Christians believe that, in some sense of the words, we can "see" God. We do not think of this, of course, as seeing with our physical eyesight. Nor do we think of it in that other common use of seeing, when we see things in our imagination or understand our actions, intentions, or desires with our mind. "I see" can cover all of those. But it cannot really be used of God, because we do not see him with our eyes, cannot really imagine what he is like, and cannot comprehend him with our minds. So eye, imagination, and intellect are not the means by which we can be said to see God.
Yet Scripture says that the pure in heart shall see God (Matthew 5:8). How can that be? The Scripture cannot lead us astray.
In fact, we often believe things that we have not seen and cannot imagine: that Rome was founded by Romulus, or Constantinople by Constantine; that our parents conceived us, and that we have different and distant ancestors. Now we cannot know these things by sight (we were not around when they happened) nor by our mental reasoning or insight. We have to accept them on the testimony of someone else.
That someone must, of course, be seen by us as trustworthy, and his testimony must not contradict what we have learned from other sources, already accepted as trustworthy. So things about God that we are shown or told by the testimony of others cannot be accepted if they contradict the Bible.
So what is the connection between seeing and believing? Is the former what we do with something that is present and the latter what we do with something that is absent?
But it is not that simple. After all, I can see with my physical eyes, and hear with my physical ears, someone who is actually present with me as he tries to persuade me to do something. Whether I actually do what he wants or not depends not on his physical presence, nor on my physical awareness of it, but on whether I believe him or not.
And that, in turn, depends on whether the authority by which he urges me to do something seems trustworthy. This is why we believe what the Bible tells us about the creation, or about the resurrection of Jesus, even though we have not seen them with our eyes. We believe the witness to be trustworthy.
So knowledge consists of things seen and things believed. Of the things we see (or have seen in the past) we are our own witnesses. But where the things we believe are concerned, we depend on the witness of others whom we judge to be trustworthy. So it is not unreasonable to argue that belief of that kind is not inferior to seeing, because, in a way, we see with our mental sight-and on appropriate evidence-what we come to believe firmly. Experience may support it, logic may back it up, and it is based on the evidence of those we judge to be totally reliable. We can see things with our eyes and get them quite wrong. We can believe with our minds what we cannot possibly see, and get it right.
As the apostle Peter says, "Though you have never seen him, yet know that you love him"; and as the lord himself said, "Blessed are those who have not seen but have believed."
As he ascends step by step in his spiritual pilgrimage to the temple of God, the psalmist prays, "Do not allow my foot to be moved".
Who "moves" our feet? Who moved Adam's feet in Eden, to turn him out of paradise? Surely the same Enemy who moves our feet from the safe path. But, first of all, what moved the foot of the angel who fell, with such appalling consequences? We are told in Scripture that he fell by pride. Pride turns our steps in the wrong direction, away from God and goodness, away from faith. Faith and trust are the enemies of pride, because faith is an expression of humility: "Under the shadow of Your wings they shall put their trust."
The psalmist expresses his prayer simply: "Do not allow my foot to be moved." God's answer is also simple: "Do not let your guardian fall asleep." If you do not wish to stumble and fall on the upward path, then see that the one who looks after you does not fall asleep. See that he is alert, guarding your every step. Then you will not fall; your foot will not be moved.
But we might reply, "It's not in our power to insure that our keeper never falls asleep. Of course we don't want our guard to sleep on the task, but how can we prevent it?"
The answer surely is, "By choosing the right guardian." Choose a keeper who never sleeps. But is there such a person? Surely everyone has to sleep at some time. The answer is given in the psalm. "Israel's keeper" never sleeps. "He who guards Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." God does not sleep, he is never off duty, he never rests from his eternal task of guarding and guiding his people.
In his passion the Lord Jesus passed from death to life, opening a way for us who believe in him also to pass from death to life. Many people believe that Christ died: the heathen do, the Jews do, many a wicked person does. Christian faith is distinguished by believing that Christ rose from the dead. "Christ, being risen from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has any power over him."
Death is the ultimate picture of sleep, the final conqueror of mortal beings. If you wish to choose a guard who never sleeps, then choose one who cannot die. Every human being sleeps, and every human being dies. So do not put your confidence in any mortal, but in the Lord Jesus who has conquered death and, like the Father, "never sleeps." "The Lord will guard you"-not a man, who sleeps, slumbers, and dies, but the Lord of life and conqueror of death. He will watch your every step as you climb the hill of the Lord.