FAITH

UNDER

CONSTRUCTION

Cherie Hill

Other Bestsellers by Cherie Hill

WAITING on GOD

Hope Being Gone

BE STILL

(Let Jesus Calm Your Storms)

empty.

(Living Full of Faith When Life Drains You Dry)

THE WAYS of GOD

(Finding Purpose Through Your Pain)

Beginning at The End

(Finding God When Your World Falls Apart)

© 2013 by Cherie Hill

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the author.

© Cover Image: image copyright Aleksandar Mijatovic, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

Scripture quotations marked "The Amplified Bible" (AMP) or "The Amplified New Testament" are taken from The Amplified Bible, Old Testament copyright © 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation and The Amplified New Testament copyright © 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, Wheaton: Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (GW) are taken from GOD'S WORD is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture marked (NASB) taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV®) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked "NLT" are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

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CONTENTS

Preface

Out of Faith

Holding On

Don’t Forget

Just Don’t Move

Strong Enough

The Faith Lie

Shut Up To Faith

Broken and Blessed

Faith that Stands

Beyond the Doubt

It’s in Your Head

Expect the Unexpected

Questioning God

When Your Faith is Shaken

The “Now” Factor

When the Sky is Falling

Weary in the Waiting

The Abundant Life

The Heart of the Matter

The 3 Keys to Faith

Stepping Over the Line

Running On Empty

Only One Thing Matters

No Matter What

Help Wanted

Fearless Faith

God’s Advice

Enjoying Life NOW

Walking with God

When God Shows Up

Hearing God

Prepared in Praise

Fixed Faith

Faith Is As Faith Does

Frustrated Faith *NEW 6/23/13

BONUS FEATURE:

1st Chapter of THE WAYS of GOD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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PREFACE

Faith is hard. And the most difficult truth about faith is that it won’t answer all of your questions in life and it won’t solve all of your problems, either. Faith is about trust, not about being certain . . . and that’s not how we hoped faith worked.

We talk a lot about building our faith, but when God is at work in our lives, there seems to be a lot more demolition going on. Our soul becomes the excavation site, as God holds the blueprints, and faith takes on a whole new meaning; because when life gets difficult, and it mostly is, we’ll find ourselves in a spiritual construction site that yields no vision of being anything but a pile of scraps.

But the Architect sees something entirely different―your soul is ground zero, the place that marks the point of the most severe damage and destruction . . . it’s the place where the Foreman begins to rebuild your life on a firm foundation, the Rock. What’s being built will be sound, supported, and stable; the rain can come down, the streams and rivers can flood, and the winds can beat against your soul, but what the Architect constructs will not fall (Matthew 7:24-27).

So, here’s the thing . . . We need to study the blueprints and grasp where this whole project is going. We need to allow the Architect to do His work and we need to understand the process. Faith Under Construction will begin the renovation of your soul and prepare it for the building that will take place throughout the rest of your life. And when you’re going through the painful process, confused and wondering what God is up to, find peace, joy, and strength in the wisdom of C.S. Lewis:

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of―throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

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Out of Faith

You’ve prayed for days, weeks, years . . . maybe even decades, but God sits in silence. In fact, you may even be certain, through His divine revelations, that your prayer isn’t going to be answered at all. You may be completely convinced that God has said “no,” and He isn’t willing to open up His heart to explain why, in order to keep your heart from breaking apart. You’ve had faith in the past. You believed Him up to this point, but right now, you’re out of faith. And in this moment, you’re not sure what to do next. You’re facing impossibilities, and though you call upon God for help . . . He’s nowhere to be found.

Our greatest weakness in our prayer life is not that we fail to pray, but that when God fails to answer in the way we thought He should and in the time frame we expected, we either doubt His love for us or question that He even exists at all. We fail to understand that our prayers have no expiration date in heaven—here on earth, where time is valuable and pain and suffering doesn’t cease, that’s not an easy truth to embrace. We need our faith to take sight, we find ourselves failing miserably at walking by faith. When we’re out of faith, when God is silent, when prayers go unanswered, we must grasp this truth: Unanswered prayer is often God’s best answer.

The benefits of unanswered prayers can often times outweigh those of the ones answered, when we’re being refined by God. We can agree with God on one thing, our unanswered prayers have kept us coming back to His throne of Grace. And that’s the place He most wants us—mission accomplished. He knows that His silence will cause us to doubt. He knows that unanswered prayer will bring us to a place of questioning His existence. He’s brought you, or allowed you to come, to this place . . . where you feel you’re out of faith. You’re in a defining moment. The One you’re praying to is watching to see if you’ll pray “through.”

Can you believe that God HAS heard you, and in this VERY moment He is working out His answer—which may be no answer at all?

Will you trust that He knows best, even when you’re tempted to believe that you do?

Can you stop pleading and start praising . . . even through your pain?

When you’re out of faith, you need not rely on your feelings, just take one more step, pray one more prayer, and then do it again and again.

When you’re being faithful and God apparently isn’t, you may feel as though you’re setting yourself up for a complete failure in faith—but what you’re really doing is setting yourself up for a miracle. It may not be the one you’re praying for, but it will be evident that God heard you and that He answered your prayers in greater ways than you could have ever imagined. Your deadline doesn’t matter in God’s timeline . . . His delays are not His denials . . . God wants you seeking Him more than the answers to your prayers. God is full of sovereign surprises. You may feel like you’re out of faith, but you’re not. You can make the choice, at this very moment, to trust God regardless of what you’re feeling. God may not change your circumstances, but He’ll enable you to walk through them. That, in itself, is a miracle. Often times, when God is not displaying miracles through His power, He’s revealing greater miracles through His presence.

We find ourselves out of faith because we’re asking God to extend His hand, when His greatest purpose in our trials is to expose His heart. This trial you face is not to test you beyond your ability to endure, it’s so that your faith will be proven strong and sure. You won’t be able to find that strength in, and of, yourself, you’ll have to rely on God’s Promises to you. You’re going to have to take Him at His Word.

Your trial is the litmus test of your faith. Will you trust that God’s plan is better than yours? It’s only time that will tell. And the litmus test may not be clear. It’s not that it isn’t clear to God . . . it’s that deep down . . . we’re unsure of our own faith. We think we’re out of faith, but God knows better . . . He knows the measure He’s given to us (Romans 12:3). His apparent lack of answering our prayers isn’t His lack of caring, but His caring, so much, that He’s going to run this test until WE get it—until we understand, clearly, where our faith rests. When you’re in a test, it’s time to trust. And trust like you’ve never trusted before. Pray through and know that God is hearing you. Though every alarm within your soul is sounding and you’re certain your faith is failing, quietly trust in the Promises of God, He’s assured you: “This is a test, it is only a test.”

“So that the tested genuineness of your faith—

more precious than gold that perishes

though it is tested by fire—

may be found to result in praise and glory

and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 1:7 (ESV)

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Holding On

If you’re feeling like you’re “at the end of your rope,” then you’re right where God wants you. The problem is that we tend to hold onto the rope . . . when we should be grabbing hold of our faith in God. So, holding onto God, trusting Him, means “letting go.” Not sure you believe that? Think on this:

There was a mountain climber who desperately wanted to conquer the Aconcagua and began climbing it after years of preparation. But, he wanted the glory to himself, so he went up alone. He started climbing and it became later and later. He didn’t prepare for camping, so he decided to keep going. Soon it grew very dark . . .

Night fell with heaviness at a very high altitude. Visibility was zero. Everything was black. There was no moon, and the stars were covered by clouds. As he was climbing a ridge at about 100 meters from the top, he slipped and fell. Falling rapidly, he could only see blotches of darkness that passed. He felt a terrible sensation of being sucked in by gravity.

He kept falling . . . and in those anguishing moments, good and bad memories passed through his mind. He thought certainly he would die. But then he felt a jolt that almost tore him in half. YES!! Like any good mountain climber he had staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist.

In those moments of stillness, suspended in the air, he had no other choice but to shout,

“HELP ME GOD! HELP ME!”

God replied, “Do you REALLY think that I can save you?”

“OF COURSE, MY GOD!”

“Then let go of the rope that is holding you up,” God said.

There was another moment of silence and stillness. The man gripped the rope even tighter.

The rescue team says that the next day they found, a frozen mountain climber . . . hanging strongly to a rope . . . TWO FEET OFF THE GROUND.

―author unknown

Chances are, in life, you’re either in a valley and headed to a mountain, or you’re climbing one. We spend very little time on the mountaintops. (God doesn’t want us spending too much time there . . . we could get easily attached and decide to end our journey there.) It’s along our journey that we realize we haven’t prepared for the unexpected circumstances that we find ourselves in. We can find the ground beneath us pulled and the air within us knocked out. We didn’t expect to lose a job. We didn’t expect our home to be foreclosed upon. We didn’t expect our business to go under. We didn’t expect our spouse to leave. We didn’t expect our child to end up in jail. We didn’t expect to be betrayed by a dear friend. We didn’t expect death to take our loved one so early. But, in life, we can expect the unexpected. We can expect, at some point, we’re going to be hanging by a rope . . . and then, one day, find ourselves at the end of it. But, it’s as we’re hanging on for dear life that God is telling us to “let go.”

You see, God knows you’ll fall. But, He knows He’s there to catch you . . . and your faith assures you He will. He wants us to let go of our pride that keeps us from seeking Him. He wants us to let go of the jealousy that keeps us striving for things of this world that only bring disappointment. He wants us to let go of finding our strength in people and things, hopes and desires, so that we might find our strength in Him alone.

When you’re at the end of your rope, ask yourself a few questions:

Do I trust God fully or does my faith waver?

Are His thoughts toward me good thoughts?

Will He reward me for diligently seeking Him?

Is He more willing to give to me than I am to receive?

Did He say He would supply all my needs at all times?

Did he say he would keep me from falling and present me faultless before the Father’s throne?

Did Jesus say he would never leave me, but would be with me to the end?

Your faith knows the answers. It’s time to let go of your fears by grabbing hold of your faith. It’s time to hold on . . . by letting go. It’s time to cast yourself completely on the Promises of God. Give God the opportunity to show you His faithfulness, peaceful presence, and unlimited power . . . by letting go of the rope. Loosen your grip on the things of this world and allow God to embrace you with His grace. It’s up to you . . . to just “let go.”

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Don’t Forget

You fully intended to trust God and walk by faith, but life has taken some unexpected turns—you find yourself forced to accept the unacceptable and trying to understand the unexplainable. You never anticipated doubt and despair. The restlessness and unbelief within you showed up without warning. And now you’re stuck in a place where hope is gone and you’re questioning God in every area of your life. Doubt appears to be developing into disbelief, and the desperation within you causes you to be offended by God.

The offense could be circumstantial. You may feel as though you’re in a prison of hopelessness because your circumstances in life are far from what you anticipated. In fact, as you’ve been trusting God, you were certain that He was going to walk onto the scene of your life and part Red Seas. At the very least, you assumed He’d instruct you to use a sling and a stone to take down a giant. Maybe He’d even ask you to sleep in a den of lions, as He protected and delivered you. You were ready to obey. In fact, you’ve been obeying His instructions, but nothing’s happening. The Sea isn’t parting, the giant is closing in, and the lions are about to devour you. And where is God? He’s shown up before. Where is He now? We find that the fight of faith has weakened us and our memory is failing. We tend to forget . . . and we get offended by God.

We’re not alone. John the Baptist had prepared the way for Christ. (This is a moment to ask ourselves if we’re doing the same. That’s what our priority is in this life, but often we shove our agenda far past any that God has for us.) Though John had obeyed God fully, He found himself in prison, consumed by fear and bitter over his circumstances. Sometimes we feel the same. And we, just like John, wonder, “Is God who He really says He is? Or is my faith in vain?” We get offended by God.

As John sat in prison, he sent Jesus’ Disciples, who had come to visit him, back to Jesus with quite a message:

“Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting,

or should we keep looking for someone else?”

Luke 7:20 (NLT)

Quite a question. We’d like to ask God the same thing. We’d like to know the answer. And Jesus gave one:

Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’” Luke 7:21-23 (NLT)

Not exactly the answer we were hoping for. Not exactly the one John was hoping for either. It wasn’t long after Jesus’ reply that John was beheaded. There was no explanation, no rescue, no miracle. The question for John, the question for us, is in the prison of pain . . . will we turn away from God? Will we live in discontent, fear, restlessness, and unbelief when His plan includes suffering? Will we seek a way out, instead of God’s way through. When life gets tough, when it becomes too much to bear, will we be offended by God and let doubt turn to disbelief?

Our problem is a simple one. We forget. God may not have parted a Red Sea, He may not have healed us, He may not have calmed our raging storm, but He’s performed other miracles that we so easily forget. And we must learn to remember. We must remember that He is God and nothing is impossible for Him (Luke 1:37). We must remember His Promises and stand upon them . . . even when we’re not sure we believe them. We must welcome His will, regardless of the price, because something is happening as we walk in faith . . . God IS working miracles. He’s developing your character, He’s stripping you of your pride, He’s unarming strongholds, He’s eliminating everything you cling to, until you surrender everything. And that’s going to take a miracle.

In the tempest of your storms in life, remember that God is with you. THAT IS the miracle. Remember that He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Don’t forget Who He is and who you’re not. God may have chosen to take you through the valley, but He’s still with you. He will be your guide. In the valley, His grace is magnified. You’ll look back and see the storms’ purpose. You’ll find yourself walking in greater faith that you ever thought you would. You’ll find yourself closer to God than you ever thought you’d be. You’ll find your faith declaring: “Though I can’t understand, I trust it all in my Heavenly Father’s hand.” And when God’s work is done, you’ll realize that your life is lived with a peace that surpasses all understanding. Though the storm is raging, your Savior is with you in the back of the boat. And as you sit back in sweet surrender, assured that everything is under His control, you’ll remember that He told you, “Don’t forget!”

“Remember how the Lord your God led you

through the wilderness for these forty years,

humbling you and testing you

to prove your character,

and to find out whether or not

you would obey his commands.

Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry

and then feeding you with manna . . .

He did it to teach you that people

do not live by bread alone;

rather, we live by every word

that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 8:2 (NLT)

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Just Don’t Move

Have you ever felt like you were trusting God with everything you are . . . only to find yourself consumed with overwhelming circumstances in life that seem to point to the idea that God just simply can’t be trusted? He seems to be able to keep the universe in motion. He appears to be able to handle the “big stuff.” But He must be too busy to deal with the “details” of your life. You’ve declared your faith in Him, you’ve poured out your soul in surrender to Him as Lord of your life, you’re committed to following in His footsteps, yet you find yourself in the middle of Red Seas, encroaching enemies, and desert conditions where it’s unlikely that anyone could survive. Where is God then? Where is He when your world is crumbling down around you . . . when despair is pulling you under, and impossibilities surround you? In times like these, God is right where He has been all along . . . with you ALWAYS. You might not hear it over the crashing waves, the shouts of fear within your soul, or the sounding alarms of your pain, but God is speaking to you in the midst of it all, and His words could not be more clear, “Just don’t move.”

When we find ourselves facing difficulties beyond our comprehension and ability to handle, we exhaust all of our resources and then turn to God in frustration. We can relate to the Israelites whom God had freed from the bondage of Egypt, when they found themselves standing before a Red Sea and an encroaching army ready to devour them. We know what it feels like to have our backs against the wall . . . nowhere to turn and no way of escape. But, that’s where God comes in. It’s a harsh reality, but God has allowed the whole situation. He led the Israelites to the Red Sea. It was all no surprise to Him. They were right where He wanted them. They were being given the opportunity to not only “know” God, but they were given the great privilege of “seeing” Him. And all they could do is stand still. God wanted them to know that He alone would part the waters. He alone will make a way. The Red Sea was about God showing Himself strong in the face of impossibilities.

Whatever your Red Sea in life is at the moment, you must accept that God has allowed every circumstance that has brought you there. He knows about the enemies coming at you. He’s well aware that you’re consumed with fear. He’s brought you to this very place, so that you can witness, first hand, what it’s like to have the God of the universe stand with you and deliver you. God has brought you to the Red Sea to show you something critical in your faith . . . if you’re trusting in Him, you don’t need to do a thing . . . He will fight for you.

“The Lord will fight for you;

you need only to be still.”

Exodus 14:14 (NIV)

Saying that “standing still” is “difficult” is a dramatic understatement. When life is falling apart at the seams, it seems as though it’s impossible. But, when you’re trusting in the God who does the impossible, then there’s hope. And if God commands us to “be still,” then He’s going to give us the strength to do it. (Matthew 19:26; Philippians 4:13)

We know what happened at the Red Sea. God parted the waters. Unbelievable. Impossible. Not with God. The Israelites may have declared their faith in God, but He gave them the opportunity to witness His faithfulness. They walked across dry land and the enemy was defeated. Though raging waters surrounded them, able to take them under at any moment, God protected them and provided a way. Not a way of escape, but a way “through.” And He was with them every step of the way. He’s with you every step of the way too. He’ll never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

So while you’re consumed by the raging waters of life that surround you, ready to take you under, stop to realize that your God is with you. Look up . . . He’s there; then look down . . . you’re on “dry ground.” God will make a way. Trust Him with each breath you take and each step you take. Grab hold of your faith and grip hold of His hand. You’re being given the opportunity to not only “know” God, but to “see” Him. No matter how things look . . . stand firm in your faith . . . “Just don’t move.”

“Therefore, stand firm.

Let nothing move you.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)

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Strong Enough

Life’s circumstances seem to stretch our spiritual muscles to a point that they’re either severely fatigued or painfully torn. We find ourselves realizing that we simply do not have the strength to go on. Taking just even one more step of faith seems impossible. And it’s there, in our helplessness and hopelessness, that we find the answer to our problem . . . we need God:

“What is impossible for people

is possible with God.”

Luke 18:27 (NLT)

In our fight of faith, we miss the point. God never asks us to walk in our own strength, but in His. He is all we need.

“The weakness of God is greater

than man’s strength.”

1 Corinthians 1:25 (NIV)

We’re not strong enough to win this fight of faith, but He is. And He never expects us to work miracles—that’s His job. Our only responsibility is to stand firm in our faith . . . and that happens in three ways:

Surrender—If you’re facing battles in life, the key is “giving up.” It’s not a surrendering to your circumstances, but a surrendering to God. If you’re sitting in the controller’s seat, God can’t. His throne is not big enough for the two of you. His Word is clear: You are only strong when you are weak. When you “think” you’re in control, you deceive yourself because God is sovereign . . . all the time. It’s when we come to grips with our inability to walk out our faith, that God is able to do a work in us and accomplish more than we could ever hope for or imagine. The paradox of our faith is that the weakest Christian is the strongest one.

“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:10 (NLT)

It‘s God’s power at work, in and through you, that you will find victory in every battle and the ability to take just one more step of faith.

Walk with God—Walking with God doesn’t mean getting ahead of Him or following behind. Through prayer, it’s entering into His presence and seeing Him as closest friend AND Lord. It’s walking along side of Him.  While you’re taking the journey, you are building a relationship . . . getting to know Him and learning to trust Him along the way. And you will only get to know Him if you’re listening to His Word every single day. Sunday worship just won’t cut it. We’re told to meditate on His Word day and night . . . every day, not just Sunday.

“Study this Book of Instruction continually.

Meditate on it day and night.”

Joshua 1:8 (NLT)

God’s Word is His voice. He’s asking you to meditate, to study, to listen to it day and night, so that you will realize He is SPEAKING TO YOU day and night. There is never a moment when He is not with you. Though the world is loud, God’s voice pierces through it. His Word, His voice, will guide you through the most difficult valleys of life. There is NOTHING to difficult for God.

Thank God— As if life couldn’t get more difficult, we find ourselves meditating on God’s Word and wondering how it is that He expects such impossible feats from us:

“Give thanks in all circumstances.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)

At this point, we think God may have actually lost His mind. It is difficult, at best, to offer up praise and thanksgiving when your world is falling apart. Bitterness even sets in as when it seems as though God isn’t listening to us. Our prayers seem empty and so are our hearts: We ask for healing and we find ourselves facing yet another illness. We ask for peace and the strife intensifies. We ask for provision and we find ourselves pleading for help in desperation. We need love, but hatred prevails. We strive for comfort, and God brings us to the Cross. Our pain and suffering seems in vain and hope seems gone. But we must never forget, the stone was rolled away . . . He’ll roll yours away too. And this is why we must thank God. It’s because He has assured us through His promises that He will never leave us or forsake us and that we have the victory through Christ. We can thank Him for the good AND the bad because we have no ability to actually know the difference, when we’re trusting God.

You may not be strong enough to face the circumstances in your life now, or in the future, but you don’t have to be . . . God is strong enough . . . He is ALL you need. Walk in His strength . . . not your own.

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The Faith Lie

You’ve heard it . . . you’ve probably believed it. You may have bet your faith on it . . . which is why you’re consumed with hopelessness amid the circumstances of your life. It’s a little phrase that goes like this:

“God will never give you more than you can handle.”

Sounds good. It even seems to give us hope and strength to face one more day, but it’s a lie. You hear it often―you may even be constantly saying it to yourself. You’ve believed that no matter what you face, God is never going to allow you to deal with more than you can handle—that brings comfort. It may be what we want to hear, but it’s not what we NEED to hear. We need truth. And the truth is that although this wonderful little phrase has traveled through the generations, it’s not in the Bible. God has NEVER said that He won’t give us more than we can handle. What He has shown is, throughout history, He ALWAYS gives people MORE than they can handle.

So, where does this lie come from, and how has Truth been twisted? It comes from 1 Corinthians 10:13:

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (NLT).

The verse is referring to “temptations,” not the troubles of life. We can look at nearly EVERY situation in the Bible where God shows up in miraculous ways and find that He ALWAYS gave people MORE than they could handle―that’s when God shows up on the scene of people’s lives. Moses didn’t part the Red Sea on his own. Daniel should have been devoured in a lion’s den. Who survives walking into a fiery furnace? Goliath should have crushed David, and Jonah should have been left for dead. The storm on the Sea of Galilee was obviously going to drown the Disciples, and even Jesus needed help carrying His Cross. We glean even greater insight into this truth when we look to Paul the Apostle who found himself crushed, beyond his ability to endure. Here’s what we learn from Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:8 and the first part of verse 9:

“We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die” (NLT).

Hardly seems like a loving God would allow such saints to go through such anguish, but our faulty thinking is simply because we don’t understand His ways. It is out of His great love for them that He allowed them to face the impossible. Why is that? It’s because of the second part of verse 9 from 2 Corinthians:

“But as a result,

we stopped relying on ourselves

and learned to rely only on God,

who raises the dead”(NLT).

There’s purpose through the pain. God ALWAYS gives us more than we can handle, in order to reveal what He is able to do through our faith in Him. He wants to show us that prayer works. He wants to bring about miracles that go far beyond our imagination. He wants to display His power, presence, and glory. Without situations in life that we CAN’T handle, we’d never need God to show up. Why would we even need to pray at all? We’d never have the opportunity to see our own Red Seas parted. Who wants to miss out on that?

It’s critical to the survival of your faith that you stop believing the lie. Here’s the truth:

If God is only giving you what you CAN handle,

you’re not learning to depend upon God,

you’re not stepping out in faith,

and your faith isn’t growing.

In fact, if you’re facing situations that are far beyond your control, God may be trusting you more than you trust Him. He obviously knows that He’s given you a measure of faith that is much more than you think. If we’ll leave the lie behind and move on in greater faith, knowing that every obstacle is an opportunity for faith to rise above it, we’ll find ourselves experiencing the peace that God promises to give us as we trust in Him.

God’s goal: to bring us to a place where we realize we can’t do it without Him. He wants us to fully realize that we need Him for and in everything we face in life. (And all too often we need to be reminded of that truth.) So, if you’re facing the insurmountable and enduring the unthinkable, you can be sure that God is with you . . . it’s time to trust and watch to see how God will show up . . . because He will.

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Shut Up to Faith

You need to know something as you face the struggles of each day—God has not abandoned you. You may feel like He’s shut you out, but what He’s really done is “shut you up.” In your moments of utter helplessness, it’s the hard places in life that threaten to destroy your faith which are used by God to strengthen it. You want a way out . . . He’s making a way through. You crave comfort and He brings you to the Cross. You know the place:

There is sickness,

but no healing.

You’re faithful,

but others betray you.

You hope,

but all hope seems gone.

You give to God and others,

but you lose everything.

You love,

but find hatred greeting you at every corner.

You’re afflicted in every way,

but there’s no deliverance.

You call out to God,

but there is no answer.

Though we’re tempted to believe that God has abandoned us, nothing could be further from the Truth. We’ve declared that He’s destroyed our faith, but what He’s really done is “shut us up” to our faith, He’s brought us to the Cross . . . where all hope seems gone, but Redemption is sure. It’s the place where God’s greatest works are done. Though our faith seems crucified, God’s merely working out His plan. He’s working within us, dissolving our doubts and whittling down our worry. He’s “shutting us up,” until all we can do is “look up.”

“But before faith came,

we were kept in custody . . . ,

being “shut up” to the faith

which was later to be revealed.”

Galatians 3:23 (NASB)

It’s through our efforts to prove God that He works to prove us. Through our struggles, He’s taking us through successive levels of faith, where He is more confident in our faith than we are . . . He leaves us “shut up to faith,” with nothing to give us hope, but His Word.

Like a child learning to walk, He’s removed all the props holding us up. There’s no evidence that He’s there, there’s no proof that He cares, there’s no rewards and no intervention when we start to fall. He has prepared us to walk on, to continue to trust—through our fears. Though your faith seems to be failing, it is really growing. God is strengthening your faith by asking you to walk upon it. It’s in your darkest moments that God is “proving you.” (And you thought you were proving Him.)

“. . . and there He proved them.”

Exodus 15:25 (ASV)

God is proving you by shutting you up in the testing room of faith. It’s hard there. You’re not sure you’ll pass . . . you wish you had studied more. Anxiety overcomes you as you realize that you simply weren’t prepared for the test—there are too many multiple choice questions, and your enemy is out to trick you. And there’s no help. You’re on your own. Or are you? When you’re “shut up to faith” . . . stuck with hard decisions, not sure which way to turn, and all hope seems gone, remember one thing and one thing only . . . God is with you.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

Never means never. Don’t be deceived about your faith. God is taking your faith places you never knew it could go. He’s proving you, so that you are strengthened for the rest of the journey. You used to look for feelings or tokens for your faith . . . things other than the Word of God, but He’s developing a faith in you that isn’t dependent upon what you see. He’s transforming your faith and perfecting it (see Hebrews 12:2). When the storms of life come crashing in, when you’re stuck in a desolate desert, when you’re weak and weary and have no strength to carry on, know that God may have “shut you up to faith,” but He’s shut you in with Himself. He’s with you. He wants to help you work through your faith, so that it might be complete . . . ready for anything.

“These trials will show

that your faith is genuine.”

1 Peter 1:7 (NLT)

“Endure until your testing is over.

Then you will be mature and complete,

and you won’t need anything.”

James 1:4 (GW)

The trials of your life are the testing grounds. Allow God to do His work in you. When you’re “shut up to faith,” know that you’ve been brought to the Cross. Deliverance is at hand. You won’t be able to go through it alone—you’ll have to do it in Christ’s strength, not your own. It’s the very reason God has shut you up to faith—He’s showing you that when you’re in need . . . He is all you need.

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Broken and Blessed

One of the most difficult things to face in our walk of faith is that God allows us to be broken. In those times when our lives are falling apart and we’ve lost the strength to carry on, we struggle to make sense of our suffering. God, in all His wisdom, knows that, just like wheat, we cannot be used until we have been sifted. Our faith is a process, and first, it must be broken, so that God can use us fully. He breaks every part of our lives that keeps us from Him and He bears the heavy weight of our burden, if we’ll stop struggling with our circumstances and allow Him to carry us through. But, it’s in the process where we can lose sight of what God is doing, and our faith may fail if we’re not fully aware of His sovereign, omnipotent ways.

God breaks us or allows us to be broken because He loves us. Not too often do we hear someone say, “I grew deeply in my faith and closer to God when my life was going smoothly.” It appears evident, by countless testimonies, that God is mostly found in the valleys of life. If we can stop looking at our troubles as punishment and start seeing them as opportunities to encounter God, we would find greater peace in the trials of life. Our brokenness sheds light on our pride; when we’re broken and only pieces of us remain, God is able to show us more of His power through our total dependence on Him. Without our desperation, we’d never know our need for God and we’d never seek Him for a miracle. His love wants to draw us nearer to Him.

God sets limits on our brokenness. God knows the areas of our lives that need work. And although He must break us or allow us to be broken, He never leaves us and will never allow us to endure more than our spirit can endure. God knows we can go so much further in our faith than we ever thought we could . . . and He wants us to be full of faith. God will set the length of time for our brokenness, and He chooses the tools that He’ll use to work within our lives. God knows exactly what He needs to accomplish through our brokenness and He loves us enough to sit patiently through the process as His work is done.

God knows when to pick up the broken pieces. God is fully aware of the pain and suffering we are enduring through our times of brokenness, and He will not allow that time to break our will or damage our spirit in a way that would keep us from living out our purposes for Him. God is only after our resistant will. He wants to eliminate any rebellion in our heart that would try to find shelter from God’s omniscience. We can’t hide our hearts from God and He loves us enough to expose the parts that need breaking in order that we might be made whole.

God is after one thing, as He works through the broken places of our lives—a steadfast faith that isn’t altered by our circumstances. He wants us to understand that He is not a lesser God according to our trials of life. His purpose in brokenness is to bring us into an intimate relationship with Him. It’s through brokenness that we learn to lift God up in our lives and rely on His grace through the work of the Cross. It’s God’s work in us, through our brokenness, that will bring us to a place where our faith is not focused on what we think God “should” do in our situations of life, but trusts and waits, fully confident that He will bring about victory as we find our peace in Him.

If you’ve found yourself in a broken place, know that God knows the blessing behind it all. The longer we wait, and the greater the patience, the more wonderful will be the joy. You can trust that God is not only with you, He is for you, and His victory is assured through every battle. It’s your brokenness what will make you more whole than you ever perceived you were . . . through your faith, you’ll find yourself broken and blessed.

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Faith that Stands

It’s not easy to “Be still and know that God is God.” God calls upon us to trust that He’s in control; but it’s difficult, at best, when life is raging out of control. When we’re “being still,” we assume that means doing nothing. But nothing could be farther from the Truth. Though waiting patiently for God, in stillness, is probably the most difficult thing about our walk of faith, it is also the most critical part of it.

We can’t be tempted to panic when God isn’t showing up when we think He should. And we can’t allow ourselves to despair when He doesn’t do what we thought He would. God’s ways are higher, and they’re also better (see Isaiah 55:8-8). Yet, it takes a journey of faith with God to even begin to believe that Truth. These times of uncertainty are opportunities for God to reveal himself to you to a greater degree and grow your faith in ways that you can’t imagine. God is continually searching the earth for people who will trust Him through every crisis and cling to Him alone in every hopeless situation. Though it’s hard for us to come to grips with, God himself is often the One who leads us into, or allows us to face situations that are beyond our control. The situations are often frightening and overwhelming, to say the least. But, God does so in order to grow our faith—He leads us into these situations to see if we have a faith that stands and trusts in Him completely. In our moments of despair, it’s through His still small voice that we hear Him shouting through our megaphone of pain:

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

God allows the hard places in our life to alert us to our need for Him. Our struggles are tools in the hands of God, as He works to make our heart more like His. Everything He does is to produce faith in us. And through the process, He promises never to abandon us (see Hebrews 13:5).

You may be at a Red Sea in your life. You may be facing the unthinkable: there’s no way of escape, nowhere to run, and no place to hide. You may be up against circumstances that seem insurmountable even for God. But, He’s moved bigger mountains than the ones you’re facing and He’s calmed greater seas than the ones that are threatening to take you under. NOTHING is too difficult for God (see Luke 1:37).

God is giving your faith an opportunity to grow. He’s producing a faith in you that stands and will cause you to be ready for anything—lacking in nothing (see James 1:4). He’s brought you into these situations so you can practice your faith, so that you might know where you stand with God. Though you’re tempted to fear, in God’s strength you can stand still and watch His deliverance (see 2 Chronicles 20:17). It is God that will part your Red Sea, it is the Lord that will rescue you from the lion’s den, and it is Him alone that will be with you and protect you in the furnace of affliction. He will be your strength when you’re too weak to carry on. You need only be still:

“In quietness and in trust

shall be your strength . . .”

Isaiah 30:15 (NASB)

We can’t try and figure it all out . . . we must simply take our position of faith in the face of all our fears. We may not know what to do, but God does; if we’ll keep our eyes upon Him, He’ll save us while we rest, as we stand in faith upon His Promises.

As you struggle with doubt in the midst of your faith, God urges you to stand still in your crisis, lean on Him in faith, and trust Him to see you through. Be determined, against all odds to be found in the end with “faith that stands.” Trust God—be still—no matter what.

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Beyond the Doubt

Like an uninvited guest, Doubt shows up at the most inopportune times—usually it’s when life is “messy” . . . we haven’t had time to get things in order and it appears that everything is falling apart at the seams. Just when we begin to grasp onto whatever is left of hope . . . Doubt comes knocking at the door. But, when we find Doubt knocking . . . we should be sure and let Faith answer.

Life is difficult at best; although our human instinct is to believe that our faith in God should make life “better” . . . nothing could be further from the Truth. We’re promised that in this world we will have trouble—we should count on it (John 16:33). Yet, we should also trust in God’s sovereignty, supernatural power, love, mercy, and grace. But, it’s in our times of despair that Doubt takes over and begins to wreak havoc in our souls. We find ourselves between the walls of the Red Sea . . . assured that God has rescued us in the past, but filled with doubt, as we see the treacherous waters ready to come crashing in on us and an encroaching army ready to attack. The situation seems “doubtful.” It seems “unlikely” that God will show up “this time.” The anxiety within us builds to such a point that it’s not the waters of the Red Sea that are drowning us . . . it’s the waves of Doubt that have flooded our soul and our spirit cries out, “Is God with us or isn’t He?”

You might think that you’re the only one who gets regular “unwanted” visits from Doubt, but you can rest assured that Doubt shows up at the door of every believer time and time again. Doubt will walk right in when the door has been left unlocked. When Faith has left, Doubt decides to visit and, at times, we decide to welcome Doubt in to sit down and chat for a while. The result of that time with Doubt leads us deeper into despair . . . we so easily forget about Faith, as we spend endless hours visiting with Doubt.

What we must remember in our darkest moments of life is that God has often led us to the very place we stand . . . in the midst of a parted Red Sea. And He has done so to teach us a much needed lesson in our walk of faith—we cannot deliver ourselves from a crisis that God himself has orchestrated. Too often, it is by His design that we are in the midst of our overwhelming situation. We so quickly become focused upon the seemingly insurmountable circumstances, instead of our supernatural God. The outcome of our trial depends upon one thing: Our faith in God. The question is: “Will your faith stand this test . . . and the next one . . . and the next one?” God brings you through test after test in order to build a testimony in you that says, “My God is faithful.”

When we’re put to the ultimate test of faith, and we will encounter it at one time or another, we find overwhelming circumstances . . . giant issues facing us, high seas of affliction, and the evil of principalities and powers seeking to destroy us. It is then that we must totally cast ourselves on God’s Promises and slam the door on Doubt. We must decide to confidently walk forward, as the walls of the Sea seem eager to take us down, and believe that God is bigger than any problem or enemy that might come against us. It’s this kind of faith that brings a calm and rest to our soul, no matter what our situation. When we settle, once and for all, that “God is bigger,” we can find the peace that surpasses all understanding reigning within us.

Whatever you’re going through, God is in it. He has allowed the circumstances that have brought Doubt to your door, and He’s increasing your faith by threatening to destroy it. If you are walking in faith, God has ordered your steps—He has put you where you are. He has good reason for it—you are being tested. When you’re consumed with Doubt . . . when everything appears hopeless . . . when there seems no way of escape . . . when you’re overcome with fear because everything is crumbling down around you . . . when there’s nowhere to turn and no answers to be found, God says one thing:

"Don't be afraid.

Just stand still and watch

the LORD rescue you today.”

Exodus 14:13 (NLT)

It’s beyond the doubt, as you stand still, holding your peace, and staying focused upon your sovereign God, you will find that God’s deliverance doesn’t come through something you do, say, or pray . . . but through your Faith.

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It’s In Your Head

When the going gets tough, we don’t usually get going . . . in fact, we find ourselves giving up and giving in to our difficulties before when even give faith a fair chance. God’s plan doesn’t seem sufficient, and we render Him incapable to handle the really “big things” in life. Prayer seems “nice,” until it’s all we can do and then it seems like it just isn’t enough. When despair shows up at the front door, it’s the skeleton in our closet that opens it—doubt.

We tend to build our faith on the idea that we should never have to encounter uncertainty. Yet, if all things were certain, we’d never need faith at all. Faith grows only when it’s stretched to the breaking point . . . without breaking. And when our faith is tried, we better know Truth because God will allow us to be tested (Psalm 105:19), in an effort to build our faith. At times when life is falling apart and out of control, there’s something you CAN control and that’s your thoughts.

Scripture says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). We need to clearly understand where the battle really lies . . . it’s in our head. It’s not doubt that is our enemy—it’s fear . . . and when we’re overcome with fear, we’re held prisoner until we’re set free by Truth. And if we’re not set free, if we’re suffering through emptiness, loneliness, discouragement, and despair, we’re not believing Truth.

We’re told specifically, in the Bible, to control our minds. If God has commanded us to do it, then there’s no excuses . . . our only option is to be obedient. In order to do that, we must become more aware of our thoughts and then filter them through God’s Word. It’s like a house cleaning of the mind . . . and it’s not sufficient to just do it in spring time. You’ll have to do it continually, each and every moment of each and every day.

It’s difficult at best to grab hold of your thoughts, but these questions will get you started:

Why am I thinking about this?

Are these thoughts building me (or others)

up or tearing me down?

What does the Bible have to say

about what I’m thinking about?

Do these thoughts make me feel guilty?

Do these thoughts glorify God?

It can seem “too simple.” Just think “good” thoughts. Yet, it’s not that easy. We can’t just simply change our course or direction by thinking “positively.” God’s power doesn’t reside in “positive thoughts,” it is only found in His Promises. And the only way to transform our thoughts, and ultimately our lives, is to replace the lies with Truth. You see, if your thoughts are anything other than lovely and worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8), you’re believing lies. Faith requires us to align our thoughts with God’s and that can only happen by immersing ourselves in His Word.

When the going gets tough, the battle in our minds will rage uncontrollably. Yet, with the Promises of God, we are able to take every thought captive and live the victorious life we were intended to live in Christ. (If you need a head start in taking thoughts captive, visit me at ScriptureNow.com where God’s voice will speak to you.)

We are destroying speculations

and every lofty thing raised up against

the knowledge of God,

and we are taking every thought captive

to the obedience of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 10:5 (NASB)

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Expecting the Unexpected

Let’s face it, we don’t have life figured out . . . we never will. We tend to give in to the seemingly sad truth that “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." As the waves of doubt and despair come crashing in, we desperately look for God in the raging storms of life. But, just like the Disciples, all we see are ghosts—we fail to see Jesus. In that instant of gripping fear, Jesus is revealing Himself as our Savior in our storms of life.

“The Lord rules over the flood waters.

The Lord reigns as king forever.”

Psalm 29:10 (NLT)

If you think that God has allowed your life to become a raging storm, you may be right. In fact, He may have ordered up the very storm you’re facing. In Matthew 14, it says that Jesus “made” the Disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side. Surely He knew they would face the treacherous storm. He knew alright . . . and He knew the miracle that was in store for them as well.

As the storm raged, Jesus came to them . . . walking upon the water. Yet, not one of the Disciples recognized Him; they thought He was a ghost. Not once did they stop to think that Jesus was the one who sent them on the mission in the first place and that they were at the center of His will. They failed to see that they had never left His sight. They never “expected” Jesus to be with them, or even near them in this storm, but He was and He came to them . . . walking upon the water. That was certainly MORE than unexpected. And what is even more shocking is that if we go back seven Chapters in Matthew, we find that Jesus had already calmed a storm for them! Didn’t they get it the first time? The difference was that in this storm Jesus wanted them to learn to trust in Him, even when they couldn’t “see” Him or recognize Him in their circumstances. He wants us to trust that He is there . . . in the midst of it all . . . and He is mighty to save.

In the never–ending struggles we face, we take things at face value. Our vision gets blurred by the overwhelming circumstances that consume us and we fail to trust God completely. We find ourselves living the truth of James 1:6, “we are like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” Then we face even further truth when we’re told that a “double-minded” man cannot think he will receive anything from the Lord.

Our storms of life are just one way that God is able to bring us to our knees before His throne. It’s a place that we should be continually. And there is one lesson that God wanted us to learn through all of this . . . just one—trust Him . . . in every storm of life. Is it really that simple? Yes, it is. He calls us to a life of walking by faith and NOT by sight. If you’re trusting in God in the midst of distress, turmoil, heartache, and pressure . . . you can be strengthened through His Promise of Ephesians 3:20 that He will accomplish “more than you would dare to ask or hope” and you can “expect the unexpected.”

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Questioning God

More than likely, you’ve questioned God a few times in your life. It is often difficult to see His ways, much less understand them―until you look back and hindsight yields insight. If you find yourself second guessing God, you’re not alone; even the greatest of God’s children have questioned God. But, what they found, and what you will find, is that for all the questions you have for God . . . He has questions for you too.

If you haven’t read the book of Job, I would encourage you to do so. You’ll find A LOT of suffering and get an amazing glimpse of how God works in our lives. After Job has lost everything, his children―through tragic death, his wealth, the support of his wife, and his health, he cried out to a God who seemed to have abandoned him. But, when God answers Him, he is humbled in an instant when he realizes, he is so very small in the scheme of things . . . and God is so VERY big. After God helps him to realize his place in the world, God restores his life and blesses him twice as much as before the tragedies of his life. The greatest blessing was a heart to heart, one on one, experience with the one true God. God wants to bring you to this place too―He wants you to experience Him “one on one,” in a way that will secure your faith in Him forever.

When we talk about questioning God, we can’t help but think of Noah. Now, here’s a man who saw no rain when God told him to build an ark. This wasn’t just trusting God for a year or two―it took Noah one hundred years to build the ark! I’m guessing He must have questioned God from time to time. The important thing is that Noah kept walking forward in faith. If we’re to reap any of God’s abundant blessings in our lives, we must do the same, we must sow a life of obedience.

The most critical decision we can make in our lives is to choose to be obedient to God―regardless of what we see, think, or feel. It’s called walking by faith. We may question what God is doing. We may wonder if God is really sovereign, but we must rest assured that there’s no such thing as God being “almost” sovereign. He is completely sovereign and completely loving. He knows every aspect of your situation; He knows every struggle and every triumph. Nothing happens without God’s permission―we must find comfort and peace in that. We may not be able to understand it at the time, but God has an awesome plan and purpose for it all. Most of all, God is faithful and He will not leave you, nor forsake you.

“The Lord is faithful to all his promises

and loving toward all he has made.”

Psalm 145:13 (NIV)

While you’re waiting on God to reveal His plans and purposes, don’t be surprised when doubt and disbelief sneak in―You have an enemy and he prowls around like a roaring lion; he’s looking to devour you. Satan will try and use God’s long process of preparation and refinement to his advantage―tempting you to become discouraged and stop the building process. It is obvious that when Noah may have been tempted to quit . . . he kept building.

So, if you’re waiting on God and questioning if you heard Him right, or if He really knows what He’s doing, remember, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark. Whatever it is that God is allowing you to go through . . . He does so with a purpose and a plan that is for good (Jeremiah 29:11). As you struggle to take the next the next step of faith, listen carefully, be still in God’s presence, you’ll hear Him whispering, “Trust Me.”

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When Your Faith is Shaken

We often find ourselves in a state of shock in awe when the trials of life show no mercy in breaking our hearts and stealing our peace. Our faith is shaken, as we can’t help but wonder, “Where is God?” Yet, His still small voice is loud and clear as His silence as broken and our hearts are pierced with, “Where is your faith?”

Only God can get away, so easily, with answering a question with a question, and His question reveals that the shaking of our faith has purpose. There’s a method to what seems like madness. God knows what He’s doing, even when we don’t.

“A faith that has been shaken is the faith that has been shaken.” —Randy Alcorn, If God is Good

In times of desperation, we forget what we know. If our foundation of faith is built upon the Rock, we’ve nothing to fear. Our foundation is firm. Or is it?

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

Which cannot be shaken but endures forever.”

Psalm 125:1 (NIV)

“Through the unfailing love of the Most High

he will not be shaken.”

Psalm 21:7 (NIV)

When the shaking of life becomes intense, we need only to trust God’s Word, His Promises. The shaking of our faith is to awaken us to the state of our faith . . . Do we believe what we say we do? The shaking will reveal those areas of faith that need strengthening. It’s to help us take notice of those parts of our foundation that needs work. The shaking alerts us that we need to draw near to God, by grabbing hold of our faith, until the shaking ceases. We’re to stand firm on the foundation of the Promises of God when life is crumbling down around us and the ground beneath us seems unsure. Once the shaking ceases, what remains is firm. The question is, “In the violent shaking of life, will our faith stand firm?” Is it a faith that can’t be shaken?

