Tuesday, July 24, 2012
We Will Walk by Faith and Not by Sight
Some of you may know that I had a somewhat discouraging doctor's appointment yesterday. It had good and challenging aspects to it. At the end of the day I was overwhelmingly discouraged. When David is out of town Eli 'camps' with me at night. So last night he woke me up around 1:45 a.m. because his heavy comforter slid off the bed and he couldn't get it back on. After I fixed his comforter he dozed off immediately. Me on the other hand...not so much. My mental wheels began turning. Whenever I open my eyes in the morning I'm overwhelmed with the challenge that lay ahead of me so if I awake in the night often I have trouble getting back to sleep. I pray, recite Bible verses, etc. The bottom line is that it's tough to get that mind to quiet down. We have all been there numerous times I'm sure.
I get mailings from In Touch Ministries. Pastor Charles Stanley is a well-known pastor and author whose home church is in Atlanta. I got up and went to the kitchen and noticed a pile of unopened mail on the counter. I opened the In Touch letter and read only one random paragraph. I really didn't even read what the topic of the letter was. Later I read the whole letter and the topic was making the choice is live by faith or succumb to doubt. Our goal when we face hurdles is to respond in faith. This pleases God. Unfortunately I often do not respond that way. My journey has been one of amazing growth and I could completely bore you with all small details that God has worked through my circumstance. There is not one ounce of me that is not grateful for the lessons that He has blessed me with. My journey has also been one of tremendous heartache and let down. Doubt is something that I battle on an hour by hour basis. In my own power I cannot fight this battle on my own. Doubt means to think something unlikely: to feel unconvinced or uncertain about something, or think that something is unlikely or to not trust somebody or something: to suspect that somebody is not sincere or trustworthy, or that something is not true, likely, or genuine.
Pastor Stanley made four points. The fourth one is the one I read in the wee hours of the night with blurry, tired eyes. It reads, "We choose to obey God and leave all consequences to Him. There may be times in your life, as there have been in mine, when trusting the Lord is in conflict with your human reason and when you fail to see Him working in your circumstances. But don't give up. Remember "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). Claim God's promises in faith, and do exactly as He says. You will always be glad you did." Pastor Stanley goes on to encourage the reader to trust that the Father is working on their behalf.
Wow. Now at the time this reading fell on a numb soul. The more I thought about Pastor Stanley's words the more it sunk in. For many years it has felt that God isn't doing anything good on my behalf. True, He has taught me and I truly belive I have a great deal of wisdom for a woman of my age. My mom always was a fan of discernment. She taught my sister and myself to always be discerning...to be wise. My hopes have been dashed so many times with doctor visits and medication changes, etc. and it often feels like God isn't doing much on my behalf to bring this chapter in my life to a close. The two Bible verses I cling white-knuckled to are 1. Proverbs 3:5-6, and 2. Romans 8:28. I will copy them below.
Proverbs 3:5-6) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit (acknowledge Him) to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Romans 8:28) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
So back to the fourth point made by Pastor Stanley. Actually now that I think about it my study yesterday was on obeying God and shutting off reason. Huh...I just thought of that. Apparently God is trying to tell me something here! A few close friends and family know that David and myself are flying to Tucson, Arizona to see a new female hormone specialist. I hesistate to say this because I want it to work out perfectly and well, if it doesn't than no one knew we went. I'm trying to turn over a new bold leaf though...you know Spirit-inspired courage. I could go on and on and on and on with why it won't work, why she will probably be like all the other doctors I have seen (unhelpful), I'll probably have to learn to just live with this, etc. The toxic thoughts could go on for a paragraph. With my history it is difficult to think differently, but I firmly believe He is leading me (actually nudging from behind is how I like to picture it) to Tuscon. It's a pretty big deal...it's a lot of money, time, etc. Dave has to take time off work and we had to find a friend to keep Eli for us. Thanks, Kim, for offering to keep our munchkin. Actually, he asks pretty much everyday if today is the day he gets to stay with Miss Kim! I'm obeying His nudgings even despite my fear. Joyce Meyer says to "do it afraid." Again, my human reason says this won't work because I have failed to see Him working in this circumstance. There have been times when I have thought maybe this is my lot, but then a fire lights and I'm motivated to keep on and to not give up.
I'm screaming to be heard. Dr. Vliet wrote a book that I read titled Screaming to be Heard: Symptoms You Have That Your Doctor STILL Ignores. Dr. Vliet is the doctor I am going to see in August. I will not stop screaming to be heard. I will get on that airplane in complete blind faith that good WILL come from it. I will get on that airplane walking in faith and not by sight. My human sight sees what is in front of me. It hears the discouraging words from doctors, it feels the failed attempts of this hormone treatment and that hormone treatment. My faith sees something that my eyes cannot. My faith says Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, who was sent into the world. My faith cannot believe long enough or hard enough to be physically healed. I have all the faith I need when in my heart of hearts I can declare Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, who was sent into the world...despite my doubt I will take the next step in this journey and I believe that the next step is to board that airplane and fly to Tuscon. By doing this I am acting out my faith and showing trust that He is working it all out on my behalf and that pleases the Lord.
I encourage you to take that next step and not to wait until your human eyes can grasp what is ahead. 1 Cor. 5:7 says, "we will walk by faith and not by sight." Please pray that I will find answers and the doctor will know how to treat me. I also want to encourage you to obey even when human reason says it won't work. Since when does God do things in a reasonable manner?!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I Want Wisdom!
My mom was incredibly wise. She just knew stuff...lots of stuff. She always had incredible insight into so many things. When I was a teenager I could go to her when I was having trouble and she always had something wise to say. Granted, I didn't always want to hear her tidbits of wisdom, but more times than not she was right. My mom had a rough go of it. She had a very colorful life. She lived through incredible odds and always came out on the other side much wiser. She never told me this for sure, but I would guess she asked God for wisdom (discernment and insight) as she endured her trials because she knew what she learned through them would benefit her and others she knew eventually. This past April I had to make the difficult decision to put my beloved horse to sleep. I had owned Sox for over twenty years and I knew in my gut his time had come. I still doubted though and was torn, after all, he seemed to be getting along okay. I desperately longed to be able to call Mom and ask her about it. You know, just to run it by her. She would have reassured me that I was doing the right thing and would have offered me something insightful. To my dad's credit he has stepped into Mom's place rather brilliantly since she has been gone.
