Lately, God has been reshaping my view of faith and I’ve come to understand that faith is not just a belief, although that’s part of it. Most importantly, faith is an action.
We see that demonstrated in James 2:26 which says that faith without works is dead. God is looking for us to demonstrate our faith by stepping into the unknown with the assurance that He will be faithful to fulfill his promises.
Stepping Into the Unknown
We see this demonstrated in Joshua 1. In this passage of scripture, Moses had just died and God tells Joshua that he will be the one to lead the people over the Jordan River and into the promised land.
Joshua 1:2 — “Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.”
What’s fascinating about this portion of scripture is that God doesn’t give Joshua a lot of details. He doesn’t say when or how it’s going to happen. In fact, he really doesn’t give him any instructions at all.
To put this into perspective, at this point, the Israelites have been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years! They’ve waited a long time to step into the promise that God gave them through Moses. They are preparing to finally enter into the promise, and the land they are getting ready to enter is already occupied by their enemies! Now God is commissioning Joshua to go forth without any clear instructions. It’s kind of a big deal.
Now, I don’t know about you, but when I’m going into unfamiliar territory, I want details. I want specifics! I want to know as much as possible before making any decisions so I can be sure about what I’m getting myself into. How much more might Joshua have felt this way for a situation of this magnitude!
Trusting in God’s Plan
Although it sounds ideal, having this much detail in advance is not all it’s chopped up to be. For starters, if we always knew exactly what to do and exactly how God’s plan would come to pass, we would never have an opportunity to exercise our faith in the One who created us. But God in His grace allows us these moments to strengthen our trust in Him and to truly know Him as Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider.
Not only that, but knowing too much in advance may even deter us from pursuing God’s plan in the first place. Much like the Israelites in Exodus and Numbers, who often longed for Egypt as they journeyed through the wilderness, we too can find ourselves yearning for familiar habits and environments when faced with the discomfort of the unknown. They often considered returning to Egypt, the place of their slavery, just to escape that discomfort!
Numbers 14:2-4 – “All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, ‘If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? … Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?’”
If the Israelites had known exactly what was in store for them from the beginning, and that the land of their promise was already occupied, they surely would have chosen to stay in bondage in Egypt. In so doing, they would have missed out entirely on the beautiful promise that God had in store for them.
Walking by Faith
So then, what exactly does it look like for us to “walk by faith and not by sight” as instructed in 2 Corinthians 5:7? To unpack that, let’s take a look at a scripture in Psalms.
Psalm 37:23 — “A person’s steps are established by the Lord.”
The word “established” here means to make firm or stable. It also means to be securely determined. In other words, God makes our steps secure!
Notice also how this verse says “a person’s steps.” We are the ones who make the steps, not God! This is exactly what Joshua did when he considered the commission that God gave him to cross the river Jordan.
Joshua 1:10-11 — “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get provisions ready for yourselves, for within three days you will be crossing the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you to inherit.’”
When Joshua issued this order, he didn’t receive another word from the Lord. All he knew is what God had originally told him: to lead the people across the Jordan and into the promised land. What an incredible act of faith!
Many times, when we are faced with the discomfort of the unknown, we are looking for God to tell us exactly where to go and exactly what to do, just like Joshua may have felt after receiving God’s instruction. However, this is not usually how God works. Even when we can’t see where we going or how things are going to turn out, He wants us to trust that He will establish our steps. That’s where walking by faith and not by sight comes in!
We see an adjacent theme in Proverb 3:6.
Proverb 3:6 — “In all your ways know the Lord, and he will make your path straight.”
Here again, God establishes our path. By doing so, he ensures that we will have victory as we pursue his promise. He does not, however, always provide the exact way we are to move toward that purpose. Either way, we can be confident that He is clearing the way.
I also want to point out that this is not a size-one-fits-all type of scenario. There are certainly times when God will give us specific instructions for the way he wants something accomplished. We see that exemplified in his instructions for building the tabernacle.
Exodus 25:8-9 – “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.”
Again, however, this is not the primary way that God instructs us, especially when the purpose is to increase our faith.
Faith in Action
From these examples, we see that faith is not just a belief—it’s action! Like Joshua, we may not always have all the details, but we can trust that God is leading us toward his promise when we seek Him first.
Even when we don’t have the full picture, our Heavenly Father does, and “He delights in every detail of [our] lives” (Psalm 37:23). For this reason, we can walk in faith with assurance that God will not forsake us and that He will be faithful to fulfil his promises.
I’d love to hear your thoughts as well! How have you had to step out in faith without knowing what’s ahead? How did God show up for you? I can’t wait to hear your beautiful testimonies! Share your experience in the comments!
And, if this message encouraged you, share it with a friend who needs to be reminded that faith is an action.
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