LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Believing and Trusting without Seeing
"And he was transfigured before them ... Then Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only ... Jesus said unto him, Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed ... But the just shall live by faith ... But without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Matt. 17:2, 8; John 20:29; Rom. 1:17; Heb. 11:6).
Those who have passed through the holy mountain can return, with new power, to the common things of life. They carry with them the truth that, behind the ordinary things, there is the light that shone on the mount of transfiguration.
Happy are those who, with Peter, can say upon the mount: "Lord, it is good for us that we are here" - and then, without a word over the boughs, go down into the valley with him. And seeing him rebuke the devil, repeat: "Lord, it is good for us to be here too". Whether on the mountain, in the valley, or at home, wherever he is, it is good to be.
There are some to whom visions are not granted, nor moments upon the high mountain full of glory, which was never seen on land or sea. Those are not to envy the men who received vision. It may be that the vision is given to strengthen an otherwise weak faith.
There are people who manage to live in situations that others call 'common', and, besides living, they also learn to trust. To such people the Master says: "Blessed are those who did not see and believed". The dawn will reveal the reason why the vision is given to one and not to others.
Yet, if anyone wishes to have an experience like that of those men on the holy mountain, it should never be forgotten that most of the apostles did not share in that experience, and yet they did His will and came to their holy home, and their names flash with splendor upon the foundations of the city that God is building.
Let those who have had no vision continue to trust in Him. Let those who have had a vision, walk in his light; but remember that more precious than the vision is that which remains when the vision passes away: the common heritage of all the apostles: "Jesus alone". (G. Campbell Morgan).