“. . . what cannot be shaken

may remain and continue.”

Hebrews 12:27 (AMP)

We’re reminded to stand firm in our faith, regardless of what life brings. We’re to let go of our fears by grabbing hold of our faith.

“Therefore, stand firm.

Let nothing move you.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)

If you’re feeling like your faith is shaken and you’re just not sure what exactly you’re standing on, go to God . . . He’ll reveal His Promises to you. Take Him at His Word and be determined to believe Him against all that you see before you. Faith doesn’t walk by sight and it doesn’t fear when the ground beneath it shakes, it trusts in the firm foundation it stands upon.

“As for everyone who comes to me

and hears my words and

puts them into practice,

I will show you what they are like.

They are like a man building a house,

who dug deep and laid the foundation on rock.

When a flood came, the torrent struck that house

but could not shake it,

because it was well built.”

Luke 6:47-48 (NIV)

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The Now Factor

There are many factors that affect our faith. But, none as powerful as the “NOW” factor. Whether you realize it or not, the “NOW” factor is affecting your faith in seen and unseen ways. The “NOW” factor is nothing more than claiming faith in Jeremiah 29:11 NLT ("I know the plans I have for you, they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”), yet demanding one stipulation . . . we want the “good” part “NOW”—not in the future.

The “NOW” factor disrupts, and can ultimately destroy, our faith because our preoccupation with what lies ahead deludes our desire to control what cannot be controlled. We want the security of knowing the future, rather than risking everything to trust God. We want to trust God, but at the same time, we want a light cast down that will show us our future, so that we might ultimately spare ourselves the trials that come with trusting God. To our demise, we betray ourselves by claiming our trust in Jeremiah 29:11, but demand to know so much about the future that we don’t need to trust God anymore.

We must grasp the reality that the future is not ours to know. If we knew it, we certainly wouldn’t need to trust God. If God revealed our future which might contain painful suffering, we would retreat and cave into fear and despair. If, on the other hand, we learned that our future was filled with nothing but great bliss, we would become complacent and lack the capacity to enjoy each present moment. So, in order to avoid the detrimental effects of the “NOW” factor, we have to realize that trusting God for the unknown is part of growing our faith. It’s vital that God takes us step by step, so that we do not become too overwhelmed about the journey. He wants you to find contentment in His presence and strength through His Promises. When the future seems to be unraveling, you can be certain that God is stretching your faith . . . asking you to take a step of faith into the great unknown, so that you can experience an intimate relationship with Him that you never thought possible.

In order for us to eliminate the “NOW” factor, we must understand that God is doing “something.” He never slumbers (Psalm 121:4). As the saying goes, “When you’re down to nothing, God is up to something.” Trust that He is. He is with you always . . . even when you can’t tell that He is. When you’re waiting on God to reveal the next step in your journey of faith, trusting Him with your future, you must do three things:

Wait “Well.” We spend a lot of time waiting in life because life requires change and change is a process. One thing is for sure: we are going to have to wait until our change comes (Job 14:14 NASB “All the days of my struggle I will wait until my change comes.”). It’s HOW we wait that makes all the difference. “Waiting” is the opportunity, given to us by God, to grow our patience. He knows we need patience for the rest of our journey, so that we “lack nothing” (James 1:4). It’s through the development of our patience that we feel content and satisfied. If we never had to wait, if God answered our prayers immediately, we’d never grow in our faith. He’s teaching us to trust Him.

Accept God’s Timing. God has a watch and it’s nothing like ours (2 Peter 3:8 NLT “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”). Although it’s extremely frustrating not knowing God’s timing for His plans in our lives, we’re to completely trust that He knows what’s best. When we accept God’s timing, we free ourselves to live in hope and enjoy our lives while God is working out the details. When we entrust ourselves to Him, we can experience total peace and happiness. We’ll never add a single hour to our life by worrying! (Matthew 6:27) By learning to trust God’s timing, we’re learning to do what He wants us to do WHEN He wants us to do it . . . without questioning or trying to figure it all out.

Rely on God. The journey of faith takes us down many paths that just don’t make sense, and we’re just going to have to realize that we’re not always going to understand everything. If we try and reason everything out, we’ll end up even more frustrated.  The fact that we cannot control everything is a tool God uses to humble us into reliance upon Him. He was clear in John 15:5 (AMP): “apart from Me you can do nothing.” We need to realize we can’t do it alone and God never intended for us to. When we come to a place of relying on God, He says that in “due time” He will exalt us (1 Peter 5:6). “Due Time” is “God’s time” . . . and sometimes we’re not ready for the future, even though we think we are. Know this: God knows what He’s doing . . . the sooner you trust Him completely in every area of your life, the quicker He can get to work on your circumstances.

Through the growing pains of our faith walk, we’ll find a God who has everything under control with great purposes in mind. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us: “To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven.” Whatever it is you want to know about your future, trust that God has a certain time in which He’ll reveal it . . . the perfect time. He will not be a single minute late. Our job is not to demand the future or try to figure it all out, but to let God be God in our lives. We worship a “third day” God. Yet, we get too caught up in “Saturday” . . . the day where uncertainty and pain reign. If we’re trusting in God, then we’re rising up in faith, assured that one way or another, “Sunday” is going to dawn.

“But these things I plan

won’t happen right away.

Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches

when the vision will be fulfilled.

If it seems slow, do not despair,

for these things will surely come to pass.

Just be patient!

They will not be overdue a single day!

Habakkuk 2:3 (TLB)

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When the Sky is Falling

Okay, so maybe Chicken Little got it wrong, but for many of us facing unthinkable circumstances . . . our sky is falling! It becomes increasingly difficult to stand firm in our faith when the very ground we’re standing on is shaking and the expectations for our lives are crumbling down around us. It’s not long before disillusionment and disappointment set in which begins to breed bitterness and resentment. As the “sky falls,” we look up at it . . . wondering, “Where is God in all of this?”

As our spirit begs for answers from a God who seems so silent, we’re faced with many choices in our times of despair. We can run around franticly yelling, “The sky is falling,” or we can run helplessly into the arms of the “Maker of the skies.” God’s Word tells us to do four things when we’re consumed with hopelessness and despair:

Turn to God. (Immediately!) How much peace have we forfeited and how much unnecessary pain have we endured . . . all because we fail to run immediately to the throne of God? Psalm 23 tells us that God is our source of strength in the valleys. We may not understand why God has allowed us to encounter our trials, but He has promised to use whatever pain and suffering you are enduring for your good and His glory (Romans 8:28-29)!

Trust in God. Instead of sinking into despair, turn to God and be assured through His promises that you can trust Him . . . completely. He is sovereign, which means He has allowed you to face the difficulties you endure. He promises that through it all He is with you and will never leave you. Refuse to become overwhelmed by the enemy’s attacks on your life and trust in the God who is able to redeem and restore every hope and dream that’s been lost. He is able to do MORE than you can hope for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

Stay Focused on God. Don’t allow your circumstances to distract you from keeping your eyes on Jesus. Peter taught us, all too well, that when we’re walking in faith and then take our eyes off Jesus . . . we’ll begin to sink. We must be determined to keep walking forward in that same level of faith that got us out of the boat in the first place! If your faith starts to fail, cry out to Jesus, He’ll reach out to save you (Psalm 25:15; 2 Chronicles 20:12)!

Fight the Fight of Faith. When you find yourself consumed with disappointment and overwhelmed with doubt, turn to God’s Word and be encouraged by His personal promises to you. In digging deep into His Promises you’ll find a new perspective on your circumstances and an assurance of God’s intimate love for you. With each step of faith you take, God’s presence and power will be there to meet you and lift you up (1 Timothy 6:12; Psalm 3:3).

It’s been said that faith doesn’t make things easy, but it makes all things possible . . . even when the sky is falling.

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Weary in the Waiting

You pray, but God doesn’t seem to be listening. You trust Him, but it appears He’s letting you down. You believe His Word, but His promises are coming up seemingly empty in your life. You seek, but do not find . . . you knock, but no one answers. If God is doing anything at all in your life . . . you can’t see it. The fight of faith intensifies, as it appears that not only is God running late . . . He may not even show up at all. By the looks of things, God’s either too busy in the lives of others or He just simply doesn’t care. With each passing hour, your Spirit grows weary . . . in the waiting.

My eyes are straining to see

your Promises come true.

When will you comfort me?

Psalm 119:82 (NLT)

I am exhausted from crying for help;

my throat is parched.

My eyes are swollen with weeping,

waiting for my God to help me.

Psalm 69:31 (NLT)

It’s been said that the hardest part of faith is the last half hour. You see, there are times of overwhelming confusion that comes just before deliverance. In the darkness, we tend to give up just before the Light breaks through. Charles Spurgeon once said, “The wilderness is the way to Canaan. Defeat prepares us for victory. The darkest hour of the night precedes the dawn.” We love God’s grace, but we don’t like His watch. His calendar appears to be astonishingly different than the ones we hang on our walls, and we’re not sure He’s managing time, or our lives, very well at all. Unless we continue to look through God’s eyes in the mundane, seemingly empty, times of our lives, we will grow weary and our faith may fail.