James 1:5) If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 1:1-18 is under the tile of trials and tribulation. So how does verse five factor into passages about trials and tribulation? I will share with you what I learned from my study. Basically, testing and trials require special wisdom and insight to cope with them. When times get tough I am thrown for a loop. I lose my bearings and need God to set me straight. I need Him to direct me and get me on the right path and to help me see past the hurt. I need His wisdom to help me see good in rotten circumstances. During these times I need a wisdom that transcends my own understanding. Versebyversecommentary.com said this, "wisdom is biblical common sense. It knows how to use biblical knowledge and knows how to apply the Word to experience." Wisdom does not stop with learned knowledge of the Bible. A head knowledge is easy to acquire. How to apply what I know is the difficult part. True wisdom knows how to apply the Word of God to real life.
How do I get this prized "biblical wisdom?" I ask. I know, how wild is that?! James 1:5 assures me that God will give it to me generously and not call me stupid for not already knowing. Ask means to request or plead for. Seeking wisdom in our trials is an urgent matter. Why? Because I am a sitting duck to Satan lies especially during the hard times
Wisdom is not only gained by the study of the Bible, but also in prayer. If I listen God gives me tremendous insight during my prayer time. He desires to give me wisdom and share it with me when my soul is quiet before Him. He wants to share Himself with me. I have found this to certainly be the case during my Bible studies. He always gives me a great understanding of Scripture because I truly want it and ask Him for it. He makes me much smarter than I really am on my own! I believe the insight into why He has allowed me to suffer so over the last six years has been because I have asked Him to show me what I can learn from this and how I can mature in my faith. I don't tell you this to brag upon myself. Believe me I have learned all this the hard way!
I do not want to spend time demanding to know why He is allowing this pain or being down right mad at Him (though I have my times). I want to grow from this. My friend and I were working out together this morning talking about God, our personal struggles and victories and trying to encourage one another. We get rather deep at 9 am while I'm hauling it on the treadmill! I told Shanda that He has changed every part of me through this. He has left no stone unturned. I find it incredible that He cares enough about my smallest hangups to confront me with them. Having that attitude has made this whole fiasco much easier. Don't get me wrong, I don't always have that attitude, but that is my goal. With God's grace it is possible.
Along with strength, patience, and grace we must also ask God for wisdom when heading through a crisis. I do not want to suffer needlessly. I want my suffering to count for something and I need Godly wisdom to not miss an opportunity. I do not want any crisis to be wasted. I encourage you earnestly seek the Lord for wisdom as you go through hard times. He promises in James 1:5 to give it to you and He won't belittle you for not knowing already.
James 1:5) If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 1:1-18 is under the tile of trials and tribulation. So how does verse five factor into passages about trials and tribulation? I will share with you what I learned from my study. Basically, testing and trials require special wisdom and insight to cope with them. When times get tough I am thrown for a loop. I lose my bearings and need God to set me straight. I need Him to direct me and get me on the right path and to help me see past the hurt. I need His wisdom to help me see good in rotten circumstances. During these times I need a wisdom that transcends my own understanding. Versebyversecommentary.com said this, "wisdom is biblical common sense. It knows how to use biblical knowledge and knows how to apply the Word to experience." Wisdom does not stop with learned knowledge of the Bible. A head knowledge is easy to acquire. How to apply what I know is the difficult part. True wisdom knows how to apply the Word of God to real life.
How do I get this prized "biblical wisdom?" I ask. I know, how wild is that?! James 1:5 assures me that God will give it to me generously and not call me stupid for not already knowing. Ask means to request or plead for. Seeking wisdom in our trials is an urgent matter. Why? Because I am a sitting duck to Satan lies especially during the hard times
Wisdom is not only gained by the study of the Bible, but also in prayer. If I listen God gives me tremendous insight during my prayer time. He desires to give me wisdom and share it with me when my soul is quiet before Him. He wants to share Himself with me. I have found this to certainly be the case during my Bible studies. He always gives me a great understanding of Scripture because I truly want it and ask Him for it. He makes me much smarter than I really am on my own! I believe the insight into why He has allowed me to suffer so over the last six years has been because I have asked Him to show me what I can learn from this and how I can mature in my faith. I don't tell you this to brag upon myself. Believe me I have learned all this the hard way!
I do not want to spend time demanding to know why He is allowing this pain or being down right mad at Him (though I have my times). I want to grow from this. My friend and I were working out together this morning talking about God, our personal struggles and victories and trying to encourage one another. We get rather deep at 9 am while I'm hauling it on the treadmill! I told Shanda that He has changed every part of me through this. He has left no stone unturned. I find it incredible that He cares enough about my smallest hangups to confront me with them. Having that attitude has made this whole fiasco much easier. Don't get me wrong, I don't always have that attitude, but that is my goal. With God's grace it is possible.
Along with strength, patience, and grace we must also ask God for wisdom when heading through a crisis. I do not want to suffer needlessly. I want my suffering to count for something and I need Godly wisdom to not miss an opportunity. I do not want any crisis to be wasted. I encourage you earnestly seek the Lord for wisdom as you go through hard times. He promises in James 1:5 to give it to you and He won't belittle you for not knowing already.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Perspective Matters
I have felt that God has laid the passages in 1 Peter in my heart the past few days. I have found significant encouragement from the words contained in it. Today's study just happened to be focused on verses from 1 Peter...how 'bout that?!
1 Peter 1:13) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end from the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
In Biblical times the men wore long robes. If they were taking part in manual labor or running they would tuck the robe in their belt as to not trip. On a side note, I hope they wore something under their robes! So girding up your loins means to roll up your sleeves or pull it together and get serious about work. Girding up the loins of your mind means to get serious about where your mind is going. To be sober means to be calm, steady, and controlled. The revelation of Jesus Christ is a reference to His Second Coming.
In the commentary I use to study I found a great quote by the author, Warren Wiersbe. He says, "outlook determines outcome; attitude determines action." I like that and it's something I need to hear often. Just ask Dave, I can be the queen of a rotten attitude! He gets after me when the Lord tells him to! Do I have heavenly eyes on or earthly eyes? Heavenly eyes see beyond the present. They see beyond our current pain. The hope of eternal is not something that has brought much comfort to me in the past. I'm being honest with you and I have told God this same thing. I have wanted help in this area. Yeah, I get it, "these hard times won't last forever and heaven will be great." "What about now though? What about this pain I feel now? What about this health condition that seems to stick around? God! What about now?!"
