Good morning. It’s Thursday, February 5th, aka National Optimist Day.

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

— 2 Corinthians 5:7

Have you ever walked up the stairs in the dark, the kind where you can’t even see your hand in front of your face?

When you did that, you were technically walking by faith. Even though you couldn’t see the stairs, you trusted they were still there.

Which is what this verse calls us to do:

“For we live by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

Paul wrote this to Christians in Corinth to explain that while we are still living in this body and not yet with the Lord, we live by faith, not by sight.

Before we talk more about this verse, let’s look at the verses before and after it, because the context helps us understand what Paul is really saying.

“Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:6)

“We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)

The verses before and after explain what Paul means by “faith” and “sight.” In verse 6, he says believers are living in their bodies and are not yet with the Lord, which means they do not see Him face to face. In verse 8, he points to the future, when believers will be with the Lord. Verse 7 sits in between those two ideas and explains how we are meant to live in the meantime. Because we don’t see God yet, we live by faith, not by sight.

The rest of the Bible teaches this same idea. Proverbs 3:5 tells us to trust the Lord instead of leaning on our own understanding. Hebrews 11:1 explains that faith means trusting what we hope for, even when we can’t see it yet. Again and again, Scripture shows that God calls people to trust Him while they wait, not after everything is revealed.

Living by faith, not by sight, is like walking up the stairs in the dark. Even when you can’t see them, the stairs are still there, and God is too.

When you’re not sure how to pray, A.C.T.S. gives you a simple path to follow: Adore, Confess, Thank, and Ask.

Adoration: God, You are faithful even when I can’t see You.

Confession: Forgive me for trusting my sight more than trusting You.

Thanksgiving: Thank You for always being there for me.

Supplication: Help me live by faith, not by sight.

In Jesus name, Amen

“Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin

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Thanks for letting us be a part of how you start your day with God.

See you tomorrow,

Zach | Start With God