"We Walk by FAITH" (sorry....lengthy but good!)

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

The Bible teaches over and over about “walking God’s way”. It clearly teaches that if we are faithful to follow His commands and place our trust in Christ, HE is faithful to embrace us as a dear child and care for all our needs, in a way even BETTER than the best earthly father cares for his precious child! I have often read the MANY scripture passages that refer to “walking God’s way” and each time I read one of these passages, I pause to ponder just WHAT that way “looks like”. (sigh)

As I ponder today, after a week of reflection on God’s command to ’walk in the Spirit’ and ‘follow His ways’, I realize that His way isn’t anything that is plainly visible, nor do we have a detailed ‘plan’ of that pathway. Of course, we have the life and character of Jesus and the Word of God to be our example, and we have general instruction of the purpose and goals of a Christian life, but we truly only have a very limited view when it comes to ‘specifics’ of how to live, choices to make and direction to travel. I tend to want to see the ‘big picture’, the entire plan and the end result before I take the next step. I ask many questions when I’m given directions or instructions and I always want to know WHY I am being asked to do a certain thing. For me, understanding the outcome helps considerably in obeying or following the instruction. However, our Christian walk is a walk of FAITH. I’m reminded of a familiar analogy of ‘viewing life’ to that of viewing a passing parade. We view life as the person who is peeking through a knot hole in a fence, catching only a small glimpse of a parade passing on the other side. God sees our life as if watching a parade from the perspective of the Goodyear blimp…He sees the entire picture, He knows all! We see only what’s in front of us and we must wait and watch for what’s yet to come.

This week, as I was deeply troubled and pondering the next ‘step’ that God is urging me onto in my Christian walk, a friend simply asked me, “why don’t you just say OK (to God) and walk by faith”? I was silently amazed! I had spent hours praying and pondering all that God was requiring of me, what life would look like, what was involved this next step, how it would effect my life and on and on….and this friend so simply supplied the answer to my dilemma!

I still haven’t figured it all out…I am still pondering, as I always do and still seeking God’s Word and confirmation, but it sure seems that my friend’s answer is Godly wisdom and for now….walking IN FAITH is all I can do. I KNOW God, I BELIEVE His Word and I trust Him for every area of my life. With that…I am entering a new phase of my Christian walk as I “peek through the knot hole” of life. I am seeking to walk ‘in the Spirit’ instead of living, too often, from my carnal nature. With much prayer and determination, I will strive to please God with all I do. I don’t know what future days will look like, but I know who holds each day!
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7