Time for Believers to Wake Up and Live by Faith, NOT by Sight, Trusting God and NOT Man!

16 Mar 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

Another week of work is upon us friends, and I do hope we were up and about early, with as much vim and vigour as the damp, windy, cloudy Monday morning calls for! (smile) Yes, I hope we did Jesus proud by having a diligent and excellent attitude although our spirits didn’t feel like it. That’s why we cannot live by feelings, for they are very unreliable; easily changing from one moment to the next, and often tempting us to do the wrong thing, or not do the right one. That’s why Bruh Paul advises: ‘For we walk by faith, not by sight:’ (2 Cor. 5:7) 

And what’s that about eh? This commentary tells us that basically ‘means guiding daily life by trust in God’s promises and Word, rather than relying solely on immediate circumstances, feelings, or physical evidence. It implies an eternal perspective, choosing to believe in God’s guidance and unseen reality over temporary, visible challenges.’ Then the commentary breaks down walking by faith into these key aspects. ‘Trust over Circumstances: Faith trusts in God’s plan even when the future is uncertain or circumstances look negative. 

Spiritual Over Physical: It prioritizes spiritual truths—what God says—over physical senses—what we see or feel. Active Obedience: It is not passive; it is an active, daily choice to obey God regardless of the visible situation. Eternal Perspective: It focuses on what is eternal rather than temporary, passing things. This biblical principle encourages believers to find assurance in God’s character, ensuring their confidence is placed in His power rather than human understanding or visible, temporal evidence.’ 

And it’s always best to put our trust in God rather than man. And there are several verses in the scriptures that warn us thus, like these from Psalm 118 that spell it out loud and clear: ‘It is better to put trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidences in princes.’ (Ps. 118:8-9) 

And why is that? Because mankind is fallible, changes very easily through living by feelings, and even the most trustworthy ones can fail you. On the other hand, unlike frail, finite and puny man, God is infinite, omnipotent, ever faithful, always consistent, offers unconditional LOVE and a secure refuge in times of trouble, He is solid as a rock, provides a peace that passes all human understanding and will never fail nor forsake you as the Bible says and proves all down through the ages. 

What more can you ask for eh? Man certainly cannot guarantee any of that! And if you’re still not sure about trusting God over man, then listen to these verses from Jeremiah that say it very explicitly. ‘Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man (strength), and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath (a shrub) in the desert, and he shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:5-8)

Now which one would you rather be friends; a dry, stunted, thirsty shrub existing in a desert, or a thriving tree with roots planted by the water with no fear or anxiety when negative circumstances arise? I’d much rather be the latter, that’s why my trust is in God and not man. And it’s not that we don’t know that man ought not to be trusted, because we all have experienced serious instances of untrustworthiness in our fellow man, especially in these times of much fraud and deceit. But for some reason, we keep on trusting him, instead of God.

What will it take for us to wake up and see the truth of the situation eh, and action it? And that’s why we need to walk by faith, or steadfast trust in God, rather than by sight. Oh, and I might just have discovered the answer to the question we just posed. It comes from an article on the subject by Daniel McCoy on the RENEW.org website.  

He writes: ‘Many people admire the idea. They likely find it inspiring. But they don’t look at walking by faith as something they themselves would want to do. After all, it sounds inspiring but not intelligent. Sure, there are some of the more pugnacious atheists out there who treat faith as a bad thing—like Richard Dawkins who has called faith “one of the world’s great evils.” But most people would say that walking by faith sounds admirable even if it’s not personally attractive.’

Let’s hope that doesn’t apply to us true believers in God. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, to find divine help in these desperate times of need. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And we can say all the right things in our prayer, but if the Lord doesn’t see some change of heart and an improved attitude, He will not grant us any divine aid. That means we must increase our Christian witness if we truly seek help from on high! Much LOVE!

…life can be incredibly difficult in this evil world…and the only successful way to walk it is…by living in faith in Almighty God… 

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Immense Importance of Believing in God’s Promises and Faithfulness!

