He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:5-8)
Whether your life lasts for several more decades or ends in fifteen seconds, you are waiting. And while you are waiting, you have an attitude. Hopefully it’s a mindset focused on God.
Given our in-between situation, it would be great if every one of us who follow Jesus could unite our voices as one and say, “Here we stand today, gripping tightly God’s promises while we wait for Him to work.” We couldn’t go forward another day if we didn’t believe what He told us. We’re anchored to one thought: God says so. For now, that’s going to have to be enough, for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Whether you realize it or not, we’re all in the same place. As Paul put it, “We are at home in the body,” and therefore temporarily, “away from the Lord.” But He has left us His Word. So we must review God’s promises all the time. We must remind ourselves that our faith is in God who has never failed to do what He says. He knows what He has promised, He can’t lie, and He can’t forget. He will deliver on time, all the time.
Who else makes promises like that? God’s promises are great, the outcomes are certain; all that remains is to wait on His timing.
Meanwhile, we walk by faith, not by sight… again, today our faith rests entirely on what God has said He will do. The “good courage” that Paul mentions twice isn’t what we generate by our wills, but what God builds into us by His Spirit.
God feels compassion for the pain of our uncertainty — that is why He invented this idea of promise. It’s as if He is saying, “I’m not going to leave you clueless. I’m not going to leave you wondering what I’m going to do.” God doesn’t want you to be overcome by fear, and He’s made you some promises to hold on to through the difficult days.
You don’t have to take your view of life only from what you can see or rest your happiness on what’s happening right in front of you. You don’t need to be imprisoned by someone else’s crazy talk that you know isn’t true. Hang on to the things His Word is telling you. What you see clearly in the light doesn’t change just because the valley is dark.
We walk by faith in God’s character and His promises. They sustain us when all that we can see is darkness or confusion. We live in faith until the answers come. While we wait, God builds our faith. Whether the waiting lasts for several more decades or ends in fifteen seconds, God’s promises can sustain us until the answer comes.
God never treats His promises lightly, and neither should you. Let God’s assurance that He knows about and will act in your situation be your continuous thought as you move through this day.
Journal
Pray
Lord, Your promises to guide, sustain, protect, provide, and forgive are simply part of a stream of living hope that flows into my life and strengthens my faith so I can live for You. Without You, I can do nothing – but with You, I can live in this dark world as more than a conqueror. The victory of walking by faith rather than sight is Your victory in my life. While I wait for Your answers, help me cling to Your promises in gratitude for Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, amen.