A woman quits her job with only a promise of another.
A spouse says yes to another cross-country move.
A wife tries to put her marriage back together after a deep hurt.
A mother reaches out for help to heal her depression.
A friend speaks truth to another.
What do all these people have in common? 
They are walking by faith.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Cor 5:7 NKJV
Easier said than done, I say.
Picture an obstacle course filled with tires, ropes, mud, bridges and other impediments scattered along the way to the finish. Some folks might consider that great fun.
But imagine a similar course, set with obstacles that impede our life of faith. [tweetthis]In this obstacle course of life, focusing on ourselves, our future and our circumstances will thwart any efforts we make to walk by faith, not by sight.[/tweetthis]
The brave souls in the scenarios above show us what it looks like to walk by faith. Conversely, the Israelites demonstrate how obstacles can overshadow the most perfect of provision.
In Exodus 16, we read about how God provided manna each day for the Israelites to eat. And then we see them collect more than they need even though they were told not to. And, just as Moses warned, it rotted overnight.
We also witness the Israelites become self-focused and unsatisfied, which results in their complaints to Moses. They also are heard saying, “we wish we were still in Egypt.” Which was akin to saying: we’d rather be slaves than depend on God for our daily needs.
We have much to learn from the Israelites. They were concerned only with what they could see, and they allowed these obstacles to stand between them and walking by faith.
- They were focused on the future – collecting more manna than they needed because they didn’t trust God for tomorrow.
- They were stuck in self – begging for water after being fed manna and quail daily, concerned only for their own needs at that moment.
- They were circling in their own circumstance – losing sight of what had been promised to them by God.
We don’t have to follow in their footsteps.
We can take these steps of faith instead:
Trust in Today.
The Israelites experienced the foulness of rotten provision as a result of their greed and mistrust.
I’m famous for plotting, planning, worrying, wondering and stressing about the future. But the problem is, [tweetthis]When we project about the future, we miss the provision of today. And we risk watching the manna spoil right before our eyes.[/tweetthis]
Walking by faith means not worrying about tomorrow; but trusting today.
Remember the Past.
At every turn, the Israelites complained to Moses, “What has God done for us lately?” (Mind you, he had done more than they deserved.)
I know the feeling.
Often I find myself thinking, “It would be great if you could just show up for me here, God.” All the while forgetting the countless times he’s shown up in the past.
Remembering God delivered us before is the surest way to trust He will deliver us again. When we focus on His faithfulness, and not ourselves, we can move forward in certainty, even when we cannot see the future.
He who promised is faithful. Remember that the next time you’re tempted to make decisions based only on what you can see right now.
Focus on the Future.
The Israelites were promised milk and honey, a glorious future, a Land of Promise. But considering their behavior, you might think they missed the memo.
We live in a broken world. We are hard pressed on every side. Inundated with pain, sorrow, illness, death and despair. And we, too, seem to have missed the memo.
There is a bigger picture, beyond our daily trials. Paul writes of something that eclipses them all.
Eternal glory.
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor 4:18b
Walking by faith is looking away from our circumstances and toward our promised future! When you’re mired in the muck, extricate yourself by remembering the unseen hope of Heaven. An eternal perspective reminds us this life is nothing compared to what’s in store for us.
[reminder]What steps do you take to walk by faith, not by sight?[/reminder]