Walk by Faith – Devotions for 1-19-25
2 Corinthians 5:7 “for we walk by faith, and not by sight”.
You have seen people who have done something that went against all odds and even against the wisdom of other people and it turned out well. There are also times when people listened to good advice, but it didn’t go well. We all want to know what is right to do in any situation, but many times we are not sure which way to go. How can we know which way to go?
By walking by faith, not sight as the Apostle Paul says in the above verse. Paul adds just after that saying that our aim should be to please Him, to please God.
Paul is, of course, speaking to people of faith, people who want to follow the Lord, but who didn’t know how to do that. He was writing to the church, which means he was writing to us as well for we are people who believe in Jesus and want to walk with Him and please Him. That should be our goal in all things, to walk as God would have us walk, pleasing Him in everything.
In our family we have just walked through a difficult time where knowing what was right and following the Lord was not easy. Our son and his wife were told they were going to have a baby. They were looking to be empty nesters this summer when suddenly they were told they would have a baby just months before their youngest would graduate from high school.
Surprise! Part of that surprise was that they were told, due to previous complications, that she could never have a baby. Double surprise!
When they went to the doctor, the doctor, who is a firm believer in life and against abortions, told them that this pregnancy would potentially kill her so she should consider an abortion. What should they do? They are believers who believe all life is a gift from God. What should they do? How do you walk this out in faith?
They chose life. At first everything went smoothly just as they hoped it would and contrary to what the doctor said. Then suddenly everything went downhill and she was flown to a big city hospital with all the bells and whistles. She ended up staying there for two months and then their little baby was born.
After she gave birth her nurses told her that no one in the medical staff thought she would live through that. They all thought, as the doctor originally told them, that having the baby would kill her and the baby.
Here is why I tell this story, I could have told many others, but this one is fresh. I tell this story because they chose to walk by faith, believing that the Lord was telling them to go ahead with the pregnancy and have this child. They prayed and believed God was telling them to stick to their faith and let the Lord deal with all the issues. What they needed to do was walk this out, holding onto His hands in faith. And they did, they pleased God in their life.
Just recently, a healthy baby was born and though he will have weeks to spend in an NICU, he is beating all the odds of the medical world and so is mom.
About 25 years ago a bible study group believed God was calling their church to build an addition when there was no way the church could afford it. One man believed that God even said if they would build it, they would not have to pay for it. By faith they walked that out and 25 years later the church is still there and true to one man’s belief, God had a secular company pay for the whole thing. Walk by faith, not by sight. That is what we are called to do, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and as we do that, we please God.
Pastor Gary.
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