Walking by faith

     "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Cor.5:7)
      Isn't that the battle we wage every single day?  To walk by faith, not by what we by feel.  To walk by God's perfect promises, not by what our personal perceptions.  To walk by God's never-failing supernatural Word, not by the ever-vacillating, superficial world and it's ways.
      Oh my, how I need to be daily reminded of this life-altering Truth--hourly, minute-by-minute to walk by faith in the unseen but omnipotent, all-sufficient, and ever-present Redeemer and not by what I can see with my myopic vision, feelings, and perceptions.
     And we walk by faith by daily wading through the Word.  By seeing through the lens of the Word.  His Word is a "lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Ps.119:105)  He restores my skewed vision, corrects my prideful perceptions, and revives my deflated hopes with the truth of His Word.  
     John Piper says, "New Christians or old Christians, what we need in order to walk by faith and not by sight is glimpses. I know that sounds contradictory.  We need sight not to walk by sight?  But it's not contradictory, because the sight we need is not a sight of what the day holds, but a sight of Who holds the day.  And even that sight happens by looking through the window of the Word.  Which means we see with our ears.  Yes, it sounds strange.  But listen: 'The Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.' (I Sam.3:21)  So we 'look' through the window of the Word with our ears, and what we hear is a sight of God!
     I'm so thankful that walking by faith isn't some mystical, who-can-figure-this-out, impossible task!  No, we walk--step by step by step--by first seeing in His Word.  Because faith comes by hearing the Word, Hebrews tells us.  "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Roma.10:17)  We walk by faith...and we have faith by hearing...and we hear through the Word...and we see the Lord Jesus, the Word, in the Word!  We're not walking in the darkness or the fog.  No!  We're walking by the bright light of His Word and by faith in that ever-sufficient, powerful, supernatural Word.
     So this day, we choose to walk by faith and not by sight.  Step by step.  We don't need to see a mile ahead...or even 10 steps ahead.  It's enough to know that He knows the way ahead--for He's already there, even while He's walking right beside us as well.  Keep walking...by faith, not by feelings.  By His promises, not by perceptions.  By His Truth, not by our fears or doubts.  And in so doing, we will truly see.  It's amazing what a glimpse of the Savior can do!
     To God be the glory.