Season 20 Episode 65 Walking Without Sight #RTTBROS #Nightlight #BiblicalWisdom #ChristianWisdom "For we walk by faith, not by sight." — 2 Corinthians 5:7 There is a man most people have never heard of, and I think that is a shame, because his story deserves to be told. His name was James Holman, and he was born in Exeter, England in 1786 with perfect eyesight and a restless, adventurous heart. He joined the Royal Navy at twelve years old, and by twenty-one he had worked his way up to lieutenant. Then, somewhere off the coast of America, a mysterious illness began to take hold. His legs swelled, his ankles became inflamed, and the pain became unbearable. He was sent home to England as an invalid. And if that was not enough, within weeks of arriving home, his eyesight began to fail, and he lost his sight completely. Now, in early nineteenth century England, that was considered the end of the road. Blind people were expected to beg on the street with a rag tied around their eyes so they would not upset passersby. The world had essentially written James Holman off. But Holman refused to read that chapter. He put on his naval uniform, refused to wear a blindfold, picked up a metal-tipped walking cane, and walked out the door. Literally. He taught himself to navigate by echolocation, listening to the tap of his cane bouncing off walls and curbs and strangers passing by. And then he just kept going. He crossed France. He climbed Mount Vesuvius. He traveled through Siberia, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. By the time it was all said and done, Holman had traveled more than 250,000 miles, visiting every inhabited continent. By his death in 1857, the total distance he had covered was equal to traveling to the moon. He did all of it blind, in constant pain, with little money, and no one to lead him. He became, by any honest measure, the most widely traveled explorer in human history. I am too soon old and too late smart on this one, but I keep coming back to the same thought when I sit with this story. We spend so much energy waiting until we can see clearly before we take the next step. We want the whole picture before we move. We want guarantees. We want the path lit up from beginning to end. But God rarely works that way. He gives us enough light for the next step, and He asks us to trust Him with the rest. The Apostle Paul did not write "we walk by sight, and occasionally by faith when necessary." He said, "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). That is not a suggestion. That is a description of what the Christian life actually looks like from the inside. James Holman could not see a single step of his journey, and yet he moved forward anyway. How much more can we, who have the Holy Spirit as our guide and the Word of God as a lamp unto our feet, trust the One who holds the whole road in His hands? Whatever you are facing tonight that feels dark and uncertain, take the next step. He knows the way even when you cannot see it. Let's pray: Father, forgive us for standing still because we cannot see the whole path. Give us the courage to walk by faith and not by sight, trusting that You have gone before us and You will not leave us. In Jesus' name, Amen. #Faith #WalkByFaith #ChristianWisdom #BiblicalWisdom #DailyDevotion #TrustGod #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #Nightlight Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe, it helps get the word out. https://linktr.ee/rttbros Reflection Questions: 1. What area of your life right now are you waiting for more clarity before you take a step of faith? 2. How does the story of James Holman challenge the way you think about limitations and what God can do through them? 3. What would it look like practically for you to "walk by faith, not by sight" this week in one specific situation? Call to Action: Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe, it helps get the word out. https://linktr.ee/rttbros
