Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Michael Hopkins
17 minutes ago
6 min read

A Bible Study on Trusting God When You Cannot See the Way

Compiled with reflections from Pastor Michael Hopkins of Jehovah Saints

Introduction

There is a moment that comes to every believer, sooner or later, when the road ahead goes dark. The paycheck doesn't stretch far enough. The diagnosis doesn't make sense. The prayer doesn't seem to be answered on the timeline we hoped for. In those moments, we are faced with a choice that the Apostle Paul described nearly two thousand years ago:

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." — 2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)

This single verse is one of the shortest in the New Testament, yet it carries the weight of an entire way of life. It is not a suggestion. It is not a nice sentiment for a wall decoration. It is a description of how the people of God are meant to move through the world — trusting what God has said over what our eyes can currently confirm.

Pastor Michael Hopkins of Jehovah Saints often opens his teaching on this passage by reminding his congregation, "Sight will always ask you to wait until you understand. Faith asks you to move because God has already spoken." That distinction — between waiting for understanding and moving in obedience — is the heart of what we will study today.

Part One: What Faith Is (and What It Isn't)

Before we can walk by faith, we need a clear picture of what faith actually is. Hebrews gives us the clearest definition in all of Scripture:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." — Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

Notice the two words: substance and evidence. Faith is not wishful thinking. It is not pretending a problem doesn't exist. It is not closing our eyes to reality. Faith is substance — something real and solid — attached to things we hope for but cannot yet hold in our hands. It is evidence — proof strong enough to act on — for things we cannot yet see with our physical eyes.

This means biblical faith is never blind. It is anchored. It is anchored in the character of God, in His covenant promises, and in His track record throughout history. When Abraham left his homeland "not knowing whither he went" (Hebrews 11:8), he wasn't acting on a hunch — he was acting on a word God had spoken directly to him.

Faith is not the absence of questions. Faith is trusting God in the presence of them.

Reflection Questions

Where in your life right now are you being asked to move before you fully understand?
What has God already spoken — through Scripture, prayer, or the counsel of mature believers — that you can stand on?

Part Two: Why "Sight" Is Not Enough

Sight is a good gift from God — it is how we navigate daily life. But sight has real limitations. It can only perceive the present moment. It cannot see around corners, into tomorrow, or into the heart of another person. It is easily fooled by appearances.

Consider the twelve spies sent into Canaan in Numbers 13. Ten of them saw giants and fortified cities and concluded, "We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we" (Numbers 13:31). They were not lying about what they saw. The giants were real. The walls were real. But their sight-based report left out the one variable that mattered most: God had already promised them the land.

Caleb and Joshua saw the exact same giants and the exact same walls — but they also remembered the exact same promise. Their report was different not because their eyes were different, but because their faith was.

"Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it." — Numbers 13:30 (KJV)

I point to this passage when counseling members of Jehovah Saints who are facing overwhelming circumstances. He teaches that ten spies and two spies looked at the same evidence and reached opposite conclusions — because ten were led by sight, and two were led by the promise. The facts didn't change. The lens did.

Part Three: Biblical Examples of Walking by Faith

Abraham — Leaving Without a Map

Abraham left Ur "not knowing whither he went" (Hebrews 11:8), trusting a promise rather than a plan. He had no GPS, no itinerary, only a voice he trusted.

Moses — Facing Pharaoh Without a Backup Plan

Moses stood before the most powerful ruler on earth armed with nothing but a shepherd's staff and a word from God (Exodus 4:1-5). By sight, this was foolishness. By faith, it was obedience that split a sea.

Peter — Stepping Out of the Boat

When Jesus said "Come" (Matthew 14:29), Peter got out of a perfectly good boat and walked on water — until he "saw the wind boisterous" and began to sink (Matthew 14:30). This is one of the most instructive moments in Scripture: Peter's faith carried him further than sight ever could, and it was the shift back to sight — noticing the wind — that caused him to falter.

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

She had suffered twelve years and spent all she had on physicians who couldn't help her (Mark 5:25-26). By sight, her situation was hopeless. But she reasoned, "If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole" (Mark 5:28), and her faith — not her circumstances — determined her outcome.

Part Four: Practical Steps for Walking by Faith Today

Faith is not only a theological concept; it is a daily practice. Here are principles drawn from Scripture for cultivating a life that walks by faith rather than sight.

Feed your faith with the Word. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Faith grows in proportion to how much Scripture we take in.
Remember what God has already done. The Psalms are full of believers rehearsing God's past faithfulness to strengthen present trust (Psalm 77:11).
Pray honestly, including your doubts. The father of the demon-possessed boy prayed, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24). God welcomes honest faith, not performed certainty.
Obey the next step, not the whole staircase. God rarely reveals the entire plan at once. Abraham was told to go "unto a land that I will shew thee" (Genesis 12:1) — the destination came after the obedience, not before it.
Surround yourself with others who walk by faith. Pastor Michael Hopkins of Jehovah Saints frequently emphasizes that faith is contagious in community — just as fear spread among the ten spies, courage spread between Caleb and Joshua. He encourages believers to intentionally sit under teaching and fellowship that strengthens rather than erodes trust in God.

Part Five: A Closing Word

Walking by faith does not mean life will make sense. It does not mean the giants disappear or the storm goes quiet. It means we keep moving in obedience to what God has said, trusting His character even when our circumstances argue otherwise.

As Pastor Michael Hopkins is fond of closing his messages at Jehovah Saints: "God is not asking you to see the whole road. He is only asking you to trust the One who does."

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." — Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

Discussion Questions for Group Study

Describe a time when what you could see contradicted what you believed God had promised. How did you respond?
Read Numbers 13 together. What made Caleb and Joshua's report different from the other ten spies, even though they saw the same facts?
Peter began to sink the moment he "saw the wind." What are the "winds" that most often distract you from faith?
What is one area of your life right now where God may be asking you to take the next step without seeing the whole staircase?
How can your small group or church community help strengthen one another's faith, the way Joshua and Caleb stood together?