Harry:
Summer is normally a slow time for business for me, and this summer is no exception. As the summer heat rises, anxiety over finances rises.
As I prayed about my finances, God reminded me that faith pleases Him.
If I always had everything I wanted, I would have no need for faith. I would not need to pray to Him, think of His promises, or trust Him.
“…hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees?” Romans 8:24.
When we have everything, we do not have hope or faith, because we see what we have.
But when we do not have everything, we need hope or faith because we do not see what we need or want.
Although we squirm and are anxious when we do not see what we need or want, such uncomfortable feeling is not bad if it leads us to faith in God. Faith pleases God.
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.
Such lack of sight and need for faith should not be seen as an aberration or withholding of God’s blessing. The righteous live by faith. The righteous live by the lack of sight and the need for faith. Abraham did not see his children, and he needed faith that God would fulfill His promise and give him children. See Romans Chapter 4.
Hebrews 11 contain the Hall of Fame of the righteous who had faith. “And all these having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,” at the time at which they needed faith. Hebrews 11:39. Later, God fulfilled His promises to them.
All who gained approval of God experienced lack of sight as to what they need or wanted.
Does that mean that they were not blessed? On the contrary, their faith gave them the assurance and conviction that they would receive what they could not see. Hebrews 11:1. And their faith was reckoned to them as righteousness. In regards to Abraham, Romans 4:20-22 states: “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore also IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
In conclusion, we should not feel that lack of sight is strange and harmful. We should feel that it is part of life of the righteous. We should feel that lack of sight gives us an opportunity to have faith which pleases God.
We please God when we lack sight yet still trust Him. Let us thank God not only for what we receive but also for the opportunity to have faith when we do not see what we want or need.
“that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” I Peter 1:7.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 