What we don’t realize, in our times of desperation, is that if God is guiding our steps, if He’s directing our lives, then He has allowed us to be brought into the very valley in which we cry out for mercy. The fact is, God has permitted the circumstances that have brought us to our knees, and He has done so, with a plan and a purpose. In our times of waiting for God to show up . . . we shouldn’t be crying out, “Why is this happening, when will you rescue me, and how will you do it?” . . . we should be faithfully approaching God’s throne of grace and asking Him, “What? What is it that you want to do in and through me in this?”

You see, there’s a BIG difference between “being still” and “doing nothing.” When God appears to have escorted you into His “waiting room,” you can be certain that He doesn’t want you “doing nothing” . . . He wants you “being still.” The enemy fills us with the lies that we must take action . . . take matters into our own hands. The enemy whispers, “God’s Word can’t be relied upon, He can’t be trusted . . . you have to do something!” But God’s strong, still, small voice replies, “Wait on Me . . . I will save you . . . I will deliver you . . . I hold your life (every detail) in the palms of my hands.” The enemy wants you to “reason” your way through the valleys of your life . . . God asks you to trust Him and rest in Him.

When you’re trusting God . . . you should be praying, drawing nearer to Him, and resting in the peace He provides in the midst of the raging storm. As you wait, God strengthens you because you begin to realize that God IS at work . . . He’s growing your faith. And faith is rarely grown with anything other than overwhelming circumstances. God has brought you to a place of helplessness and hopelessness, so that you will find that when you are in need . . . He is ALL you need. He brings light into the darkness . . . He doesn’t have to bring you OUT of the darkness in order for you to experience His light.

Even in darkness

light dawns for the upright . . .

Psalm 112:4 (NIV)

I’m not sure what you’re waiting for right now. Maybe it’s a job that you desperately need to help support your family, maybe you’re waiting on God to heal you or someone you love, maybe it’s waiting on God to soften the heart of an addict in your family . . . whatever you’re waiting for, God doesn’t appear to be “at work.” He seems more absent than present in your circumstances. If this is where you are in your faith . . . God wants you to lay hold of one truth today:

“No ear heard, no eye seen,

a God like you who works for

those who wait for him.”

Isaiah 64:4 (MSG)

God has not forgotten you . . . He has not abandoned you in your time of desperation. He often works best in your brokenness . . . a humble heart is more moldable in His hands. Stop worrying about the details . . . quit trying to figure it all out—God knows what He’s doing. He’s in control . . . even if life isn’t. Trust that when your world seems to be falling apart . . . it’s really just falling into place in the hands of your Almighty loving God.

Trust. Wait. Rest. God’s help is on the way. Wait in faith, and the Spirit of God will fill you with peace and joy, so that you will not grow weary in the waiting.

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The Abundant Life

You don’t realize it, but your life’s most dire prayers could be summed up in one phrase: “Where’s my John 10:10?” Jesus promised it, we trust Him, but our believing isn’t bringing about seeing. We know we should have it, but we don’t. Where’s our “abundant life?”

“I came that they might have and enjoy life,

and have it in abundance

(to the full, till it overflows).”

John 10:10 (AMP)

We have abundance, but it’s an abundance of problems. And the only thing overflowing in our lives is despair. As we look at our life, very rarely are we “enjoying it.” Very seldom do we feel as though our life is full of anything but heartache and worry. So, where’s the fulfillment of the promise? Is God failing to come through? It appears that God has forgotten us and His John 10:10 promise. We desperately desire the “abundant life,” but don’t seem to have a clue as to how to obtain it.

If we’ll take a look into Jesus’ further words on this subject, we find ourselves faced with a dilemma. Jesus says we have a choice to make . . . and the choice doesn’t seem to make much sense when it comes to obtaining the abundant life we’re after.

“If you cling to your life,

you will lose it,

and if you let go of your life,

you will save it.”

Luke 17:33 (NLT)

The life that is most emptied is the one that is truly filled. But we cling. We’re afraid of letting go, in the fear that we might lose all that we desire. But, Jesus sets the record straight—God’s ways are higher . . . and He says by letting go of our life, by emptying ourselves for His purposes, we obtain life like we’ve never known. You’re not truly alive until He’s alive in you. And you will never make a long lasting impact on the world around you, until you allow God to impact you.

You have a purpose. God created you specifically to accomplish a particular goal in His plans. It’s by drawing near to Him, surrendering to His will, sitting at His feet, and waiting patiently on His voice, that you’ll come to understand how God has gifted you and how He wants to use your life to impact those around you.

God knows your desires. He is well aware of the dreams you have. And He can give you all you need and more, but He wants you to know Him intimately and be in direct relationship with Him each and every moment of your life. He delights in every detail of your life, and He knows the way you should take to best accomplish His purposes to bring about your good for His glory.

“Seek the Kingdom of God

above all else,

and live righteously,

and he will give you everything you need.”

Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

We’ve got it backwards, most of the time. We want to accomplish all our desires, and then we’ll find time to give ourselves to God and His purposes. But, His way is perfect (see Psalm 18:30). God says, “Seek Me first . . . I’ll give you your hearts desires.” We can’t acquire what only God can give us. And He’s designed us to be wholly dependent upon Him. When we’re striving to live life independently of Him, we’re clinging to life . . . and God says if we do that, we’ll lose what we really desire.

You’ll never experience more joy, until you’re used by God to impact your world for His eternal purposes. He’s called you. He doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called; He wants to use you in ways that you cannot imagine. The abundant life comes not by what you accomplish, but by what you relinquish. Give God all your hopes and desires . . . surrender them all into His hands and allow Him to work in His way, in His time, doing whatever He desires with your life. Trust Him in the valleys and on the mountaintops and never take your eyes off Him. Allow Him to live through you in all you say and do and you’ll never know a greater joy. When you’re living your life for God’s purposes, diligently building your relationship with Him and relying on Him as your all in all, you’ll find Him working out all the details of your life and providing all that you can imagine . . . in abundance.

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The Heart of the Matter

Here’s an easy question, “Do you love God?” Seems simple enough at first, I’m guessing you probably didn’t even hesitate in your answer. But, when you dig a little deeper, you find that it’s really a loaded question; one that can’t be answered so easily. Here’s what that question is really asking:

When someone offends you,

do you overlook the offense?

When you’ve just lost your job,

do you trust God to provide all that you will need?

When your spouse lashes out at you,

is your response through a gentle and quiet spirit?”

Do you set God’s desires for your life above your own?

When your world seems to be falling apart at the seams, do you praise God in the midst of the pain and suffering?

Now, those questions aren’t so easy, yet they are equivalent to the question, “Do you love God?”

Too often, we see life’s circumstances just for what they are on the surface. But, if we look underneath it all, we find that there’s much more to it. God is using all things to search hearts and find someone who will make their heart completely His (2 Chronicles 16:9). God created us for Himself, and until we pursue His heart, we will never experience the desires of our own.

One of the most exciting Promises of God that many cling to is Psalm 37:4 (NIV),

“Delight yourself in the LORD and

he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Sounds like a promise worth meditating on and clinging to, doesn’t it? But, we tend to leave out the verse before it:

“Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident)

in the Lord and do good; . . .

Psalm 37:3(AMP)

If you love God, then you trust God; you’re confident in Him. When Jesus returned to the Disciples after his resurrection, He asked Peter who had denied Him three times, “Do you love Me?” And He had to ask it three times. (How many times in a day does He have to ask us that same question?) After each time that Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love you,” Jesus gave him a command to obey, in order to prove His love. Our actions always reflect what’s in our heart (Luke 6:45). So, the simple question, “Do you love Me?” brings with it a burden of proof. When God asks us if we want the desires of our heart, He tells us to trust Him; when we do, when we trust Him . . . it’s proof that we love Him and that our heart is His.  A heart that trusts Him pursues His heart relentlessly.

You see, the heart of the matter is the heart. And God has a heart that is waiting to be grasped. If your heart is His, if you love Him, then you are deeply sensitive to all that concerns Him. It means that there is nothing in your life that is off limits to His correction and guiding direction. What is important to Him is important to you. What burdens Him burdens you. When He says wait, you wait. When He says move, you move. When you’ve done wrong, you submit to His correction. All the trials you face are part of His plan―to develop your character, to capture your heart. And God is not deceived. He knows the motivations behind your thoughts and actions.

“For the LORD sees not as man sees:

man looks on the outward appearance,

but the LORD looks on the heart."

1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)

God sees your heart when no one’s looking. And the heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). To pursue the heart of God, to acquire the desires of your heart, you must start by asking God to search you.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

Psalm 139:23 (NLT)

You might be surprised at what He finds and what He reveals. Once He has shown you what lies within your heart, cry out to Him, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10). And then watch Him go to work. As you pursue His heart, and as He begins to “clean house,” what happens next is best described in the words of C.S. Lewis:

“Imagine yourself living in a house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making court–yards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

What you’ll find is that as you seek God’s heart, you’ll discover your own. And as you struggle to find hope, when all hope in your life seems gone, you’ll finally get to the heart of the matter: You’ll discover a God who simply loves you and is using every obstacle as an opportunity to draw you nearer to Him. His only desire is that your heart is His. It’s ALL about your heart.

