Trusting, Not Seeing

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of
what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

It was at a Bible conference in Japan in 1956 where I heard
Bill Pape teach on faith. One of his statements stayed with me over these many
years. It was, “Faith requires ignorance.”

Recently,* I received a letter from a man named Gary, a Young
Life staffer in San Jose.

Let me quote them both, starting with Gary.

“It became quickly apparent that I had indeed relied very
heavily on clarity and detail when it came to seeking God’s answers. Whether
for myself or for those I work with, I was guilty of wanting clear answers and
direction as the ultimate assurance of God’s will.

“I began to consider people in the Bible that God directed.
It seemed that in almost all cases He gave them only enough information to take
the next step. ‘Leave your family and go to a far country that I will show
you,’ ‘Stay in the city for three days until I send someone to you,’ ‘Stay in
Jerusalem until I send the Holy Spirit,’ ‘I will tell you what to say when you
need it,’ ‘Do not concern yourself with him; follow Me.’ I wonder how many of
Jesus’ disciples would have followed Him if He gave them details of what would
happen if they did. Perhaps it is out of love that He spares us many details.

“On my last Beyond Hiking trip, we had to cross a steep
glacier field. It was very foggy, and in fact we could only see the person
directly ahead of us. In spite of the conditions, we trusted the guides and the
ropes that connected us. It was enough to follow in the steps of the one
leading. On our return trip, it had cleared, and I was very glad that I had
been unaware of the crevasses and other dangers that surrounded us on that trip
up. It was clarity in this case that produced fear and doubt and
made it harder to focus on the path. Why then, are we so concerned with clarity
when we pray?

“We do not always know where the road will lead, but it is
enough to know the One who leads!”

Back to Bill Pape on faith: “Suppose Daniel had the book of
Daniel for reading the night he spent in the lions’ den. ‘I’m glad this is
going to turn out all right!’”

Trusting requires not knowing, not seeing.

*Written October 1999.

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