Are you walking by faith or by sight?

If you’re anything like me, the news can sometimes feel overwhelming. It can be hard to see ‘light through the cracks’ in the midst of the slow and steady stream of doom and gloom, fear and terror.

Yet the Bible Society recent produced a research report, suggesting that a Quiet Revival is taking place at the moment, with more and more people inexplicably rocking up at church and finding faith in Jesus.

With such contrasting extremities, I think it’s fair to say we are living in unprecedented times – or, as Charles Dickens wrote in his book, A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

How are we meant to navigate these times? How can we stand firm in our faith, when everything around us seems to be shaking? How can we find God’s light, when we’re surrounded by so much darkness?

I was asking God these questions just recently, ahead of speaking at a Filling Station meeting in Buckinghamshire, but his response took me by surprise …

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My sense is that God wants us to ‘walk by faith, not by sight’ through these unprecedented times.

This phrase can be found in 2 Corinthians 5:7, in the context of a letter written by the apostle Paul, to the Corinthian church. He is encouraging them to look to God’s eternal promises, not their current circumstances, because he wants them to grasp that the Christian life is built, not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

So, what does it actually mean to ‘walk by faith, not by sight’?

WALK

Walking conveys the sense of taking one step at a time. It’s a call to live life at walking pace – to take a day a time, not dwelling on the past, not rushing ahead, but being present in the moment.

When we go for a walk, it’s even better if we can walk and talk with a friend as we go. Having company enables conversation. It can make us more observant. It can help the walk feel more enjoyable.

All these things apply when we live life, walking and talking with Jesus.

And a Biblical example can be found in Noah, who is described as one who ‘walked faithfully with God’. (See Genesis 6:9.) We can do the same. We can also walk faithfully with God.

BY FAITH

In Hebrews 11:1, we read, ‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen‘.

The word here for ‘faith’ speaks of an active, loyal trust that involves our whole being: our thoughts, emotions, and actions. It means that faith isn’t some sort of vague expectation. It’s a rock solid certainty; a deep, unshakable trust in God – that he is who he says he is, and that he will do what he has promised to do.  

Walking by faith is a daily, deliberate decision to trust in God’s goodness, even when it makes no sense – and an intentional choice to obey what he is asking of us, even when it means stepping into the unknown.

It’s the outworking of the call of Proverbs 3:5 to, ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding’.

And a Biblical example can be found in Abram, in Genesis 12:1-5, where God called him to leave his country, people and household, to head for an unknown land – and we are told that ‘Abram went, as the LORD had told him‘.

NOT BY SIGHT

Walking by sight is what happens when we allow our senses and circumstances to influence how we live our lives.

This means that walking not by sight is what happens when we take steps of faith, irrespective of what our senses or circumstances are telling us.

When we walk not by sight, we are declaring that God is sovereign and in control. We are declaring that his timing is perfect, especially when there seem to be delays. His foundation is firm, especially when everything seems to be shaking. His oversight if sure, especially when we can only see part of the picture.

Take Peter, as a Biblical example, and the story found in Matthew 14:22-35. In this story, Jesus calls him to ‘Come’, and Peter steps out of the boat and obeys. When his eyes are fixed on Jesus, he is walking by faith – and walks on water. But as soon as he looks at the waves, he starts walking by sight – and he begins to sink.

So …

When we take all three of these components together, I think we can say that to ‘walk by faith, not by sight’ means taking one step at a time, based on an unshakeable trust in God and his promises, no matter what our senses or circumstances are saying.

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How about you? What do you think it means to ‘walk by faith, not by sight‘? How are you doing this in today’s unprecedented times?

Also, have you any examples of when you have felt God specifically asking you to ‘walk by faith, not by sight‘? If so, what did God ask you to do and how did you respond?

As ever, constructive comments are welcome below.

Please note: This is my ‘thought for the month’ reflection for October. (You can find all my ‘thought for the month’ reflections here.)

Photo my own.