20 Aug 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 43:2a.       When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;

And so, without any due notice or welcoming applause, we come to Tuesday, which follows Monday, just like the day follows the night and vice versa! (smile) But most likely, we’ve breathed a huge sigh of relief that we’ve gotten through troublesome Monday, and fallen into much easier Tuesday. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles. But the wonderful thing about it all, is that we believers have Jesus to backstop all our doubts and fears, so even when circumstances don’t look so good, we don’t need to worry, but call up scriptures like this one from the wise words of Bruh David: ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ (Ps. 34:19) 

And with those words of blessed assurance steeping, marinating in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, we can then stand strong in faith with a good attitude, and do what Bruh David so wisely advises: ‘Wait (patiently in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (patiently in faith), I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) That’s marvellous advice friends, although it’s not always easy to put into action, because oftentimes we feel as though our world is just being torn apart and there’s no time to wait, an instant remedy is required. But please have no fear, for in good time, His time, our amazing and faithful God will come to our rescue. 

As Bruh Paul says to the church at Corinth: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Yes friends, our great God will either make a way for us to escape the tough circumstances, or give us the strength, the grace, the anointing to go through it with a calm peace that passes all understanding. 

And, one more very important thing: He won’t be late. No! God’s NEVER late! And I can testify to that, because so often in my own life, when I’ve thought that all was lost, I’ve seen Him show up just at the right time. Sometimes He waits until the very last moment to show up, because He’s testing our faith, to see if we will actually walk the talk  that we’ve been spewing out to others. And why would He not rescue us, or at least give us the strength to go through our problems after He’s made promises like this one. 

‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). (Is. 43:1-3) 

Yes friends, that’s all the gospel truth, for the Lord our God has certainly redeemed us, bought us with a price, the sinless blood of Christ, which means we are indeed His! And we’ve seen examples of His people passing through the waters on dry ground through the Red Sea to escape the army of Egypt, (Ex. 14:19-31) and the rivers, where they passed through the River Jordan and it did not overflow them. (Josh. 3) And we all know the famous story of the three young Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow to the idol made by the king of Babylon and were thrown into the furnace, heated seven times hotter than normal, yet they came out alive, not even smelling of smoke. (Dan. 3) 

Wow! What a powerful and faithful God we serve my brethren! Remember, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH HIM! But He seeks faith and trust in those who claim to believe, and consequently tests us by allowing unfortunate stuff to happen to us, like passing through the waters. And what does passing through the waters really mean? Listen to these two commentaries on the subject. The first one says: ‘Isaiah 43:2 is a verse that calls for a personal journey with God, where trust in His divine promise leads us to discover our own strength and resilience. In essence, the heartfelt message of Isaiah 43:2 is about the transformative power of faith in the face of adversity.’ No doubt about that! 

And the second tells us re Isaiah 43:3-5. ‘Another thought about “when you pass through the waters”: this phrase implies getting through to the other side with God. Whether it ends with resolving a problem here or taking us home to heaven, God will be with those who LOVE Him and whom He LOVES.’ And you can bet your bottom dollar on that my people! God will ALWAYS be with those He LOVES, and those who LOVE Him! As Jesus said to the disciples: ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my LOVE; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his LOVE!’ John 15:10) 

Yuh see friends, it’s all about obedience and doing the will of God! You cannot expect God to bless you while you are constantly ignoring Him and doing the will of Satan. And yuh know, that’s all the Lord really desires of us, obedience. But we allow the bright and shiny baubles and bangles of the world to dazzle our lustful eyes and thus turn away from God, all to our certain detriment. That’s a fool’s wisdom my people! For even if you acquire all of the world’s wealth, you cannot carry one iota of it with you when you die, regardless of if you make your bed in heaven or in hell. 

For as Jesus so wisely advises: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth doth corrupt (ruin) and rust, where thieves break through and steal: But lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19:21) More gospel truth and wise advice my fellow believers. Instead Jesus gives this wise and heartfelt advice as to what we should do. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

Now, Jesus doesn’t have cause to lie, like Satan does, so it’s wise and sensible to believe Him. And for those of us who have been wise and sensible, and have believed Jesus, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…trust, faith, hope, obedience and LOVE…all necessary ingredients for a true Christian life…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien