Faith…
“…is not a sense, nor sight, nor reason, but a taking God at His word.” ~Evans
“The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.” ~George Mueller
I’m in the middle of a huge lesson on…faith. God is teaching me that faith is a lot bigger than I ever imagined. I decided that faith in and of itself can’t truly be learned in comfortable, easy surroundings. I mean, who needs to ask God for help when everything is going perfect, right? God gives us promises in the quiet hour and He seals our covenants when everything is going great and it is easy for us to stop and listen to what He is saying. It’s kind of like your relationship with your parents. *grin*. When thing are going good between you its a little easier to listen to them and their advice. You don’t mind being around them and can even carry on a good, intelligent, intellectual conversation. In short… you are friends.
But then, something happens. Maybe its a disagreement on rules or someone just has a bad day(…week…month… whatever.) or one of you (or all of you) gets their feelings hurt or someone feels bossed/disrespected, so everyone gets officially bent out of shape. Its not to easy to get along and be chummy right then, is it? You don’t want to listen to what they have to say and you don’t really want to stick around long around enough to get the lecture you know that’s coming. Now, back to God, when life is going good it’s easy to seek Him, honor Him, and “be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances…”. But then God decides to test you and all of a sudden it’s hard not to blame Him for what’s going on. At times its hard to then go and read His word, believe the promises of God, and have the motivation to do right because “it just doesn’t matter anymore.”
How many of you have ever had a mountaintop experience where God is so real and so close and you are sure that He loves you and is “on your side”? Yeah. But what usually comes after that? Somethine hard, right? Well, it is in those times that God steps back to see how much we believe; to measure our faith. It is easy to have faith when things are going well, but when its hard… God showed me that when He steps back and allows difficult circumstances; when He lets the tempter come; and the tests seem to contradict all that He has spoken to me and promised, it is then that faith wins its crown. That is the time to look up through the storm and choose to pick yourself up again and again and again to stand firm against the winds and the waves. Thats is the time to shout out over the thunder and lightning and cry, “I believe God! I have faith that all will turn out for good! In this I can have peace…”
~Brianna
“When nothing whereon to lean remains,
When strongholds crumble to dust;
When nothing is sure but that God still reigns,
That is the time to trust.
‘Tis better to walk by faith than sight,
In this path of yours and mine;
And the pitch-black night, when there’s no outer light
Is the time for faith to shine.”
~ Joseph Parker