Not by sight but by faith.....

My funk returns....seems like I've been in a lot of funks lately, doesn't it? I know it is because it is my flesh warring with my Spirit. It frustrates me! I hate that I don't walk in the Spirit every day! Its so much easier when I do, but for some reason I get in these funks where I just can't seem to shake the flesh, I can't get my Spiritual eyes working and all I see is the "reality" of what I see, which is not the reality at all when you are a Believer and have the power that raised Christ from the dead with in you. Can't wait for the day that my flesh is gone and I forever get to live in my Spirit! Come on Jesus! I am ready!

But until that day, He obviously has more for me to do or I wouldn't be here. I have really been fighting the funk trying to come out of it. I fail more days than I succeed, but today is a day I am feeling victorious over the funk! :)

A couple of weeks ago, the funk, the cloud was thick! I begged God to speak at church, and He did. He started in the worship service. Because my times when I hear from him are so precious to me these days, I write it ALL down! We were singing a song with the lyrics, "Not by sight, but by faith, I believe you never fail. I will follow You in all Your ways...and stand and proclaim to the world Your saving Name."

As I sang that, God just impressed some truths on me.

1. It is only by faith and not sight that I can believe God never fails! Sight might say God failed because I didn't receive the outcome I thought would come or I desired. This has happened MANY times to me when walking by faith because in the end I had my focus on the wrong things. In hindsight, I can see where God totally came through despite an outcome because He changed me or grew me, but when I get down (or in a funk like now) I look at those things from the past and start to doubt that God will do what He has said He will do right now. But as I sang these words on this Sunday morning, God reminded me that I must look even at the past with eyes of faith and not sight! I HAVE to trust and follow. PERIOD.
2. I can ONLY stand and proclaim God's saving name to the world when I follow HIM in HIS ways! I can't follow Him in MY ways! His ways don't look like mine. His ways don't always make sense. His ways are hard sometimes. His ways are sure not the world's ways. Only in being different and standing up for Him do I glorify Him and who His power...and thus His saving name to a watching world.

Of course, as soon as I got home from church and life hit me in the face with six kids and a pregnancy, these things kind of faded. I hate that about myself right now! I listen to The Alter and the Door by Casting Crowns a lot right now because I think that is my life! I lose it somewhere between the alter and the door!

Today, though, I rest in the peaceful place of Jesus having met me right here, even in my funk, again! He has given me hope, given me a bit of joy and peace that I haven't felt for awhile. He has made the mountains before me look a little smaller. I will not worry about tomorrow for it will have enough trouble of its own!

Walking by faith...