Hello

Recently, a "Five-Dover" posted a note concerning our walk of faith, that was a benefit to me and I have been thinking about it off and on since.

I think of this verse found in I Peter 1:6 and 7:

In this you greatly rejoice even thought now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Faith ( the way I like to think of it is "trust that abandons oneself to the revelation of and from God") is central to how God wants us to relate to Him.  This primarily focuses on the Spirit's revelation to our spirits from the scriptures, and a particular aspect of this is of His Son's return for us.

I think over the years of watching, there have been times and seasons where some of the energy of my watching was a unconscious attempt on my part to walk by sight instead of by faith.  I kept looking for a kind of proof in events and circumstances, and even the dreams and visions of others, that I could then stand upon with confidence.  In other words, what God had revealed in the scriptures was not enough for me.

This is a subtle thing and is a discernment issue of one's own heart before the Spirit of God alone.  It is also a day by day thing.

I do not think, on one hand, that we are designed to walk by faith, but only in the sense that it is not by sight.  We, as human beings have been given a body which is very much a "sensing" way of being.

However, we are designed to walk by faith in that at the core of it is a way of being that is one of trust in our truly good and loving Creator.  In the ages to come our way of relating to God will always include a profound rest and trust.  Hence, this aspect of faith does indeed match our design as created ones.

It is the tension between those two aspects that we feel now.  At this time it is necessary and essential that we relate to God with trust without the benefit of the body being able to "sense" the Reality, and one aspect being of the Son's soon return.

Now it is up to Abba Father if or when He will provide a particular believer with some kind of "sense experience" so as to support them in a given circumstance.  So I do not automatically negate the experience of some who have dreamed dreams or seen visions.  However, from my limited vantage point, these are very much the exception to the rule and are more often than not simply the result of the person's own mind, not the Spirit of God.

We are to live by faith, not by sight.  Not easy but we, in our weaknesses, can be made strong in the strength of the One who dwells inside us, the One who lived out perfect faith before the Father and who even in this moment has perfect trust in the Father for the plan Abba has established for each one of us.  He is our Peace and is stressed by nothing in any one of our lives.

I must keep my heart's focus only on Jesus to function, because, as the Psalmist expressed, this is a very dry and weary land where there is absolutely no true water.

Sincerely,

Douglas Henney