1 Peter 1:13 is reminding us where the focus should be. Satan loves a scattered and wondering mind. I must keep my focus on what is important. The last 6-1/2 years have been tremendously difficult. God has blessed me with a new perspective. Different things are important to me now and honestly, I am an entirely different person. I am certain I was rather shallow prior to this "blessing" I have had for all these years! By allowing Him and our hard circumstances to change us in a positive way we are living with an eternal outlook. Remember the questions I posed in the previous paragraph? In essence, He is answering me by changing me. The challenge is to not spend so much time asking why and more time allowing the divinely-inspired change to occur.
Focusing on the present is the natural thing to do. Most of the time I am so caught up in my preset circumstance I can't even function. At times it has been all-consuming. Satan loves for me to be totally overwhelmed. When I am overwhelmed I miss out on God's wonderful lessons. When I do this my present circumstances are distracting me. I have lost my perspective. God is preparing me for heaven through His quiet lessons. I often pray for God's help to look past the problem because when I focus on the problem it becomes big and God small. During these times it is important to pull your mind together (gird up) and focus on greater things.
Expecting God's grace is for now and future. He always is willing to show us grace. Granted His grace can be different than what I think it should be, but nonetheless, His grace happens. The grace that occurs in this life is just in a different capacity. Here is a reminder of what grace is. It is a gift or reward we do not deserve. Something positive always happens out of trials for a child of God. So not only can a believer expect eternal reward, but also present rewards that come out of our faithfulness and His kindness. When my mind is sober I am able to see His gifts and reward in the midst of trials.
So in closing, I challenge you to keep your mind reined in especially if there is deep water all around you. Stay sober and vigilant to look for His gifts and rewards in the midst of your pain. By doing this you are gaining a new perspective and becoming heaven-minded. You are seeing there is more than what your earthy eyes can take in. The more we practice this the more we can share our eternal hope with others and the more we defeat Satan's schemes. So what about the pain I am experiencing now? It's still there and it's still painful, BUT I am using it for good. It is all about perspective, outlook, and attitude...and keeping that mind focused on things of heaven.
1 Peter 1:13) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end from the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
In Biblical times the men wore long robes. If they were taking part in manual labor or running they would tuck the robe in their belt as to not trip. On a side note, I hope they wore something under their robes! So girding up your loins means to roll up your sleeves or pull it together and get serious about work. Girding up the loins of your mind means to get serious about where your mind is going. To be sober means to be calm, steady, and controlled. The revelation of Jesus Christ is a reference to His Second Coming.
In the commentary I use to study I found a great quote by the author, Warren Wiersbe. He says, "outlook determines outcome; attitude determines action." I like that and it's something I need to hear often. Just ask Dave, I can be the queen of a rotten attitude! He gets after me when the Lord tells him to! Do I have heavenly eyes on or earthly eyes? Heavenly eyes see beyond the present. They see beyond our current pain. The hope of eternal is not something that has brought much comfort to me in the past. I'm being honest with you and I have told God this same thing. I have wanted help in this area. Yeah, I get it, "these hard times won't last forever and heaven will be great." "What about now though? What about this pain I feel now? What about this health condition that seems to stick around? God! What about now?!"
1 Peter 1:13 is reminding us where the focus should be. Satan loves a scattered and wondering mind. I must keep my focus on what is important. The last 6-1/2 years have been tremendously difficult. God has blessed me with a new perspective. Different things are important to me now and honestly, I am an entirely different person. I am certain I was rather shallow prior to this "blessing" I have had for all these years! By allowing Him and our hard circumstances to change us in a positive way we are living with an eternal outlook. Remember the questions I posed in the previous paragraph? In essence, He is answering me by changing me. The challenge is to not spend so much time asking why and more time allowing the divinely-inspired change to occur.
Focusing on the present is the natural thing to do. Most of the time I am so caught up in my preset circumstance I can't even function. At times it has been all-consuming. Satan loves for me to be totally overwhelmed. When I am overwhelmed I miss out on God's wonderful lessons. When I do this my present circumstances are distracting me. I have lost my perspective. God is preparing me for heaven through His quiet lessons. I often pray for God's help to look past the problem because when I focus on the problem it becomes big and God small. During these times it is important to pull your mind together (gird up) and focus on greater things.
Expecting God's grace is for now and future. He always is willing to show us grace. Granted His grace can be different than what I think it should be, but nonetheless, His grace happens. The grace that occurs in this life is just in a different capacity. Here is a reminder of what grace is. It is a gift or reward we do not deserve. Something positive always happens out of trials for a child of God. So not only can a believer expect eternal reward, but also present rewards that come out of our faithfulness and His kindness. When my mind is sober I am able to see His gifts and reward in the midst of trials.
So in closing, I challenge you to keep your mind reined in especially if there is deep water all around you. Stay sober and vigilant to look for His gifts and rewards in the midst of your pain. By doing this you are gaining a new perspective and becoming heaven-minded. You are seeing there is more than what your earthy eyes can take in. The more we practice this the more we can share our eternal hope with others and the more we defeat Satan's schemes. So what about the pain I am experiencing now? It's still there and it's still painful, BUT I am using it for good. It is all about perspective, outlook, and attitude...and keeping that mind focused on things of heaven.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Sssshhhh, Can You Hear That?
My last blog entry took a turn from what I had planned. So here is the original entry. Enjoy and I pray you are blessed.
1 Kings 19:11-12) And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire (a sound of gentle stillness and) a still, small voice.
This is absolutely one of my favorite Bible verses! It offers such visual power. The basic point of the verse is that God often speaks in the quietness. I think of the times when I am desperately seeking an answer from the Lord and how badly I want a loud answer. I want something loud and dramatic to happen so I can be sure it was the Lord I heard.
The hardest times in my life the Lord has quietly walked me though them and is still quietly walking me though them. I have found that Satan is much louder. Satan is noisy. His goal is to distract us from the Lord's quiet presence or gentle guidance. If Satan can be noisy enough we will miss the still, small voice of God. I think back and I can't even pin point what God did at certain times. He just was there guiding, comforting, strengthening in a quiet manner.
