2 Timothy 1:12 ‘..Nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.’

DAILY READING; • Acts 8:1b-25; Deuteronomy 33-34; Job 20

Brian Dickinson served for six years in the US Navy as a Special Operations Air Rescue Swimmer. Then in 2001, he began to pursue his passion for extreme sports and mountain climbing and set a goal to climb the highest peaks of the seven continents.
Brian not only fulfilled his goals but eventually became one of the only few people to have ever climbed Mount Everest all alone. However it was an experience where he only survived because of God’s grace.
In 2011, Brian set off on a climb to the summit of mount Everest, taking with him a Sherpa, who are local guides that usually assist climbers on the mountain.
Eventually they climbed up to an area known as “the death zone”, which was roughly 1,000 feet from the summit of Mount. At this point Brian’s Sherpa guide became ill and too weak to continue climbing and decided to turn back. This left Brian with a difficult decision to either go back too or continue climbing alone.
After carefully weighing the options, Brian chose to continue toward the summit—alone. Four hours later, he was able to finally reach the summit of Everest. It was an exhilarating moment!
After taking a few pictures, Brian got ready to begin his descent. However, at that moment disaster struck as the snow affected his sight and his vision became blurry and his eyes started to burn. Within seconds, he was rendered almost completely blind.
Brian was confronted with an impossible situation, being all alone at a height of 29,035 feet, low on oxygen, and stricken with snow blindness.
It took Faith and focus to keep him alive as he began the dangerous descent. Completely blind and unable to see his way forward, he began placing one deliberate step in front of the other. Though fear and panic tried to creep in, Brian felt the continued presence of God around him. At a point, he suffered a major fall and eventually ran out of supplemental oxygen. But through the whole ordeal, he just felt God’s calming presence and this kept him moving forward until he was finally able to get to the high camp where his other team members were.
His story is captured in his book, ‘Blind Descent’, which details his extraordinary experience on Everest, demonstrating that there is no challenge too big for God.

Brian’s story shows that when God’s presence is with you, no matter how impossible your physical circumstances, you will surely make it against all the odds.
In life’s journey we are called to walk by faith, not by sight. If we’re going to be a people of faith, not of fear, then our hearts must be dominated more by what is written in God’s Word than what is happening around us.
Faith is not moved by obvious facts, rather it looks at defiant circumstances and decides to trust God against all odds.

In 1Kings 18, right in the middle of a famine, Elijah declared, “I hear the sound of an abundance of rain”. That’s faith.
Elijah spoke those words in a place and a time where there had not been one drop of rain from the sky or on the ground, in over three years.
Significantly, Elijah didn’t say he ‘saw’, he said he ‘heard’.
If we are going to experience abundance in the coming year, then we have to prepare our minds to hear God above the drought and discouragements we may see around us in the world.
To walk by faith will require a decision to daily spend quality time in God’s Word because faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God.
Today, with the increasing uncertainty in the world, we can only make true progress by depending more on the inward witness of the Spirit, than the outward things we see.
Therefore one of our major preparations for the coming year is to learn to walk by faith, not by sight.
Walking by faith means total dependence upon God, trusting Him with our lives and believing He will lead us aright.
We have to abide by the statement of confidence in God found in 2 Timothy 1:12, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

Despite, the increasing pandemic, economic downturns and global instability, we can be absolutely certain that God’s Presence will preserve us. We are persuaded that God is indeed able to take care of our lives committed to Him.
Therefore, in every situation, let us continue to praise and bless God for His presence in our lives, which is our strong anchor and confidence no matter happens in the world..

PRAYER: Lord,. Please help me to always trust in Your guidance, as I go through the journey of life. Enable me to always walk by faith and not by sight, knowing that indeed You are leading me to my high places in life, in Jesus Name.

QUOTE
It is only when you can see God in the light of who He truly is that you can begin to walk in the overflow of His blessings. – WORDBITE 222.