One of our problems in life is that we often need to understand things and effectively ‘see’ how things will work out. We use the language of sight when we say, “I can’t see how that would work”, or when we explain something and then ask the question, “See?”
Our Christian life is not a life based on ‘seeing’ things, but on taking them by faith.
“The just live by faith” Romans 1:17
“We walk by faith and not by sight” 2Corinthians 5:7
By faith we ‘see’ things. We take hold of things that are not yet tangible, being convinced we will see the tangible outcome in time.
Faith then becomes a different kind of ‘seeing’, seeing by faith. That is when we look at a situation and ‘see’ it solved, before ever there is any change.
God asked Joshua to do this before attacking the city of Jericho. This was the first city to be taken in the Promised Land. The Israelites already had great victories over kings on the east of the Jordan River, and now they were crossing the river to take the holy land God promised to Abraham.
“The Lord said to Joshua, See, I have given into your hand Jericho, and its king, and the mighty warriors.” Joshua 6:2
At the time God said that to Joshua all that could be ‘seen’ in natural terms was the huge walls of Jericho. So God wasn’t asking Joshua to look with natural eyes, but with eyes of faith. God was virtually saying, “Get a picture in your head of you capturing Jericho and its king and all the mighty soldiers.”
This idea of seeing things by faith is recorded in the great Faith Chapter of the Bible, Hebrews 11.
The chapter lists Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Jacob as having faith, believing God for things that did not exist at the time they were promised. In fact the land promised to Abraham, then to Isaac and Jacob did not become their land for close to 500 years.
So note the comment in verse 13.
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13
That phrase ‘having seen them afar off’ refers to seeing that at some time in the future the promises would become reality.
That’s how faith responds to God’s promises, ‘seeing’ that they will be fulfilled and so virtually having a picture of the reality that has not yet arrived.
Joshua accepted that he and his army would conquer the whole Promised Land, and they would start by capturing Jericho. He ‘saw’ what that victory would look like and was persuaded that he would triumph.
Once you can ‘see’ that it will happen then your plans, your words, your attitudes and everything else reflect that assurance.
Joseph was confident the children of Israel would only be in Egypt for a limited time and so he gave orders about his bones being taken to the Promised Land when they left. And that’s what happened. He could ‘see’ it before it happened.
As you ‘walk by faith’ you will end up with a bunch of things you can ‘see’ that haven’t happened you. These are the things you are believing for, which you have prayed to God about or which God has promised in His Word and you have claimed as reality for you and your family.
On the other hand there may be things you are hoping for, wanting to believe God will do them, but not really mustering the faith for it yet. That’s OK. Remember the man who asked Jesus to help his unbelief.
“Jesus said to him, If you can believe all things are possible to him that believes. And immediately the child’s father cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” Mark 9:23,24
Look into God’s Word and see what God has promised you, such as peace, healing, forgiveness, victory, protection, and so on. Settle in your heart that God’s Word is true and that you will believe it. Then form a mental picture of what it looks like for God to have given you what He promised, what you’ve asked for.
Then thank God for His gift of the blessing and fulfilment of His promise.
If you are struggling to believe then ask God to help you believe. Remember too that faith grows when we hear the Word of God, so listen to people of faith sharing God’s Word to build up your own faith, such as by teaching and testimony.
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
And as you reach out to God for the fulfilment of His Word in your life, stop and ask yourself the question from time to time, Can You See It?
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