Generally speaking us humans love drama. Why are there so many T.V. shows following celebrities or why do news outlets only cover negative stories that have the wow factor? Our human nature craves drama. Because of this I think God should too communicate in a loud obvious manner. Have you ever been in a room of people and there is a loud person that demands all the attention than you notice the quiet person who is taking it all in? Often times it is that person who is the wisest and whom you can learn the most from. I like to think of God in that manner. He loves when we ask Him questions and quiet ourselves long enough to hear Him. He has all kinds of wisdom to share with us.
I believe God wants us to take time to quiet ourselves before Him. Life is so loud. I will not say that God is not able to break through the loudness to reach us...He is. He is able to do ANYTHING. In my own life I have found that He chooses not to reach me this way, but in the times I turn off life and study Him, talk to Him, and listen to Him. I encourage you to take time to look for the Lord in the small things. His blessings are everywhere. He is there waiting for us to listen for Him.
1 Kings 19:11-12) And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire (a sound of gentle stillness and) a still, small voice.
This is absolutely one of my favorite Bible verses! It offers such visual power. The basic point of the verse is that God often speaks in the quietness. I think of the times when I am desperately seeking an answer from the Lord and how badly I want a loud answer. I want something loud and dramatic to happen so I can be sure it was the Lord I heard.
The hardest times in my life the Lord has quietly walked me though them and is still quietly walking me though them. I have found that Satan is much louder. Satan is noisy. His goal is to distract us from the Lord's quiet presence or gentle guidance. If Satan can be noisy enough we will miss the still, small voice of God. I think back and I can't even pin point what God did at certain times. He just was there guiding, comforting, strengthening in a quiet manner.
Generally speaking us humans love drama. Why are there so many T.V. shows following celebrities or why do news outlets only cover negative stories that have the wow factor? Our human nature craves drama. Because of this I think God should too communicate in a loud obvious manner. Have you ever been in a room of people and there is a loud person that demands all the attention than you notice the quiet person who is taking it all in? Often times it is that person who is the wisest and whom you can learn the most from. I like to think of God in that manner. He loves when we ask Him questions and quiet ourselves long enough to hear Him. He has all kinds of wisdom to share with us.
I believe God wants us to take time to quiet ourselves before Him. Life is so loud. I will not say that God is not able to break through the loudness to reach us...He is. He is able to do ANYTHING. In my own life I have found that He chooses not to reach me this way, but in the times I turn off life and study Him, talk to Him, and listen to Him. I encourage you to take time to look for the Lord in the small things. His blessings are everywhere. He is there waiting for us to listen for Him.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Something Beautiful
I returned from my Ohio trip just last night. It was a trip that was greatly anticipated for many reasons. Of course the obvious is the fact that I am faced with the reality that my mom is no longer there. She isn't cooking in the kitchen or building log furniture in her shop in one of the barns. I miss her. She also isn't laying lifeless in her bed or so swollen you can't see her eyes. I'm glad for that. I have found that it is important to briefly visit the times of mourning because in those times I feel God's strength. I came across one of her wigs and it brought tears to my eyes. I mourned her death and cried. I didn't stay there long though. You wipe the tears, stand up and do the next thing.
I witnessed so many new starts during my visit to Ohio. I got to spend time with a reunited couple that were high school sweethearts separated for over 23 years. Though both of them have experienced tremendous pain in their lives God has allowed their paths to cross again. He has provided one for the other. He has restored two lives separately and allowed those lives to be intertwined into something beautiful.
My dad is quite amazing too. When he speaks of my mother he gets a lump in his throat and his voice often cracks. Despite the challenge of losing his life partner he is in the beginning stages of a new adventure. I see a man who has evolved into a more patient, compassionate person. I'm excited for Dad. If you know him you know what kind of man he is. I firmly believe God will take this season in his life and turn it into something unexpected and indescribable.
Whenever I am at home back in Ohio I get the urge to be a little girl again. Times were easier then. I spent my days eating ice cream, riding my pony Rosie, and riding along with my mom as she ran hay wagons during baling season. I also had fantastic teenage years. Maybe it would be great to be back to the time of taking my horse Sox to Tuesday night 4-H meetings and stopping for ice cream on the way home at Johnson's ice cream shop? At any rate those were great times. Instead of doing those things I watched Eli play with all his little cousins and ride in the tractor with Grandpa Dan. Talk about new starts...Eli is so little and innocent. I witnessed six small children all play together. Eli is the oldest at five! Each of those children have their whole life ahead of them. Eli, Drew, Meredith, Jacob, Leah, and Grant all have many new starts ahead of them.
Then on the way to the airport I met my BFF, Jessica, at Friendly's to catch up a bit before my flight. She and her husband recently adopted a new born baby girl in February. Her name is Gabby and she is about the cutest thing I have ever seen. Even though Jessy and Derek have three kids of their own they are embarking on a new journey with their new baby girl. What an adventure the Tye household is!
As I sat on the plane doing my Bible study my mind couldn't help but think to my own life. As I prayed I kept hearing the words "its coming." I was praying over my health condition and for wisdom on how to handle it and what our next step should be. I have prayed over the situation for more hours than I can count. I have been utterly frustrated and discouraged at times...really to the point of sobs. Despite the despair I have felt there is a burning inside me to not quit, to keep praying, to keep pounding the gates of heaven. There is something in me that won't quit. When I thought more about the words I kept hearing it began to make sense. My new start is coming...
Wow. Guess what?! That was not my originally intended blog entry for today. Sometimes my fingers just type I guess. I can't take credit for any of this because I really didn't put all this together until now. How 'bout that?! Actually I just thought of how this relates to what my original topic was. Let me explain. The verse below is the actual verse from my Bible study I was going to blog on.
1 Kings 19:11-12) The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
I absolutely love this verse! My family room in our basement is quiet now. It's just me and God. I would love if He would tell me things in really loud obvious ways and on occasion He does, but not usually. Usually it is a subtle reminder, a soft nudge, or like the verse says, a gentle whisper. I believe the Lord put something rather powerful on my heart as I typed. He literally took over my fingers. Why? Maybe because someone out there needed reminded that He will always give us a new start and make something beautiful out of something ugly...or maybe He wanted me to remember that. I don't know the reason for this blog. What I do know is that He gently whispered the context of this blog onto my heart and guided my fingers as I typed.
