May 30 – Fertile Lives (2 Corinthians 5:1-7)

“We live by faith, not by sight.”(2 Corinthians 5:7)

IN WORD:
Most of us try to get through life on human wisdom. Some of us succeed. Others of us make so many mistakes that we die with innumerable regrets. If only we could get guidance from above, we would get this “life” stuff right. If only we could hear the voice of the One who knows. If only.
The truth is that we can. The Voice has spoken. His words are available to us. But there’s a catch. We have to be willing to obey it. Otherwise, we won’t have what Jesus calls “ears to hear.” Those who obey what they already know of God have their ears opened to more; and those who have their ears open are readily obedient. It’s a precious cycle, conceived in the mind of God: Obedience begets hearing, which begets obedience, which begets hearing, which . . . You get the picture.
The life of faith is a life of obedience, and a life of obedience is a life of faith. The root of the problem is that most of us have trouble, however minor it may be, with obedience. We lose our “ears to hear,” and as a result, we fall back on human wisdom. Our lives never match those of the biblical heroes. Why? Human wisdom would not have pushed Abraham up a hill to sacrifice his son; it would not have led God’s people to the edge of the Red Sea with an army in pursuit; it would not have marched around Jericho 7 times and blasted a trumpet for the wall to fall; it would not have matched David with Goliath in the valley; and most strikingly, human wisdom would not have vilified the Son of God on a cross in order to save a wretched race.

IN DEED:
Really, when it comes down to it, would you prefer to live by human logic that results from losing your ears to hear? Or would you prefer the cutting-edge, risky-but-real life of a true, radical believer? The answer isn’t clear for everyone. But we’ve seen who lasts. Your Bible is full of their stories. They lived by faith, not by sight.

“You honor Jesus when you act in faith on His Word.”
-Ed Cole-