Faith NOT sight

 Good day,

 

I have been thinking about this comprehension for quite some time, perhaps six months if not longer. I struggled to put my thoughts into what I would call ‘comprehendible words.’ Look, it is not a complex matter that I wish to engage about, it is just something that is so simple yet sometimes difficult in application. I initially wanted to title this “the limitations of one’ locus of enunciation” and then I thought why not call a spade a spade; so, I titled it Faith and NOT sight. This is an excerpt from 2 Corinthians 5:7, which simply says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

 

So, here are my thoughts

 

I cannot even begin to tell you what led to this subject between God and I, but it came up and I am grateful. The Word of God is clear and concise about how the children of God ought to live their lives. In Hebrews 10: 38, Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11 we learn that the Just shall live by faith. Now, we know that in Hebrews 11 we are taught important lessons on faith. The chapter, in verse 1, teaches us that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We also learn that “without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Faith is an integral aspect of our lives as believers, in fact, when we look at scripture it is both a fruit of the Spirit and a gift of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 and 1 Corinthians 12:9, respectively).

 

Oh yes, now I remember what led to this subject. I was saddened by the fact that certain things had not worked out the way I had anticipated and some of my decisions did not yield the desired outcomes. Though I dared not to ask God why, I had sadness tugging at my heart. God knowing what lies in my heart began to take me through this subject. I am still going through it, but I believe I am in a better and more understanding space than I was when the subject initially came up. I knew those scriptures about faith, and I was hopeful that i had faith in executing my plans and decisions, including those that came to naught or failed. I am laughing so much as I write because wow😊!

 

So, I genuinely believed that God would come through and honour, as well as bless my decisions because I had faith. So, it did not make sense to me that I would fail or not get what I had asked of the Lord. I was heartbroken because, at the time, I thought I had more faith than the size of a mustard seed (listen to me thinking I have made it) 😊; I believed that it was done, I was sure that God would make it happen and then… nothing (the way I am laughing at myself right now, which is great because it means I have moved past the pain / disappointment). Anyway, let me get back to it. Okay, so, on one of the days the Lord taught me about being grateful for His “Nos”; He made sure that I understood that those Nos where for my preservation and not for my discouragement or hurt. He was not keeping the good things from me, He was protecting me from a world of unimaginable harm, pain, and anguish.

 

That day my prayer became, “Heavenly Father, thank you for every decision You overrode and every prayer You answered with a No because you did it all for my good. Thank you for loving me without reservation or condition; thank you for protecting me from harm and pain. Thank for always having my best interests at heart and thank You for Your will even though I do not always understand it. I love You! In the Glorious Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray, amen!

 

As I was learning this, God reminded of a subject matter that came up when I was a student. It was a discussion on diplomatic theory and how it is flawed as-is because it was established only with the founder’s locus of enunciation in mind without considering what was neither known nor visible to them. This just means people theorized according to what was clear and evident to them based on the spaces they occupied, their sight and understanding. An example would be that some people believe that the world is round, whilst others believe it is flat; all these theories emanated from outlooks derived from particular knowledge, sight, understanding, observation, etc.

 

What we derive from the above is that one’s locus of enunciation or outlook is limited to their scope of knowledge, visuals / sight, space, exposure. One cannot know what they are not exposed to whether through formal or informal means, observation, sight, content, hearing, etc. Now, any person that makes decisions will make them based on what they know and understand, unless they are operating by faith, which takes into consideration the implications of the unknown, despite of or disregarding the known, by trusting the God who knows everything.

 

God, unlike man and the enemy (devil), is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. This means that He is not limited to or by anything. God in His infinite knowledge has continuously responded to our needs, prayers, and desires. In essence, God does not make decisions oblivious to the entirety of a matter or thing; He knows the outcome of our requests, their implications on our wellbeing, as well as our walk with Him. We make decisions oblivious to that knowledge because we do not have His non-communicable attributes and we do not have infinite knowledge, wisdom, sight, hearing, etc.

 

An example that comes to mind is that you apply for a job that you believe you qualify for and meet every requirement, but you do not get it. In that moment of disappointment, you do not realise that the Lord, knowing the end from the beginning, spared you from retrenchment or a toxic work environment or even a corrupt environment. Months later, whilst still wallowing, angry, frustrated and defeated, you come across a news report stating that the entire management of the company you applied for a job at is suspended for graft / corruption. You would not have known this as it was not evident at the time of your application, but God would have known because nothing past, present, future is hidden from Him; His locus of enunciation is infinite.

 

Proverbs 3:5 reminds us to not be self-reliant but to rely solely on God. This is a great advice for believers. God knows what He is doing and at times we do not realise that where He has placed us is necessary for the call upon our lives or even in preparation for seasons, we never imagined we could find ourselves. He knows and He sets things in motion even prior to certain occurrences in order to ensure that we make it through or succeed. We cannot rely on our knowledge, ability, sight if we are to live the purposeful lives that God has ordained for us, instead we need to rely on Him and His infinite wisdom and knowledge.

 

There are so many things that I wish to write but this is already long. Perhaps we will have a part 2. Before bidding you well, please take a moment and look at the life of David, a man after the heart of God. Over and over again in scripture, we see David seeking the guidance and leadership of God. He did not rely on what he knew or saw. He understood that there were things that were beyond him and his ability. David faced tasks deemed impossible because he was just a man, but he succeeded at those tasks because he relied on God to lead him. He believed that God would not lead him astray. He asked God what to do, He did not instruct God to honour what he wanted done. Remember, He gives us what to desire, not the other way round.

Everything that was written above is solely to say, live by faith in God and not by sight.

 

Love

Happy