Living by Faith

Five verses specify that we are to live by faith. How do you do that? It is like entering a black hole. Those who are in the blackness of night have to feel their way lest they fall into a pit or crash into things. Walking by faith is going through unknown territory. How can you feel comfortable navigating blind? It's like closing your eyes when you are driving at high speed on a congested highway.

We are not talking about physical blindness; we still have our senses. Depending on what we can physically see, limits us in what we can accomplish. Most people can only see the check coming in when we work for someone else. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, trading hours for dollars can only earn so much. Those who make it big look beyond what is visible, to the unlimited possibilities of believing.

The Lord instructed Peter to launch out into the deep. To catch the big fish and achieve sought after positions we have to go beyond shallow water. We are told over and over in Scripture that the righteous must live by faith.

To accomplish great things, we must be willing to act where we can't see the outcome. It can be uncomfortable proceeding in unseen territory, but that is how we learn. We are not flying totally blind, however. Faith is to the soul as the eyes are to the body. We see with faith. We have vision from God. After you have been over your head and begged the Lord's help, you learn that he will always be there for you. The difference between God and men is that he doesn't fail.

In digital circuitry we have an operation that is called a handshake. When two pieces of equipment are to work together, the first one sends a signal that in effects is saying, "Are you ready to receive data?" If it receives an answer, the first one then sends a signal that means, "OK, here it comes." That is sort of like how we work together with the Lord. We are admonished in Scripture to use our talents. When we use them, he responds by giving us joy. It's as if we are shaking hands with God!

All computers have what is called microprocessors. A couple of the pins on this chip are labeled IRQ-meaning interrupt request. These chips are constantly busy loading files the software calls for, and looking all over the disk for the data it needs for the program. Sometimes, however, we need to do something moreimportantly than the routine running of the internal system. Printers and other such devices activate these request lines, notifying the microprocessor to interrupt, what it is doing, so that it can run an external program.

We get busy running our lives and sometimes forget what God has told us to do. We may even do some things that he has told us not do. He provided for that scenario, however, by programming us with a conscience that makes us feel bad when we do what we know is wrong. When we have these pangs of guilt that is God's interrupt request, to stop doing wrong, and do what he has said in his word.

Living by faith, is picking up on these subtle signals from our maker. He doesn't speak directly, telling us precisely what to do as he did in Old Testament times, but works through natural things that happen every day. He lives inside us every moment. His Spirit communicates with our spirit without using words. When we become more aware of his presence, we can evaluate things from a spiritual point of view.

Lynn Bradley is the author of the paperback book, "Climbing the Heavenly Stairs." Discover what Jesus said about accomplishing impossible things. Learn to live life to the full. Read more about it at http://www.thelynnbradleybook.com.

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