Back in 1981, I read a little booklet called Let Go. It was a small compilation of profound devotional writings by a Christian leader from the 17th century, named François Fénelon. I literally “devoured” that book, marking it up, highlighting it so much that the ink bled through to the other pages. It ministered to me deeply back then and it has continued to minister to me over the past 25+ years.

With all that is going on in our world today, it would be very easy to be overcome with fear, worry and anxiety. But as followers of Christ, we don’t have to give in to those temptations to be fearful or anxious. Why? Because our Father in Heaven loves us “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). I pray this little devotional from Fénelon will minister to you in the days, weeks, months and even years ahead. Let it bring comfort to your soul, serenity to your heart and peace to your mind!

Working tirelessly, passionately and joyfully to spread the glory of God among the nations of the world,
Paul

“Pure Faith Sees God Alone”
By Francois Fenelon (Christian leader from the 17th Century)

Do not worry about the future. It makes no sense to worry if God loves you and has taken care of you. However, when God blesses you remember to keep your eyes on Him and not the blessing.

Enjoy your blessings day by day just as the Israelites enjoyed their manna, but do not try to store the blessings for the future. There are two peculiar characteristics of pure faith. It sees God behind all the blessings and imperfect works which tend to conceal Him**, and it holds the soul in a state of continued suspense. Faith seems to keep us constantly up in the air, never quite certain of what is going to happen in the future; never quite able to touch a foot to solid ground.

But faith is willing to let God act with the most perfect freedom, knowing that we belong to Him and are to be concerned only about being faithful in that which he has given us to do for the moment. This moment by moment dependence, this dark unseeing peacefulness of the soul under the utter uncertainty of the future, is a true martyrdom which takes place silently and without any stir. It is God’s way of bringing a slow death to self. And the end comes so imperceptibly that it is often almost as much hidden from the sufferer himself, as from those who don’t even know he suffers.

Sometimes in this life of faith God will remove His blessings from you. But remember that He knows how and when to replace them, either through the ministry of others or by Himself. He can raise up children from the very stones.

Eat then your daily bread without worrying about tomorrow. There is time enough tomorrow to think about the things tomorrow will bring. The same God who feeds you today is the very God who will feed you tomorrow. God will see to it that manna falls again from Heaven in the midst of the desert, before His children lack any good thing.

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:30-34 ESV)

**Personal Note: In other words, pure faith does not see the neighbor who succeeds in hurting us nor the disease that attacks our bodies. Picture yourself standing behind a large piece of plate glass. This big sheet of glass has spots and smudges and imperfections all over it. A person can either look AT the glass and focus on all of the imperfections ON the glass. Or they can look THROUGH the glass and focus what is on the other side of the glass. When you focus your attention upon what is ON the glass, you will see a thousand flaws and imperfections that will annoy you. But faith does not focus its attention upon what is ON the glass, but rather looks THROUGH the glass to the other side. What faith discovers on the other side is God, and what God sovereignly permits, faith can joyfully accept.

(Taken from Let Go , Letter 14 by Fenelon – Whitaker House)