For We Walk By Faith And Not By Sight

2nd Corinthians 5:1-7, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

I admit that I get discouraged sometimes when I pray. Do you know why I get discouraged? It is because I don't see God answering my prayers in my expected time. But then I feel convicted by the indwelling Holy Spirit,Who rebukes me for walking by sight, instead of by faith. You see friend, it is a matter of trusting God. It doesn't matter if we see visual answers to prayer or not, God commands us to “Pray without ceasing” in 1st Thessalonians 5:17. I have been praying for a wife for over 10 years, and am still waiting. But I am still praying, trusting the Lord. I have searched high and low for a wife, but haven't been able to find someone.

I love our text passage of Scripture. What does 2nd Corinthians 5:1 mean by “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”? The “earthly house of this tabernacle” refers to our physical body. Being “dissolved” refers to our eventual death. The Bible teaches that we have an immortal body in Heaven waiting for us, at the Rapture (Romans 8:23; 1st Corinthians 15:51-58). The Apostle Paul said in verse 2, “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:” What a comforting promise from God! 

I earnestly desire my resurrected body, which will be free of physical pain. I won't be bald anymore. I won't be overweight anymore. I won't need glasses to watch television. I won't have to battle depression all the time. I won't limp when I walk because of radiculitis. I won't need to take prescription pain medications anymore for my neck pain. Hallelujah! Amen! What a glorious day that will be!!! Philippians 3:21, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

2nd Corinthians 5:5, “Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.” I love this Bible verse, which speaks of the gift of God's indwelling Holy Spirit. Every Christian believer immediately receives God's blessed Holy Spirit the moment they are born-again. In fact, it is the indwelling by Holy Spirit that is the new birth! The Bible calls the Holy Spirit the “earnest” of our inheritance. The English dictionary defines “earnest” as: “Something of value given by one person to another to bind a contract.” 

The Holy Spirit is God's earnest that He will make good on His purchase. 1st Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus (1st Peter 1:18-19). That simply means God's Spirit is the proof, the downpayment, the evidence, that we are saved. 1st John 3:24, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” What an awesome God and Savior!!!

As I mentioned earlier, I sometimes get frustrated when I pray, because I don't see results. I have learned the hard way that I must trust God, and lean not unto my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-7). We've all heard boasters, bragging about how God always answers their prayers. From what I've seen, most of those types of people are religious con artists, crooks in the pulpit, and live extravagant lives parasiting off of churchgoers! I'm talking about bonafide answers to prayer! I've heard people in churches all my life boast of answers to prayer, because someone gave them food, old clothes, even a used car. But I've had people give me those things when I didn't pray for any of it! God is good, please don't misunderstand. All good things are from God, even the very breath that we breathe (Acts 17:25).

But I'm talking about answers to prayer, like when the Egyptians had the Israelites corner by the Red Sea, and they were about to be put back into slavery. Moses prayed and God delivered them. I'm talking about answers to prayer, like when Peter was about to have his head cut off by Herod. The church was praying for his release. God delivered Him. James 5:17, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.” I love that Bible verse! Elijah was a normal man. Although he boldly stood up against the 450 prophets of Baal, Elijah fled in fear from one woman, Jezebel. What a witch! The city's stray dogs eventually had her for dinner, literally! 

Elijah became depressed. He was just an average Joe! Yet, the Bible says in lieu of his frail humanity, God gave Elijah what he prayed for. Do you know why Elijah wanted God to stop the rain for 42 months? It was to destroy Ahab's wine orchards! Elijah was a righteous man. God's man wanted his omnipotent God to do this for him, and He did. I often pray for God to humble the Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, for their own sakes. These neo-evangelical churches today are destroying people's lives with dangerous corrupt Bible revisions, and a counterfeit Lordship Salvation gospel which does not produce the new birth.

I wrote this article in my blog to encourage others to pray, sharing my own lack of faith at times and human weakness. Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” This Bible verse teaches that we ought not worry about anything; but instead, take everything to God in prayer. You don't have to pray long at all. Jesus said that God the Father already knows what we need, He just wants us to ask Him (Matthew 6:7-8). It is far better to pray for 10 seconds dear friend, then not to pray at all. If you are discouraged in your time spent in prayer, let me encourage you to pray for a few seconds here and there. That is a start! Hopefully in time, you will learn to pray throughout the day, as I do. 

Some people get down on their hands and knees and commit an hour or more a day to prayer. God bless them! That is how Evangelist Tom Williams said he prays. I believe him. I heard Pastor Tony Hutson say that his father, Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), used to lay prostrate on the floor in their home's bedroom, praying in humility to God. I love Dr. Hutson! I probably should do that too, but I don't. I pray without ceasing, all throughout the day, wherever I go. I am in constant physical pain in my body, and I cannot concentrate on my knees. It is torture for me. I know my God understands. Psalms 103:14, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” I learned at Hyles-Anderson College from my Bible teachers that: “Little prayer equals little power; much prayer equals much power.” Pastor Jack Hyles displayed signs all around him, which read: “Pray for power!” I do believe that God answers prayer, but I get discouraged when I don't see those answers. The important thing is to just keep praying. To pray is to trust God.

I have learned in my 53 years of life, and being saved for 40 years, that God's hand at work is not seen in weeks, months or even years, but in decades. I have concluded that God does this on purpose—to test our faith, shape our lives into Christ's image, and humble us. God is not a vending machine, where you put in a dollar, press a selection button, and get a soda. We must remember as saints that God is our heavenly Father. When my four children were young I loved them and wanted to give them things, to make them happy. When they asked for something, I didn't usually give them what they wanted right away, but that thought was on the back-burners in my mind. Eventually, I gave them what they requested, because I loved them. God does the same thing. When we ask Him for something, it is continually on His mind. 

So many people pray amiss, and not according to the Scriptures. 1st Timothy 6:6-8, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” This passage of Scripture teaches that we ought to be content with simply having food and clothing. Yet, many Americans are in massive debt because they are courteous, wanting far more than life's basic necessities. So then they pray for money, and it doesn't come. God is not your ATM machine! My prayers are mostly for my web visitors, for God to work in their hearts, as my words speak to their minds. I pray for my family. I pray for Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, and Pastor Herron's family. I pray for Lloyd Green (my favorite musician and his family). I pray for my pastor and his family. I pray for Pastor Jack Hyles' family. I pray for several dozen people regularly. I pray for God to please give me a wife. That is my only request from God today. The Lord takes good care of me, and I am grateful.

We walk by faith and not by sight the Bible says. That is very important to have engrained into your mind dear reader. We walk BY FAITH, and not BY SIGHT. Our seven weapons of spiritual warfare according to Ephesians 6:11-18 are: truth, prayer, salvation, Gospel, faith, righteousness, and the Word of God. It is a matter of faith, of trusting the promises of God. In the Old Testament Book of Esther “God” is not mentioned even one time, yet we see God's divine plan at work throughout Esther. The lesson is this—When you cannot see the HAND of God at work, trust the great HEART of God.