Walk by Faith

We walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Imagine if a glowing angel of the Lord descended upon you and told you to to follow a star to find a newborn Savior lying in manger. Wouldn't you be terrified like the shepherds in Bethlehem were? Would you question God or even ignore Him completely?

The Wise Men and the shepherds heard the Lord's call. But they did not stop there!!! They answered the call. They had faith. It takes a lot of faith to leave your work and sheep to do the will of God. It takes a lot of faith to give your best gifts away for the Lord.

It would have been so easy for the shepherds to ignore the angel and God. But they didn't. They obeyed God AND they were completely willing to do so. They were filled with joy at the glad tidings of a newborn King. They didn't question God, but rather they trusted that, as always, God would come through.

The Wise Men, too, had to set aside all their knowledge and logic and trust God. Even they were not wise enough to know all the answers. There was no explanation for the magnificent star. God alone is capable of creating such inexplicable wonders. The Wise Men did not follow their minds to Jesus Christ. They followed their hearts and the star. They traveled over field and fountain, moor and mountain to behold the glorious Savior. Years of wisdom could not have brought them the fulfillment that the baby Jesus brought them in one instant.

Today, we would like to think that we are rational and intelligent. We are constantly advancing technologically and expanding our knowledge. We can explain a lot...but not everything. We simply cannot deny the fact that some things are inexplicable. Some things are just God's miracles. The star. The Virgin Mary. Jesus's Incarnation. Jesus's life. Jesus's RESURRECTION! A White Christmas in Texas (just kidding...kind of). The list goes on and on. 

We don't have all the answers. Sometimes we just need to walk by faith, not by sight. And every single one of us has the ability to do so. All we have to do is set aside logic and reasoning for one instant and accept that some things are inexplicable mysteries. Whether we tend sheep or possess the wealth and knowledge of the Magi, Christ's star is shining upon us. God is inviting us to follow Him. Rich or poor, young or old, unintelligent or genius, WE CAN WALK ALL WALK BY FAITH. 

The moment we stop trying to explain God's mysteries, we are able to trust completely in the Lord. Like the shepherds and Wise Men, we need only cast aside our doubts and walk by faith to come face-to-face with our Savior.