Faith In The Dark

I told Him yes! “Whatever you ask of me Lord, my answer is yes!” I was, and am, completely committed to His plan for my life, but I never knew how hard it would be, until I began to walk the journey that He laid before me. Because if I can be honest, saying yes to God means saying no to many other more desirable things… the things that I want for myself, the things that I can do in my own strength. At times, this journey has left me asking if I made the right decision. Did I really hear God? Am I really doing what He asked me to do? There’s this tension between knowing that I am walking towards His plan for my life, and thoughts that I am completely crazy for doing so. This is walking by faith.

Faith is following God in the dark.

When we think of walking by faith, we usually think about the end goal. We think of the promise that God has given us. But what does walking by faith really look like? According to scripture, walking by faith looks like walking with a blindfold on…it feels like walking in complete darkness.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (II Corinthians 5:7 NKJV)

Many of us know this scripture all too well, but I want to take a moment and discuss the reality of what it means. Because walking by faith and waiting on God can cause us to loose sight of this, and we find ourselves in a place where we’re doubting the word that God spoke over us.

Walking in the dark is evidence of our faith journey.

When we can’t see where we are going, it is proof that we are trusting in God. Because common sense tells us that our decisions should be calculated, and based on fact. Common sense says to do what makes sense to our natural minds. But walking by faith is the complete opposite of that. Walking by faith has nothing to do with the sense that we have. When we walk by faith, we are choosing to do so based on what God says, not based on what we can see. So this means that along our journey, there will be plenty of opportunities to doubt God. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to remind ourselves just how crazy our decisions have been. But in these times, we have to remind ourselves that we are trusting in the One that has a greater plan for our lives. We trusting in the One that can see those things that we can’t see.

God is the only one that can lead us to the place that He has for us.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)

According to scripture, faith is the tangible proof of what we hope for. It is the evidence of the things that we can’t see. But what are these things that we hope for? What are the things that we can’t see? They are those things that God has spoken over us, those things that only He has seen. What do I mean? Well, scripture tells us that not only does God have a plan for us, but He has already seen everyday of our lives.

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (Psalms 139:16 NLT)

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)

What does this mean for us? This means that when we walk by faith, we are choosing to trust that God will bring to pass what He has already planned…the things that He has already seen in our future.

But the question that many of us have is—how do we know that God will do what He says He will do? The answer is simple…we don’t. But that is where our faith comes in. According to Hebrews 11:1, our faith is all the proof that we need. Our choice to step out in faith, and continue to walk in faith, is evidence that God will bring His word to pass in our lives.

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. (Hebrews 11:8-9 NLT)

I encourage you to read Hebrews 11. It is a recollection of many of the great men and woman of faith in the bible. And the theme of this chapter is simple…none of them were sure. Just look at verse 8 and 9 above. Does it sound like Abraham was sure? Many of us think of these great heroes of faith, and are in awe of them. But they were just like us. Abraham didn’t know for sure that he was doing the right thing. He left everything—by faith. He walked away from his home because he believed that God had spoken a word over his life. Think about how it felt, when he realized that he didn’t have a home…when he had to face the reality, daily, that he had given up a land that was his, for a place where he would have to live like a foreigner. Scripture says that he went without knowing where he was going. He didn’t have a plan…he was blindfolded. He was walking by faith in the dark.

Faith is the distance between now and the promises of God.

But faith is exercised. Abraham wasn’t walking by faith solely because He believed God. Abraham was walking by faith because He proved that He believed God by his actions…He left everything behind just because God said so. And for us, this is what walking by faith should look like. It looks like making decisions, not because it makes sense, but simply because God said so. And what I want us to understand is that this is the essence of what faith is. It is acting like you believe the word of God is true. This means obeyed God’s instructions, even when you can’t figure out why He gave them in the first place.

Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. (James 2:21-24 NLT)

Faith is less about our feelings, and more about what we do with our feelings.

I have to add this point in here, because we have made faith to be something that we primarily exercise in our minds. And we’ve fallen into the trap that the proof of having faith is that our thoughts are faith-filled—and we feel full of faith—all the time. But today, I want to present to you another perspective…

While it is true that faith begins in our minds, it cannot stay there. Our minds and thoughts cannot be the place that our faith resides. Why? Because our thoughts shift with the wind. There will be times when we believe with all of our heart, mind, and soul that God will do what He says that He will do. But the problem is that in the next moment, we might feel the complete opposite. So when this happens, does it meant that we no longer have faith? Does it mean that we are disqualified from receiving the promises of God? Absolutely not! Let’s look to scripture for confirmation.

In the book of Mark. There is a story of a man that was seeking healing for his son that had been possessed by an evil spirit. The man sought help from the disciples, but they were unable to heal him. Next, the father pleaded with Jesus.

