Those Who Have Not Seen

Blessed are those who have not seen, yet have believed.
John 20:29

How important it is for God to keep us focused on things
that are unseen, for we are so easily snared by the things
we can see! If Peter was ever going to walk on the water, 
he had to walk, but if he was going to swim to Jesus, he
had to swim. He could not do both. If a bird is going to
fly, it must stay away from fences and trees, trusting the
buoyancy of its wings. And if it tries to stay within easy
reach of the ground, it will never fly very well.

God had to bring Abraham to the end of his own strength
and let him see that with his own body he could do noth-
ing. He had to consider his body "as good as dead" 
(Heb 11:12) and then trust God to do all the work. When
he looked away from himself and trusted only God, he
became "fully persuaded that God had power to do what
he had promised." (Rom 4:21)

This is what God is teaching us, and He has to keep results 
that are encouraging away from us until we learn to trust 
Him without them. Then He loves to make His Word as real 
to us in actuality as it is in our faith.
AB Simpson 1844-1919

Reader, these days we have visuals of just about every-
thing at our fingertips. I have been in very few churches
that cast themselves on God for a thing. Most of the patri-
archs suffered for years as they awaited the promise.
Those in the first century who stopped waiting, stopped
watching, missed their Messiah. God will fulfill all of
His promises--without our help. That is the kicker!