We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). And when we walk in trust, we may later come to see with 20/20 hindsight what God was orchestrating all along.
In the book Prince Caspian, by C.S. Lewis, Lucy is the first one to see the lion, Aslan, return. However, no one believes her because they have not seen him with their own eyes. Later, when Lucy sees the lion and talks with him about the first sighting, she expresses her frustration with her siblings who did not have eyes to see the lion or faith to believe that Lucy had truly seen Aslan.
Aslan then sends Lucy to share the news that he has returned: “...go back to the others now, and wake them up; and tell them you have seen me again; and that you must all get up at once and follow me...”
“Will the others see you too?” asked Lucy.
“Certainly not at first,” said Aslan. “Later on, it depends.”
“But they won’t believe me!” said Lucy.
“It doesn’t matter,” said Aslan.
Lucy goes on to lament that Aslan is not going to show up and conquer their enemies in the same way he did the last time. Yet, they both know that, in time, with 20/20 hindsight, all will be given the opportunity to believe and to trust in the way Aslan will continue to work in the future.
It can be hard to be the only one who believes, clinging to God with the faith of a child, trusting in what we cannot see. Yet 20/20 hindsight affirms God’s faithfulness and informs our testimony of belief (Heb. 11).
What can you look back on in your own life and see how God was working? How does this help you to look with eyes of faith, see the I AM clearly, and solidify your testimony of belief for the future? Take the opportunity to share that story of God’s faithfulness with someone else today. Your 20/20 hindsight of God’s hand at work can be an encouragement to someone else who is having trouble seeing the I AM clearly in the midst of their own current circumstances. And it will serve as a reminder to you to trust the way God is working today.