The Lutheran Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States "God Pause Daily Devotion" for Wednesday, 10 June 2015 - Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10

The Lutheran Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States "God Pause Daily Devotion" for Wednesday, 10 June 2015 - Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:6 So we are always confident — we know that so long as we are at home in the body, we are away from our home with the Lord; 7 for we live by trust, not by what we see. 8 We are confident, then, and would much prefer to leave our home in the body and come to our home with the Lord.

9 Therefore, whether at home or away from home, we try our utmost to please him; 10 for we must all appear before the Messiah’s court of judgment, where everyone will receive the good or bad consequences of what he did while he was in the body.[Complete Jewish Bible]

Walking by faith and not by sight is a vivid turn of phrase. I recall acollege misadventure of a camping excursion on the Oregon coast. Our equipment borrowed from the student center lacked some important key items. We improvised with sticks, belts, shoelaces, purse straps and the like and settled in for an uncomfortable night's rest.
Then a cold persistent rain set upon us. The tents leaked and we awoke half-submerged in standing water with a persistent drip-drip-drip on the forehead. Finally, we decided to head back to the car and spend the rest of a dark, cold night in that relative shelter.
Our bare feet went numb as we stumbled and crawled trying to find that car in the dark. We came close to falling off a cliff until the sound of rushing water gave us direction and got us back on the path.
We all walk through this world stumbling and bumbling around at times. We don't have all the resources we think we need. We grow numb to the dangers. Mistakes can be costly if not death-dealing.
Yet God continues to call and sustain us in our baptisms. The water reminds us and gives us direction. It leads us on the path. It sustains us to the point of death and beyond.
God, give us faith that trumps our limited and misleading sight. Amen.
Karl Hester
Pastor, Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Salem, Ore.
Master of Divinity , 2001
2 Corinthians 5:6 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord—
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
8 Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
10 For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.[New Revised Standard Version]
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