Is Seeing Believing?

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith,

not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:6-7

 

 

Today’s headlines included

• the health and academics of Pennsylvania kids dropping,
• violence in Syria (nothing new),
• Snowden finding, not just refuge, but friends in South America because of their anti-Obama politics, and
• wild fires in Colorado.

I am one of those people who still sits down every morning with a cup of tea and my local newspaper. I have done it for years.

The thought of sitting at my computer to read the news is completely unappealing to me but reading the news is essential.

Sometimes I have to admit that the paper just aggravates me because I think they sensationalize things – like bad weather, and they downplay major events- like war-like actions that appear on page A-8. I often wonder who makes these decisions but I never cancel the subscription.The biggest problem with this is that it can be downright depressing. I wouldn’t want to be near the protests in Syria and Turkey or part of the Islamist cruelty in Nigeria. I wouldn’t want Italy’s economic problems or to have to worry about a suicide bomber every time I left my home to go grocery shopping. But closer to home isn’t all the pretty to read about either.

When we read the newspaper, or even news off the internet, as Christians it can be hard to see what is happening and not feel like Habakkuk when he asked God,

“O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.” Habakkuk 1:2-4

God answers Habakkuk telling him that He already has a plan that Habakkuk isn’t going to believe. God is not going to resolve the issues in the culture in a way Habakkuk would have planned it – and He won’t worry about whether or not we think He is right either.

In the final chapter of the book Habakkuk remembers God’s glory and His mercy, His splendor and His power. Habakkuk makes a conscious decision to live by faith and not by sight. By sight it appeared that God was unaware but by faith He was able to hear God speak and remember His goodness. His final words are these,

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,  yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. ” Habakkuk 3:17-19.

We all have our preferred methods of getting the news: the paper, TV, Internet, or word of mouth. They all bring us the same discouraging stories of violence, human frailty, and disappointment. Like Paul in the lead verse from 2 Corinthians, are we always of good courage because we are walking by faith? Even when the events are closer to home or way more personal, are we seeing them through the eyes of faith? Do we recognize that, as His children, God will use every difficult circumstance for our good?

Do we believe the newspapers more than we believe the bible?