Walk by Faith

I wasn't planning on a theme, but faith comes up once again in my personal devotions and thoughts. In 2 Corinthians 5:7 we have at least one iteration of the phrase "we walk by faith and not by sight." Our eternal existence is based entirely on faith that what we read in a Book written 2000 years ago is true. The way we act displays (or it should) our eternal destination. To put it another way, if this life isn't all there is, then Christians use their time on earth in a different way than unbelievers.

So, assuming the above is true, and everyone reading this is a Christian.... why don't we act like it? No, I am not talking about manners or mannerisms. I am talking about living a life that acts like the God in the Bible is real. He has given so many promises! Matthew 6 talks about how He knows you need food and clothing, and He will take care of you! Deuteronomy 31 says that God will never leave us. This is in the context of fighting a battle! If God is on your side in any battle, you know the outcome. The same concept of His presence is also in Hebrews 13:5. This promise is to reassure us as His children, and to turn our eyes away from lusting and coveting.

Earlier in Hebrews, God gives us a list of people who lived by faith. They acted out and spoke about what they knew to be true about God. And what they did was pretty crazy. Noah built an ark for 100 years, and no one outside his family believed him enough to even get on the boat just in case. Abraham left the protection of his family clan to travel to a place that he didn't know. And God didn't tell him where he was going, He just told him to walk. Imagine trying to explain that to your relatives.

But God knew what He was doing. He had a plan that was bigger than what made sense. He wanted to redeem all of mankind.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't plan for the future (you can look at Proverbs if you want verses on that), but I would like to say that maybe it's not our future to plan. You can go to school and learn a lot, and end up working for McDonalds the rest of your life because you can't find another job. You can work hard and move up to the top of the corporate ladder, if you want to.

Maybe instead of looking at what makes the most sense financially, it's time to look at what God wants you to do. Work hard, but only as unto God (Colossians 3:22 ff). Decide how to spend your time and resources by faith. Yeah, I mean that we should be praying about everything. And we need to follow Him on whatever path He directs us whenever He directs us.

I've heard some stories about people who were called to be missionaries, and then they never made it for one reason or another, and disaster struck their family. I know that God does chasten His children to get us to where we need to be, but I don't think that happens in every situation. I think we can decide to not follow God's leading, but we will miss out on a reward that is eternal in heaven. Maybe that means that our 401k is not as big as our financial adviser would like it to be. Maybe we don't ever get to have a new car or a big home. This world is not all there is.

Has God asked you to walk?

Because of Him,
Missa