“How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” (Mark 9:21-25 NLT)

Every time I read this story, I admire the father’s honesty. Jesus basically tells this man that the only way for his son to be healed is for him to believe (have faith). But when the father responds, he doesn’t pretend to be full of faith. Instead, he is transparent. He says, look…I do believe, but I need your help Jesus, because a part of me doesn’t believe. And what does Jesus do? Does he tell the father that he doesn’t have enough faith, or the right kind of faith? No. Jesus heals the son…why? Because Jesus saw the faith that the father did have….the faith that was proven by his decision to seek help.

It’s not the size of our faith that matters. It’s what we do with our faith that matters.

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Matthew 17:20 NLT)

At face value, it seems like Jesus is contradicting himself here. At first He says, “You don’t have enough faith, “ but in the next moment, he says, “if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed…nothing would be impossible.” So, how do we explain this? Well, it is clear that when Jesus mentions not having enough faith, it’s not in regards to size. If Jesus really cared about the size of our faith, he would not have compared the faith that we need to something as small as a mustard seed. Instead, I believe that He is pointing out the lack of genuine faith. In essence, it’s not whether or not we have big faith, it’s whether or not our faith is real enough for us to act on it. I once heard it explained like this…

When we sit in a chair, we don’t do so apprehensively, because we know that the chair is built to hold us up. We trust the chair enough to put our full weight on it. This is what it looks like to have faith in God. When we have faith in God, we can be obedient to whatever He asks, because we believe that He will hold us up. But again, I want to point out that I am not saying that we have to be 100% sure. I am not saying that we have to be full of faith all the time to make this decision. Having faith in God means that we move towards His promises, in spite of the unbelief that we have.

Faith is not a feeling. Faith is a choice.

There is one more story that I want to share from scripture, and that is the story of Moses being called by God. The book of Exodus (chapters 3 and 4) records that Moses protested God’s call on his life five times. Moses used every excuse that he could think of, to try to get out of the assignment that God had given him. Moses protested because he didn’t believe that he had the authority to do what God called him to do (Exodus 3:11). Moses protested because he didn’t think that he knew enough about God to speak on His behalf (Exodus 3:13). He protested because he feared that the elders of Israel wouldn’t believe that God had sent him (Exodus 4:1). He protested because he didn’t think that he was capable of carrying out God’s instructions (Exodus 4:10). Does this sound like someone that is full of faith? Absolutely not. In fact, Moses is arguably one of the people that doubted God’s call on his life the most. Yet, he is one of the most well known leaders of faith in the bible.

It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons. (Hebrews 11:24-28 NLT)

Yes, Moses struggled with unbelief. Yes, he doubted God. But at the end of the day, Moses chose to walk in the direction of the calling that God had on his life. And because of his choice, the children of Israel experienced freedom.

There’s something powerful that happens when we come to God with our unbelief.

Just think about the story of the father that sought healing for his son. He asked Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief, and Jesus did just that. He healed the son, and proved to the father that He is a healer. And think about Moses’ story. If you haven’t already, take a few moments and read it for yourself. As you read, you will see how many times Moses protested to God. But what’s amazing to me is that each time, God provided an answer. God met Moses right where he was. He empowered Moses to do the impossible. He used Moses to perform miracles that we are still talking about today.

Why is all of this important? Because walking by faith in the dark often brings us to these places of doubt and unbelief. These places where we begin to feel like we have been disqualified from receiving the promises of God. But, I want to remind us today that our God has not called us to have big faith, or perfect faith. He has not called us to be full of faith all the time. He simply requires that we use the small faith that we do have…that we obey His instructions, even when we are struggling with unbelief. And when we are in that place, of doubting God, we can bring our feelings to Him. He is not a God that angers at the sight of our humanity. After all, he made us. He knows that we can’t see where we are going. He knows that we freak out because it feels like we are walking in darkness. And He knows how to lead us out of that place. He will prove to us that His word is true, as He did for the father. He will provide us with everything that we need, as He did for Moses. All we have to do is walk towards whatever He is calling us to. It doesn’t matter if we can see, because He can. If we trust Him enough to say yes, He will lead the way.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for accepting me just the way that I am. Thank you for giving me the grace to be imperfect, and still walk in purpose. Father, today, I bring to you my unbelief…I bring to you my doubt, and I pray that you would strengthen me, and give me the courage to obey your instructions. I pray that you would enable me to walk in faith, even when I don’t have all the answers. I trust you Father, because I know that as I bring my weaknesses to you, you are working in my life, to make sure that I am stronger than ever before. Today, by faith, I declare that I will be all that you have called me to be, and I will do all that you have called me to do. I will follow you, even in the dark. I love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.