Have you ever had a tune in your head and it just wouldn’t leave? Well, I’m on my third day and the same tune spontaneously pops into a whistle every morning and every afternoon. The funny thing is, I don’t know all the words. It’s a relatively new song for me, written by Keith Getty, but the tune is haunting and always ends with the phrase, “We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.”

The reference point for the phrase is from Scripture of course:

We live by faith, not by sight. II Corinthians 5:7

Today as I finished reading a Christian novel, one of the characters referred to the same verse. It’s like the Lord was determined I should use this verse today. 

In these recent blogs, we’ve been thinking about the fears of our society. I can think of no better verse to guide our thinking. Though we don’t understand all that is happening, the Lord asks us to trust Him, to walk by faith and not by sight.

This verse is in the New Testament, but the essence of it held true in King David’s day, as well. David faced many fearful situations with courage in the strength of the Lord.

David had his faults, by in spite of his failures, it was said of David that “he was a man after God’s own heart.” So many of his songs (psalms) were prayers to God, prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of confession, or passionate pleas to help him overcome his fear.

When did all this faith in God begin? How did it progress? What can we learn from David? Segments of David’s life will be the subject of our series for the next few weeks. 

Step with me back to the time of Samuel, the priest. The people have cried for a king, but Samuel knew the danger of depending on a king rather than depending on God. (Does this not sound like our day?)

Samuel warned the people:

“Be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king (or president) will be swept away.” I Samuel 12:24-25

God did allow the people to have a king, and reluctantly Samuel agreed to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel. King Saul, though head and shoulders taller than others, was about as reluctant as Samuel to take on this task.

Over time, Saul grew in confidence and won many battles. However, he also grew in self importance and defied a command of God.

 Samuel had to bring the news to Saul that he had acted foolishly.

“Now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after God’s own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command. I Samuel 13:14

Along with trust and faith, the Lord demands obedience.

Thus, God chose David and so begins our next series. We will search for ways we see David seeking faith in spite of what he sees.

May you have that tune ringing in your head this week; “We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.”

~ Joyce ~