By Faith by Keith and Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend, 2009.

Verse 1: By faith we see the hand of God.
In the light of creation’s grand design.
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness,
Who walk by faith and not by sight.

Verse 2: By faith our fathers roamed the earth.
With the power of His promise in their hearts.
Of a holy city built by God’s own hand,
A place where peace and justice reign.

Chorus: We will stand as children of the promise.
We will fix our eyes on Him our soul’s reward.
Till the race is finished and the work is done,
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.

Observe: We see God’s hand in the beautiful symmetry of his creation, and in the miracle of the new birth of everyone who receives the gift of faith. Through the lens of faith, we see the beauty, even in the currently fallen creation, and the miracle of lives increasingly conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:19, 29; Ephesians 2:8).

Verse 2 tells us that, like Abraham and all those after him who, by faith, waited patiently for the “holy city build by God’s hand,” we also wait for the same city in the same way. (Genesis 13:3; Hebrews 11:10).  

With the eyes of faith that was once for all delivered to the saints, we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. Side by side in our generation, we continue trusting in God’s promise until our work and our race are done (Jude 3; 2 Timothy 4:7).

Verse 3: By faith the prophets saw a day.
When the longed-for Messiah would appear.
With the power to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant from the grave.

Our joyous cry on Resurrection Sunday, “He is risen, He is risen indeed!” celebrates the truth that the “longed-for Messiah” has appeared. On the cross, Jesus broke the enslaving “chains of sin and death” when he cried out, “It is finished.” And the proof was his resurrection, three days later (Romans 8:2; John 19:30; Luke 24:6). 

Verses 4 and 5 describe how we take the gospel to this dark and hurting world in the power of the Spirit. And when it seems that the flame of God’s truth is flickering and in danger of being extinguished, we are strengthened because the gospel is not about us; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16-17; 1 Corinthians 1:18).

As we pray for our world, as we share the gospel to those around us, we stand as children of the promise and run with endurance, even in our gloves and masks, because God has made this promise that Paul shares with us for our encouragement.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37–39, ESV).

Blessings, Pastor Don.