I witnessed so many new starts during my visit to Ohio. I got to spend time with a reunited couple that were high school sweethearts separated for over 23 years. Though both of them have experienced tremendous pain in their lives God has allowed their paths to cross again. He has provided one for the other. He has restored two lives separately and allowed those lives to be intertwined into something beautiful.
My dad is quite amazing too. When he speaks of my mother he gets a lump in his throat and his voice often cracks. Despite the challenge of losing his life partner he is in the beginning stages of a new adventure. I see a man who has evolved into a more patient, compassionate person. I'm excited for Dad. If you know him you know what kind of man he is. I firmly believe God will take this season in his life and turn it into something unexpected and indescribable.
Whenever I am at home back in Ohio I get the urge to be a little girl again. Times were easier then. I spent my days eating ice cream, riding my pony Rosie, and riding along with my mom as she ran hay wagons during baling season. I also had fantastic teenage years. Maybe it would be great to be back to the time of taking my horse Sox to Tuesday night 4-H meetings and stopping for ice cream on the way home at Johnson's ice cream shop? At any rate those were great times. Instead of doing those things I watched Eli play with all his little cousins and ride in the tractor with Grandpa Dan. Talk about new starts...Eli is so little and innocent. I witnessed six small children all play together. Eli is the oldest at five! Each of those children have their whole life ahead of them. Eli, Drew, Meredith, Jacob, Leah, and Grant all have many new starts ahead of them.
Then on the way to the airport I met my BFF, Jessica, at Friendly's to catch up a bit before my flight. She and her husband recently adopted a new born baby girl in February. Her name is Gabby and she is about the cutest thing I have ever seen. Even though Jessy and Derek have three kids of their own they are embarking on a new journey with their new baby girl. What an adventure the Tye household is!
As I sat on the plane doing my Bible study my mind couldn't help but think to my own life. As I prayed I kept hearing the words "its coming." I was praying over my health condition and for wisdom on how to handle it and what our next step should be. I have prayed over the situation for more hours than I can count. I have been utterly frustrated and discouraged at times...really to the point of sobs. Despite the despair I have felt there is a burning inside me to not quit, to keep praying, to keep pounding the gates of heaven. There is something in me that won't quit. When I thought more about the words I kept hearing it began to make sense. My new start is coming...
Wow. Guess what?! That was not my originally intended blog entry for today. Sometimes my fingers just type I guess. I can't take credit for any of this because I really didn't put all this together until now. How 'bout that?! Actually I just thought of how this relates to what my original topic was. Let me explain. The verse below is the actual verse from my Bible study I was going to blog on.
1 Kings 19:11-12) The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
I absolutely love this verse! My family room in our basement is quiet now. It's just me and God. I would love if He would tell me things in really loud obvious ways and on occasion He does, but not usually. Usually it is a subtle reminder, a soft nudge, or like the verse says, a gentle whisper. I believe the Lord put something rather powerful on my heart as I typed. He literally took over my fingers. Why? Maybe because someone out there needed reminded that He will always give us a new start and make something beautiful out of something ugly...or maybe He wanted me to remember that. I don't know the reason for this blog. What I do know is that He gently whispered the context of this blog onto my heart and guided my fingers as I typed.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Truths About God
I am reading a book titled, When a Woman Lets Go of Her Fears written by Cheryl Brodersen. It's been a great read and Cheryl has a knack for making her points in a simple way. She offers a list of seven that state what is true about God. As I read the list I really began to evaluate how much I believe each one and how the unbelief affects other aspects of my life. I will share with you her list than share my thoughts on each one.
1. God is
2. God is able
3. God is good
4. God will work
5. God loves you
6. God's ways are perfect
7. God's timing is perfect
It might be helpful to take a few minutes to meditate on her list and see how your belief system matches us. If it does than do your actions and thoughts match what you think you belief.
1. God is.
Hebrews 11:6) Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is.
Psalm 11:4) The fool says in his heart there is no God.
The Bible never makes the argument that God exists. It is a given and is obvious. His design is in everything. Recently I had blood work done and was so amazed by the wealth of information contained in those viles of blood. It reinforced my belief that God is.
2. God is able.
Ephesians 3:20) Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask for imagine, according to His power that is at work with us...
Paul is offering wonderful praise (something I need to do more of). My problem is life-consuming right now, but that is because I only see the human perspective of it. I have wondered before if my problem is so small to God why can't He just fix it real quick like. Again, I don't see the whole parade just my float. He is able to work it all out for His glory and my good. He has an endless imagination. As I thought about God being able I came to the conclusion that I believe deep to my core that He is able to do anything.
3. God is good.
Psalm 107:1) Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.
I think of the Chris Tomlin song here! It is important to believe this in order to trust Him. A fundamental to faith is trust so you ee how critical it is to believe He is good. I do not struggle with His plan of salvation and His immeasurable good in that plan. I admit I have an issue with the concept of God being good in all areas of my life. I know that He would not be good if He provided everything I wanted exactly when I wanted it. I would not be a good parent to Eli if I did that with him. So you can see my battle...I go back and forth which is because I am too dependant on my feelings. I often talk to God about my struggle. I REALLY struggle releasing my situation to Him.
4. God will work.
Romans 8:28) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This verse reminds me that He will work in all things and not just some. "God allows the circumstances to get way beyond our control at times before He does His work," Cheryl Brodersen. The above quote really hit home with me in a personal way. I would even add to the end by saying...in the open. I believe He is working on my situation all the time, but I cannot see it yet. Believe me when I tell you I feel totally helpless and out of control over my situation. I remind myself consistently that He is working.
Think of the story of the parting of the Red Sea. It was the 11th hour for the Israelites. You can read the story in Exodus 14. I think God has a dramatic side to Him. He is often so simple yet so dramatic at the same time. Look at the amazing aspects in nature. Dave and I love the mountains! Our dream house is in the mountains overlooking a beautiful lake. The Mountains are dramatic! Interestingly enough the closer I become to God the more intense my battles are. I believe Satan knows when a person is authentic about their quest. "Sometimes when we pray and ask God to work, the circumstances will intensify, but God is at work even in the building pressure. He is increasing the drama to draw attention to the glory of what He is about to do," Cheryel Broderen. This speaks to me because my situation is as bad now as ever. I found no relief from my old treatment and feel lost on what to do now. The circumstances appear and feel unrelenting. I believe God knows my discouragement and frustraton because here is a quote from my Joyce Meyer daily devotion yesterday. "You may not see Him coming, but you will certainly know wen He has been there."
