Walk by Faith, Not by Sight: Trusting God in the Unknown
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7, ESV
Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
We recently celebrated Jesus’ resurrection. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples and showed them the nail marks in his hands and the wound in his side.
The disciples were filled with joy when they realized Jesus had come back to life. Meanwhile, one disciple, Thomas, was not present with his friends when Jesus revealed his resurrected body. Thomas told the other disciples that he would not believe that Jesus had been resurrected unless he touched the nail marks in his hands and put his hand into Jesus’ side.
After revealing himself to Thomas, Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29).
Faith requires us to believe in what we cannot see. This applies to the resurrection, but it also applies to every other situation in which belief without sight is required.
Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
Is God asking you to trust him and walk by faith regarding any parts of your life that don’t currently make sense to you?
He might be encouraging you to trust that he will work in a painful circumstance to bring a resolution.
Maybe he wants you to trust him as you adjust to a new schedule or new community. He might be reminding you that he will heal your broken heart and use a painful loss for good in your life.
The past months have been a journey of learning to walk by faith, not by sight for me.
Our youngest child started school, leading me to wonder whether God was calling me to full-time writing or something different. I sensed I was to spend my days writing, but I questioned whether I’d be able to sit in front of a screen for 40 hours every week. Would I run out of things to say? Would I become restless or bored?
I wanted a five-year plan or even a one-year plan. When God provided neither, I stepped into my future in faith, trusting he would guide me.
He has guided me and sustained me. He wants to guide you as well. Let’s spend some time soaking in some biblical truths about trusting God as we walk by faith, not by sight.
Bible Verses on Learning to Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
1. Proverbs 3:5, ESV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
It’s human nature to want to make sense of our circumstances. Meanwhile, there are times when we simply cannot understand God’s ways.
Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us that when we trust the Lord instead of grappling for all the answers, he will direct our paths.
This is at the heart of learning to walk by faith, not by sight.
2. Psalm 37:4-6
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
When God is our greatest delight, our hearts change. Our hearts come into alignment with God’s heart. This changes our desires. We begin to want what God wants.
The best news is that when we want what God wants, and pray accordingly, we begin to see abundant answers to our prayers.
3. Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
When God becomes our strength and shield, he helps us grow in trust. He gives us joy. We are able to truly walk by faith, not by sight because we are leaning on God in dependence, trusting that he will work all things for good.
This leads to our next verse.
4. Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
We can trust God because he is able to work even the worst situations for good in our lives.
But let’s not miss the next verse: God’s idea of “good” is that difficult times conform us to look more like Jesus.
5. Psalm 9:10
And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
We can cling to the promise that God will never abandon those who trust him.
6. Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
We can trust that God’s plans for us are good, full of hope.
This was his promise to his people as they endured 70 years of captivity in Babylon. He would restore them and bring them home.
God’s plans for us are good, too. He wants to restore us and heal us, leading us into bright futures.
7. Jeremiah 17:7-8
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Those who trust in God flourish even in difficult times.
They are not anxious, and their lives bear fruit.
Trust is like a well of living water. The more we trust God, the more our lives with flourish as we drink from this well of living water.
8. Matthew 6:25
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
God cares for his children. We don’t need to worry about his provision because he will give us all we need.
We can walk by faith as we lean into this promise.
Reflect on Learning to Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
Are you having trouble believing that God is moving in any areas of your life? In which circumstance do you need to stand on faith and believe in what you cannot see?
~~~
If this post about learning to walk by faith, not by sight blessed you, I invite you to explore our family devotional books and library of free devotional eBooks below. May you experience God’s trustworthy provision in deeper and deeper ways as you draw near to him!
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
