Sometimes life is a breeze and everything seems to go according to our plans, but sometimes it seems to be a long, hard journey and we need encouragement along the way. A friend of mine was in that spot recently and needed direction. He craved a word from God because he felt restless in his soul, so he prayed till he got an answer
According to Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” My friend was exhibiting this kind of faith when he prayed his heartfelt prayer. Finally, after a long time on his knees, he got what he called a word from the Lord… “I have not abandoned you!”
Although it wasn’t what he was looking for, it was the reassurance that he needed. He was able continue to walk by faith, in spite of not being able to walk by sight. His problem didn’t go away, but he knew he wasn’t facing it alone.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” That’s what my friend was doing, but Indian boys have to learn to trust in order to enter manhood in their tribe.
There is a story about how a Cherokee boy is initiated into manhood. The father takes his adolescent child into the woods, blindfolds him, and tells him NOT to take the mask off until the next morning. Then his father leaves him and the child sits on a tree stump, waiting for daylight.
As he waits, he hears predators close by. He hears screams and howls in the distance. He fears because he believes his very life may be in danger. And yet, he stoically sits, waiting for the sun to rise. He wants to achieve manhood so desperately that he is willing to take whatever risk is needed in order to make the transition from Indian child to Indian brave.
When the morning sun warms his face, the child pulls off the mask and finds that his father has been sitting nearby on another stump all night long. It is then that he realizes he never was abandoned or totally left alone. His father was guarding him, without the child even being aware of his presence. The child has become a man and, in the process, has learned to walk by faith.
How like you and me? So often we feel left alone, but if truth be known, we are never without God’s care. We may wonder and hesitate to take the next step, but when we do, Our Father rewards us. We learn to walk by faith and not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” What we need is to learn to trust and obey, even if we are not sure of where He is leading. Know that God honors faith and He will take care of His own. If you can learn to trust Him, you will reap the rewards in this life and in the next. Why not start your journey of faith today?