5. God loves me.
Romans 8:38-39) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is nothing too bad for God to forgive. His love is available to all, but can only be experienced when it is accepted. There are some parts of God I do not understand. What I do understand is the love He showed humanity by sending Jesus to die on the cross. I get that. What I do not get is why some children are raped. I don't get why my mom had to suffer such an awful death. I do not know and will probably never know, but decided long ago I was going to stop demanding to understand. I believe we aren't supposed to understand it all. I believe the Bible is true and it says He loves us.
6. God's ways are perfect.
Psalm 18:30) As for God, His ways are perfect.
Proverbs 3:5-6) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 are two of my favorite passages in the Bible. I have recited it to myself time and time again. I firmly believe it has kept me sane during the hardest time of my life. If I lean on my own view of this I will feel completely hopeless. Actually I have found myself wallowing in my understanding and because of this any oune of confident expectation flees. Trust plays a big roll here. Without trust it is impossible to believe His ways are perfect. We have to trust His plan for us in order to live in that peace the Bible mentions.
7. God's timing is perfect.
Eccliastes 3:1-12) There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace. What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.
Are you thinking of "The Byrds" song now?! Man I loved that Forrest Gump soundtrack! My mom used to say she was excited for heaven because there would be no time there. We are all about time and things being quick. Joyce Meyer reminds her listeners often that bad things do not last forever nor do good. What is needed is trust in that God will provide what you need just when you need it.
We all have an impatient nature. The other night I was talking to Dave on the phone. We were talking about our next step in trying to find relief for me. It was an intense conversation. Whenever I am upset Eli gets me Floppy to hug. After I hung up with Dave Eli asked what was wrong. I don't allow Eli to see every in and out of this situation, but do try to use what I can for teaching him a lesson. I told him I was just very tired of waiting on God to bring me through to the other side of this. I told him I get discouraged waiting for my health and wellness to come. I explained that we have to keep praying over the situation. Eli says this to me, "usually God doesn't take this long to do something." Again thinking how I could use this to teach him some Biblical principle I explained to him what Biblical patience was. It is waiting with a positive attitude. We also talked about how God is still working even when it doesn't appear so.
Truth is when we pray we want immediate results and when that doesn't happen we auomatically assume, 1. God must not care, 2. He's just plain mean, 3. we will be stuck forever where we are at. These are all lies and must be faced head on with God's truth. God is intentional and His delays have purpose.
I hope that I have given you something to think about. The best thing to do is be honest and tell God which of these you need help with an authentic manner. He will help!
1. God is
2. God is able
3. God is good
4. God will work
5. God loves you
6. God's ways are perfect
7. God's timing is perfect
It might be helpful to take a few minutes to meditate on her list and see how your belief system matches us. If it does than do your actions and thoughts match what you think you belief.
1. God is.
Hebrews 11:6) Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is.
Psalm 11:4) The fool says in his heart there is no God.
The Bible never makes the argument that God exists. It is a given and is obvious. His design is in everything. Recently I had blood work done and was so amazed by the wealth of information contained in those viles of blood. It reinforced my belief that God is.
2. God is able.
Ephesians 3:20) Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask for imagine, according to His power that is at work with us...
Paul is offering wonderful praise (something I need to do more of). My problem is life-consuming right now, but that is because I only see the human perspective of it. I have wondered before if my problem is so small to God why can't He just fix it real quick like. Again, I don't see the whole parade just my float. He is able to work it all out for His glory and my good. He has an endless imagination. As I thought about God being able I came to the conclusion that I believe deep to my core that He is able to do anything.
3. God is good.
Psalm 107:1) Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.
I think of the Chris Tomlin song here! It is important to believe this in order to trust Him. A fundamental to faith is trust so you ee how critical it is to believe He is good. I do not struggle with His plan of salvation and His immeasurable good in that plan. I admit I have an issue with the concept of God being good in all areas of my life. I know that He would not be good if He provided everything I wanted exactly when I wanted it. I would not be a good parent to Eli if I did that with him. So you can see my battle...I go back and forth which is because I am too dependant on my feelings. I often talk to God about my struggle. I REALLY struggle releasing my situation to Him.
4. God will work.
Romans 8:28) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This verse reminds me that He will work in all things and not just some. "God allows the circumstances to get way beyond our control at times before He does His work," Cheryl Brodersen. The above quote really hit home with me in a personal way. I would even add to the end by saying...in the open. I believe He is working on my situation all the time, but I cannot see it yet. Believe me when I tell you I feel totally helpless and out of control over my situation. I remind myself consistently that He is working.
Think of the story of the parting of the Red Sea. It was the 11th hour for the Israelites. You can read the story in Exodus 14. I think God has a dramatic side to Him. He is often so simple yet so dramatic at the same time. Look at the amazing aspects in nature. Dave and I love the mountains! Our dream house is in the mountains overlooking a beautiful lake. The Mountains are dramatic! Interestingly enough the closer I become to God the more intense my battles are. I believe Satan knows when a person is authentic about their quest. "Sometimes when we pray and ask God to work, the circumstances will intensify, but God is at work even in the building pressure. He is increasing the drama to draw attention to the glory of what He is about to do," Cheryel Broderen. This speaks to me because my situation is as bad now as ever. I found no relief from my old treatment and feel lost on what to do now. The circumstances appear and feel unrelenting. I believe God knows my discouragement and frustraton because here is a quote from my Joyce Meyer daily devotion yesterday. "You may not see Him coming, but you will certainly know wen He has been there."
5. God loves me.
Romans 8:38-39) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is nothing too bad for God to forgive. His love is available to all, but can only be experienced when it is accepted. There are some parts of God I do not understand. What I do understand is the love He showed humanity by sending Jesus to die on the cross. I get that. What I do not get is why some children are raped. I don't get why my mom had to suffer such an awful death. I do not know and will probably never know, but decided long ago I was going to stop demanding to understand. I believe we aren't supposed to understand it all. I believe the Bible is true and it says He loves us.
6. God's ways are perfect.
Psalm 18:30) As for God, His ways are perfect.
