Article May 28, 1921 Issue

Faith versus Sight

FERN S. HAWORTH

IN human experience one often finds to-day, as did the patriarch Abraham, that the call comes to go out to a land that "I will shew thee," that we know not of. The tendency of the human mind is to wish first to see the result of any particular action; but God requires that we act in obedience to divine direction, before the promise of blessing can be fulfilled, and "sufficient unto the day" is confirmed in the quiet words of Jesus of Nazareth: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." How can we know when a step is ordered by the Lord? The nature of Truth is to bring peace and joy, and when the false arguments of doubt which disturbs, and self will which resists, are silenced, we find that the light "which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" is with us; for, as Mrs. Eddy so well expresses it in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 117), "God is the fountain of light, and He illumines one's way when one is obedient."

It is worthy of note that Abraham, the representative of fidelity to Principle, rendered willing response to the divine requirement and obediently left his own country and kindred, literally walking by faith rather than by sight. The first thing he did on arriving at the appointed place was to build an altar unto the Lord, and to call upon the name of the Lord, typifying the sacrificing of the material self and acknowledging the supremacy of God, good, thus making life sacred, as the word denotes. With this selfless attitude and full allegiance to Principle, it was inevitable that the result could only be an increase of spiritual understanding on each occasion, which appeared humanly as plentiful supply, for we read that "Abram was very rich" and "their substance was great." Having done his part, paying his tithes, fulfilling God's will and purpose for him, he experienced the confirmation of the promise, "Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." If Abraham had hesitated, through fear or through desire to know the outcome, he could not have experienced these results, because doubt, hesitancy, and fear are qualities of the carnal mind, which produce want and stagnation, and cannot cognize good.

One beautiful proof of selflessness in Abraham was evident when there arose a dispute between his herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen, and the decision was made to go in different directions; for he said to his nephew, "If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left." A whole-hearted desire to do the will of God, and let His purpose be fulfilled in us can always well afford to leave a decision to those who deem it important to choose, and accept the other course whenever such occasions arise. As God, Principle, remains eternally the same, we need have no fear, for He is to us, as to Abraham, our shield and "exceeding great reward."

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