We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

It is tempting to use circumstances as a shortcut for discerning God's will. A door opens, and it is assumed to be God's leading. A door closes, and it is assumed God must be shutting things down. But Scripture never tells us to determine spiritual matters by what our physical senses report. Spiritual things are discerned spiritually. Natural circumstances, whether favorable or unfavorable, are not a reliable substitute for that discernment.

This matters because doors opening or closing do not always indicate what people assume. Circumstances can be influenced by more than one source, and reading too much into an open or closed door can lead you to decisions that have nothing to do with actually following God. There are situations where the door in front of you is not the one you are meant to walk through, and there are situations where the door you are meant to go through will not open on its own at all. Some doors are meant to be kicked down by faith, not waited for passively until circumstances arrange themselves conveniently.

Walking by faith means your confidence is rooted in what God's Word says, not in what your five senses currently report. Sight-based decision-making will always be limited to what is visible in the moment. Faith reaches beyond that, standing on what has been promised even when the present circumstances have not yet lined up to confirm it.

Practical Application

Is there a decision you have been making primarily based on circumstances rather than on what Scripture says? Realign that decision with the Word today, rather than on whether the door has opened or not.

Romans 4:14; Hebrews 11:27