Proverbs 3:5-6) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 are two of my favorite passages in the Bible. I have recited it to myself time and time again. I firmly believe it has kept me sane during the hardest time of my life. If I lean on my own view of this I will feel completely hopeless. Actually I have found myself wallowing in my understanding and because of this any oune of confident expectation flees. Trust plays a big roll here. Without trust it is impossible to believe His ways are perfect. We have to trust His plan for us in order to live in that peace the Bible mentions.
7. God's timing is perfect.
Eccliastes 3:1-12) There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace. What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.
Are you thinking of "The Byrds" song now?! Man I loved that Forrest Gump soundtrack! My mom used to say she was excited for heaven because there would be no time there. We are all about time and things being quick. Joyce Meyer reminds her listeners often that bad things do not last forever nor do good. What is needed is trust in that God will provide what you need just when you need it.
We all have an impatient nature. The other night I was talking to Dave on the phone. We were talking about our next step in trying to find relief for me. It was an intense conversation. Whenever I am upset Eli gets me Floppy to hug. After I hung up with Dave Eli asked what was wrong. I don't allow Eli to see every in and out of this situation, but do try to use what I can for teaching him a lesson. I told him I was just very tired of waiting on God to bring me through to the other side of this. I told him I get discouraged waiting for my health and wellness to come. I explained that we have to keep praying over the situation. Eli says this to me, "usually God doesn't take this long to do something." Again thinking how I could use this to teach him some Biblical principle I explained to him what Biblical patience was. It is waiting with a positive attitude. We also talked about how God is still working even when it doesn't appear so.
Truth is when we pray we want immediate results and when that doesn't happen we auomatically assume, 1. God must not care, 2. He's just plain mean, 3. we will be stuck forever where we are at. These are all lies and must be faced head on with God's truth. God is intentional and His delays have purpose.
I hope that I have given you something to think about. The best thing to do is be honest and tell God which of these you need help with an authentic manner. He will help!
Monday, June 25, 2012
What is Faith?
I will come out and say I have had an extraordinarily difficult week which is why there has been gap in my blog entries. My personal studies have been interesting since my appointment last week. It did not go as I had hoped. Actually, it was the most disappointing doctor's appointment I have ever had. On the upside God still had some great lessons for me in my pain. I still knew He had told me to go and know it was part of my journey...and I found out I am VERY deficient in Vitamin D. Huh, who knew?! Anyway, on to my study.
People toss around the word "faith" very often, but what really is it? Our faith is only as good as what we have faith in. Faith in ourselves or other people is flawed at it's core because we and others are flawed at the core.
Hebrews 11:1) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
If you are anything like me this verse makes no sense. It's okay to admit that. I believe the Bible was written in a way that it requires more of us than simply reading it. We are to study it in detail. I have a fantastic Bible commentary by Warren Wiersbe. Here are some things I learned by reading the entry for the above verse. Biblical faith is not a "hope so" or being superstitious. Genuine faith obeys God in spite of circumstances and consequences. It adheres to God's hand when everyone and everything is trying to rip your hand out of His. You see, my appointment was awful yet I KNOW God is using all things for my good because I love Him and have been called according to His purpose. I have faith that God will take my heartbreak and turn it for good. Granted I'm tired of waiting, but I know it will happen. When I have faith it is God's assurance to me that what He has promised will come true. The word confidence used in the verse can be translated to support. Of course faith isn't faith if we can see it.
Here are more of my thoughts on the topic. Genuine faith admits when it has no strength left to believe. Let me tell you, given how my appointment went last Tuesday I really contemplated quitting my quest for health. In times of great frustration I have wondered if this condition is not my lot in life. There remains an intense fire within me though that refuses to accept that. I believe it is the Holy Spirit's way of edging me on. Genuine faith knows God cannot be manipulated by hours spent reading the Bible, the memorization of verses, praying fancy prayers, or talking in a religious manner. It believes God is "I Am," God loves them and is able. He will work and is working on our problems. It believes His timing is perfect. He never provides too late...or too early for that matter.
Genuine faith has faith in God and His promises and not in itself. I think many people, myself included at times, have faith in faith. It isn't the belief in faith that heals them, sets them free from bondage, or repairs broken hearts. Remember our faith is only as good as the subject. The dictionary says that faith is the confidence or trust in a person or thing especially without logical proof. In my case there really isn't anything that says I am getting better or will get better yet I know God is working it out to my benefit. Now the key for me is trusting what He thinks is for my benefit really is. Often the person we are to have faith in is forgotten about. To have faith in faith means to have faith in ourselves and what we can do or in others and what they can do. Trusting myself or other people in essence is unbelief. It takes the reins out of God's hands. Trusting in God is belief.
I firmly believe that when someones life gets really bad their true faith is exposed. I know that has been true in my own life. Anyone can say all the right things when life is smooth or on auto-pilot. Picture the scene...a woman is laying in a portable hospital bed in her oldest daughter's old bedroom. She is swollen because of high doses of medication and her hair is gone. Her chest is rising and falling with sounds of fluid in her lungs. The nurse calls this the "death rattle." Her leg is burned because a week ago she dumped hot chocolate all over. She is naked under the blanket because "that is how I came in and it's how I'm goin' out." In the midst of her misery she utters "Christ...now." I believe with all my heart that she could see Him. I believe she was mostly home at that point. That is genuine faith because on the surface it looked like this woman who followed God nearly 40 nears was being ruthlessly betrayed by this man. I remember my mom being too sick to get out of her bed and right on her nightstand was that worn Bible I have mentioned in other entries. I inspire to have that substance inside me.
Genuine faith recognizes who God is. It bows before His power, holiness, will, and ability. "If I only do XYZ He will do this for me," we think. It doesn't work that way. Faith, again, is having trust and confidence in God. It is critical to spend time with the Person (or the object) we are supposed to be trusting and confiding in. The only way to do that is to study Scripture. That is how we get to know Him and I want to know Him in a close way. He knows my heart. He knows my intentions and why I am spending time with Him. There have been times when I have thought if I prayed a certain way with certain words my miracle would come. When I have that attitude my faith is greatly damaged when my miracle does not come.
Genuine faith is not phony, but rather authentic. It speaks out loud the promises of God yet is real when doubt comes.
