posting this reminder that we are to just walk by the instructions He has already given to us!
Yeah Wendy, the struggle is waiting patiently.
It amuses me how impatient I get because God's promises historically do often take a while to be fulfilled. He has never really given any other impression...
I've been meditating on this myself, and God is asking me do I want Him or do I just want His blessings? What if I don't ever see Him in tangible ways? which I do everyday just in the fact I wake up every morning and see the sun. But what if I don't ever see Him bless me? is God HIMSELF ENOUGH for me? I am praying HE is.
Post a Comment