Paul’s letter this week reminds us that “we walk by faith, not by sight.” How many of us figure we are in control and can plan the future the way we think it should go, without even consulting with God as to what he thinks is best for us? Paul says, “we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away.” Do we? How about in our political life?
Do we allow our faith to guide us toward the future or do we figure we are in charge of our own destiny, with God as a mere footnote? He later adds that, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.” How often do we hear from some that “once saved, always saved”? Yet that contradicts what Paul is saying. We still need to respond to God’s call, as we heard last week when Jesus says, “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Doing the will of God is not a one-time thing but an ongoing experience of our relationship with God. Like the seed that grows and sprouts. Does it have fertile space for growth, or do we have the path choked with weeds?
Countenance of God 