Mark 9:24) Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
This comment is in response to a questioned posed by Jesus Himself. The boy in reference is possessed by an evil spirit that is trying to kill him. Here we have a desperate father looking for deliverance for his boy. I think this father had genuine faith because he knew when he was struggling and was honest with Jesus. Sometimes God gives us something tangible to help us overcome unbelief, but most of the time He does not. He knows our hearts anyway so let's just be honest and tell Him when we don't believe Him. They key is to not have pride, but rather an authentic desire to believe His promises.
Our focus cannot be on faith and what it can provide (think of all the people who were healed in the Bible), but needs to be on the One who can heal.
Matthew 9:20-22) Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” He said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
This woman's faith was active, bold, and courageous. 12 years! Many sources say she had a menstrual disorder. In those days a menstruating woman was deemed "unclean." Talk about labeling someone! Because of her condition she more than likely had no friends, was deserted by her family, could earn no money, and lived a life of complete solitude. To say she was desperate would be a grave understatement. She suffered for 12 years yet she kept on. She sought Jesus. Who knows how many times her hopes were dashed. She spent all her money on treatment. She got up that morning and decided she was going to go for it. To me that is another act of genuine faith. No matter how many times its knocked down it gets back up and reaches out to touch the hem of His cloak.
People toss around the word "faith" very often, but what really is it? Our faith is only as good as what we have faith in. Faith in ourselves or other people is flawed at it's core because we and others are flawed at the core.
Hebrews 11:1) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
If you are anything like me this verse makes no sense. It's okay to admit that. I believe the Bible was written in a way that it requires more of us than simply reading it. We are to study it in detail. I have a fantastic Bible commentary by Warren Wiersbe. Here are some things I learned by reading the entry for the above verse. Biblical faith is not a "hope so" or being superstitious. Genuine faith obeys God in spite of circumstances and consequences. It adheres to God's hand when everyone and everything is trying to rip your hand out of His. You see, my appointment was awful yet I KNOW God is using all things for my good because I love Him and have been called according to His purpose. I have faith that God will take my heartbreak and turn it for good. Granted I'm tired of waiting, but I know it will happen. When I have faith it is God's assurance to me that what He has promised will come true. The word confidence used in the verse can be translated to support. Of course faith isn't faith if we can see it.
Here are more of my thoughts on the topic. Genuine faith admits when it has no strength left to believe. Let me tell you, given how my appointment went last Tuesday I really contemplated quitting my quest for health. In times of great frustration I have wondered if this condition is not my lot in life. There remains an intense fire within me though that refuses to accept that. I believe it is the Holy Spirit's way of edging me on. Genuine faith knows God cannot be manipulated by hours spent reading the Bible, the memorization of verses, praying fancy prayers, or talking in a religious manner. It believes God is "I Am," God loves them and is able. He will work and is working on our problems. It believes His timing is perfect. He never provides too late...or too early for that matter.
Genuine faith has faith in God and His promises and not in itself. I think many people, myself included at times, have faith in faith. It isn't the belief in faith that heals them, sets them free from bondage, or repairs broken hearts. Remember our faith is only as good as the subject. The dictionary says that faith is the confidence or trust in a person or thing especially without logical proof. In my case there really isn't anything that says I am getting better or will get better yet I know God is working it out to my benefit. Now the key for me is trusting what He thinks is for my benefit really is. Often the person we are to have faith in is forgotten about. To have faith in faith means to have faith in ourselves and what we can do or in others and what they can do. Trusting myself or other people in essence is unbelief. It takes the reins out of God's hands. Trusting in God is belief.
I firmly believe that when someones life gets really bad their true faith is exposed. I know that has been true in my own life. Anyone can say all the right things when life is smooth or on auto-pilot. Picture the scene...a woman is laying in a portable hospital bed in her oldest daughter's old bedroom. She is swollen because of high doses of medication and her hair is gone. Her chest is rising and falling with sounds of fluid in her lungs. The nurse calls this the "death rattle." Her leg is burned because a week ago she dumped hot chocolate all over. She is naked under the blanket because "that is how I came in and it's how I'm goin' out." In the midst of her misery she utters "Christ...now." I believe with all my heart that she could see Him. I believe she was mostly home at that point. That is genuine faith because on the surface it looked like this woman who followed God nearly 40 nears was being ruthlessly betrayed by this man. I remember my mom being too sick to get out of her bed and right on her nightstand was that worn Bible I have mentioned in other entries. I inspire to have that substance inside me.
Genuine faith recognizes who God is. It bows before His power, holiness, will, and ability. "If I only do XYZ He will do this for me," we think. It doesn't work that way. Faith, again, is having trust and confidence in God. It is critical to spend time with the Person (or the object) we are supposed to be trusting and confiding in. The only way to do that is to study Scripture. That is how we get to know Him and I want to know Him in a close way. He knows my heart. He knows my intentions and why I am spending time with Him. There have been times when I have thought if I prayed a certain way with certain words my miracle would come. When I have that attitude my faith is greatly damaged when my miracle does not come.
Genuine faith is not phony, but rather authentic. It speaks out loud the promises of God yet is real when doubt comes.
Mark 9:24) Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
This comment is in response to a questioned posed by Jesus Himself. The boy in reference is possessed by an evil spirit that is trying to kill him. Here we have a desperate father looking for deliverance for his boy. I think this father had genuine faith because he knew when he was struggling and was honest with Jesus. Sometimes God gives us something tangible to help us overcome unbelief, but most of the time He does not. He knows our hearts anyway so let's just be honest and tell Him when we don't believe Him. They key is to not have pride, but rather an authentic desire to believe His promises.
Our focus cannot be on faith and what it can provide (think of all the people who were healed in the Bible), but needs to be on the One who can heal.
Matthew 9:20-22) Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” He said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
This woman's faith was active, bold, and courageous. 12 years! Many sources say she had a menstrual disorder. In those days a menstruating woman was deemed "unclean." Talk about labeling someone! Because of her condition she more than likely had no friends, was deserted by her family, could earn no money, and lived a life of complete solitude. To say she was desperate would be a grave understatement. She suffered for 12 years yet she kept on. She sought Jesus. Who knows how many times her hopes were dashed. She spent all her money on treatment. She got up that morning and decided she was going to go for it. To me that is another act of genuine faith. No matter how many times its knocked down it gets back up and reaches out to touch the hem of His cloak.
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