March 27 Daily Devotional

Bible Verse

"We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Devotional

This walk of faith takes in all the little circumstances of every day's history—a walking every step by faith; a looking above trials, above necessities, above perplexities, above improbabilities and impossibilities, above all second causes; and, in the face of difficulties and discouragements, going forward, leaning upon God.

If the Lord were to roll the Red Sea before you, and marshal the Egyptians behind you, and thus—hemming you in on every side—should yet call you to advance, it would be the duty and the privilege of faith instantly to obey, trusting that, before your feet touched the water, God would divide the sea and take you dry-shod over it.

This is the only holy and happy life of a believer. If you for a moment leave this path and try to walk by sight, difficulties will throng around you, troubles will multiply, the smallest trials will become heavy crosses, temptations to depart from the simple and upright walk will increase in number and power, your heart will sicken at disappointment, the Holy Spirit will be grieved, and God will be dishonored.

Keep this precious truth ever before your mind, "We walk by faith, not by sight."

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul."
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul.
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.

My sin—O the bliss of this glorious thought!—
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.

O Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
"Even so"—it is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.

(Horatio G. Spafford, 1828–1888)

Be sure to read the "Preface" by Octavius Winslow and "A Note from the Editor" by Larry E. Wilson.

Larry Wilson is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. In addition to having served as the General Secretary of the Committee on Christian Education of the OPC (2000–2004) and having written a number of articles and booklets (such as "God's Words for Worship" and "Why Does the OPC Baptize Infants") for New Horizons and elsewhere, he has pastored OPC churches in Minnesota, Indiana, and Ohio. We are grateful to him for his editing of Morning Thoughts, the OPC Daily Devotional for 2011.