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The 3 Keys to Faith

It’s been said that “faith makes all things possible, not easy” . . . and life is hard, which makes faith all that much more difficult. At times, it seems as though God has locked up answered prayers in heaven and He holds the keys to His blessings. What we fail to realize is that we’ve been given the keys that unlock God’s heart and unleashes His hand, but we fail to use them. It’s like being in a prison cell, feeling helpless and hopeless, when the keys to get out are hanging on the hook, well within reach. It’s time to unlock ourselves from the prison of doubt and find freedom through our faith. And in order to do that, we need the keys to faith:

KEY #1: HOLD FAST

God assures us that with Him all things are possible . . . so what is it that we’re doubting Him for? What falls out of the category of “ALL things”? The answer is simple, nothing. We tend to give up just before God shows up and we miss out on God’s greatest blessings in our lives. We must be determined to stay the course and hold fast to the faith we profess (Hebrews 10:23). We’re not told it’s a “fight of faith” for nothing . . . there will be fierce battles, all spiritual ones, and we will need to fight. And we must never forget the weapons of faith that God has given to us―His Armor (the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Sandals of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit). The battle will be hard and it will require us to rely on God’s strength and not our own, but we can rest assured there is no victory without a battle . . . and Victory has been given to us in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57). We must hold fast to faith.

KEY#2: TRUST GOD’S WORD

If we can’t take God at His Word, we’ve got bigger issues than the circumstances of our lives. We either trust God or we don’t. And many times, we have to answer that question more times in a day than we’d like. God tells us to study His Word, meditate on it, and then obey it. Without that combination, we’ll never unlock God’s blessings in our lives (Joshua 1:8). It’s vital that we declare God’s Truth in our lives because this fallen world will flood us with lies. It’s God’s Word that will keep us on the right path and ultimately lead to His blessings in our lives. When we meditate on His Word, His Spirit works within us to transform our thinking and our lives. God’s perspective changes everything . . . and He’ll give you a glimpse of life through His eyes, as you rely on His Word as a lens for life. In every situation we face, God has something to say, advice to give, and direction to provide. Trust Him at all times, in all things, regardless of the way things appear. Faith never walks by sight.

KEY #3: DO NOT FEAR

When we’re facing the unthinkable, our world is crashing down around us, and we’re being attacked from every direction, there’s one question that we must answer, “If God is for us, who dare be against us” (Romans 8:31)? It’s a question that begs an answer, when our faith comes face to face with fear. If God has said He sends angels ahead of us, to guard us (Exodus 23:20), and He has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6), what exactly is there to fear? We need to grab hold of the realization that God is with us always (Matthew 28:20) and walk boldly by faith through seemingly impossible situations. If fear comes knocking, be sure and let your faith answer.

The keys of faith will unlock a deeper, more intimate relationship with God than you ever thought possible. Though the answers to your prayers may be delayed, they are never denied when you walk in faith and trust God for His very best, which may not give you the answers you’re hoping for. Understand that to walk in faith and trust God fully, you must agree that He is God and you are not . . . and if He is God, then He knows the big picture and He knows the way you should take . . . even when it appears to be a detour that leads to a dead end. God knows what He’s doing, even when you don’t. It’s your faith that will unlock more blessings in your life that you can hope for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), don’t miss out on the miracle.

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Stepping Over the Line

Do you ever feel like life is nothing but a roller coaster ride and everything within you just wants to get off? Your joy and peace can be stolen, within moments, by discouragement and despair. We find ourselves with fleeting faith, when the troubles of life come crashing in on us like relentless waves in a stormy sea.

Though we claim to trust in a Shepherd who leads us through valleys . . . we find ourselves “wanting” . . . “fearing evil” . . . wondering if He’s really with us. With each step we take, it seems unlikely that there are any “green pastures” . . . much less “still waters.”  We’re not so sure we like His rod or His staff . . . they don’t seem to be so “comforting.” Instead of our “souls being restored,” we’re convinced, with each passing moment, our valley may lead us into a canyon.

It can be difficult to believe that God’s plans are for “good,” when life seems to be unraveling.  Yet, without doubt, there would be no need for faith. (God uses ALL things for good . . . even our doubt and disbelief) And faith is where God draws the line. It’s the place where you must make a decision to step over the line. In the words of missionary Helen Roseveare, God’s voice shouts to us in our pain . . .

“Can you thank Me for trusting you

with this experience,

even if I never tell you why?”

God’s question cuts to the heart of our faith. He calls us out, and His question begs an answer. He asks us to trust Him, even if He never answers our questions. It’s His way of making us completely dependent upon Him. He’s taking us on a journey, and He’s asking us to make a decision to trust Him at every step.

When we find ourselves in difficult and sometimes seemingly insurmountable situations . . . God draws a line. We stand on the side of questioning His ways, giving into doubt, unsure that we can take even one more step. But, there’s Jesus. He stands on the other side of the line and His outreached hand beckons us like a child learning how to walk. There’s the strength in His eyes that assures us He’s there to help us, and He will not let us fall . . . if we will take that step.

You see, the truth is . . . God has blessed you with the very trials you’re in. Though you can’t understand it or make sense of it all, God has trusted you with the tribulations that threaten to overcome you. He is increasing and strengthening your faith by threatening to destroy it. Never forget: there’s no victory without a battle. The Apostle Paul didn’t call it a “fight of faith” for nothing. This life is an intense battle between the spirit and the flesh and God is asking us, in this life, while we are still in our flesh, to step over the line of faith and live through the Spirit that leads us into victory. He’s asking us to step out of this world, and step over the line of faith, into His.

Our difficulties, our troubles, are not the circumstances that we face, but our internal battle . . . it’s our struggle to believe . . . it’s our conflict between what we “see” and the spirit that urges us to trust God in the midst of everything that contradicts our faith. It comes down to an act of the will . . . it comes down to a decision. Everything you’re facing in life comes down to ONE question, “Do you trust God?” In times of greatest doubt, when you struggle to simply “carry on,” will you make the decision to step over the line? Every obstacle you’re facing is an opportunity, given to you by God, in order to increase your faith. By trusting Him, you’re declaring that your God is bigger than anything you face. Without the resistance to your faith . . . your faith would never grow. God knows what He’s doing. He’s always up to something. It’s always something good. And it’s always something worth hoping for.

By stepping over the line, you’re looking into the face of fear, the dangers that threaten to destroy you, the giant issues you face, the encroaching walls of affliction, the principalities and powers that are out to destroy you . . . and completely casting yourself into the arms of God. By stepping over the line, you’re refusing to rely on your feelings and walk by sight . . . you’re choosing to be led by faith in God alone. By stepping over the line, you’re declaring to God, “I’m tired of being up and down, tossed about, and questioning Your ways . . . You’ve drawn a line, and I’m stepping over the line, by faith. By stepping over the line, you’re ultimately telling God, “I trust you.”  And there’s a promise for those who step over the line:

Those who trust in, lean on,

and confidently hope in the Lord

are like Mount Zion,

which cannot be moved

but abides and stands fast forever.

Psalm 125:1 (AMP)

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Running on Empty

Drained. Sapped. Empty. Whatever adjective you’d like to use . . . the message is the same—we’re running on empty. We find ourselves depleted of hope because life just isn’t meeting our expectations. We’ve exhausted ourselves, seemingly to the point of no return. In our efforts to “press in” and “press on,” we seek God, yet we find our faith is debilitated because we simply haven’t been filling our time with His presence. When we cry out, “Where is God?” we find that He is there . . . He’s been there all along . . . it’s where we’ve been that’s the begging question.

Life is able turn in an instant. We can be filled with joy and peace one moment, only to be consumed with deep sorrow and despair in the next. We can find ourselves in a position before God where we’re too discouraged to kneel in prayer, much less lift our hands in praise (Psalm 38:13-14 NIV). Our spirit becomes so vacant that we simply have nothing to say. We’re desperate to be filled; to have the joy that comes from unwavering faith, the peace that comes from trusting in a loving sovereign God, and the rest that comes from knowing that God is with us always. In the darkest valleys of life, we cling to our faith with little hope.

But see, we walk by faith . . . which means our faith moves—it requires action. It is the Spirit of God that meets us in the darkest places in life and who will “fill up” our spirits and revive our souls. But, as He helps us, there are four ways in which He will invite our faith to work. God invites you to:

Examine your heart (2 Corinthians 3:5). We think of “sin” in terms of what we call the “big ones.” Those sins such as murder and adultery―the “fleshly” sins. These sins are easy to point the finger at because they’re easy to see. But the sins we don’t see are the ones that can go unnoticed and will seriously hinder our fellowship with God. The Spirit of God wants to uncover and reveal to you those areas where there is bitterness, unforgiveness, or pride. As those dark struggles are brought to light, ask God to work in and through you to bring your heart into His will.

Renew your mind (Romans 12:1). As the Spirit of God begins to reveal the areas in your heart that are in desperate need of repair, He will move you to renew your mind. Our mind holds incredible power and where our mind is, there our heart is also. So, we have to begin thinking about what we’re thinking about. Are they thoughts that are aligned with God’s will? How much time are we spending filling our mind with God’s Truth? If we do not focus on what is true, there are a million and one lies in any given day that will cast us relentlessly into despair. As we renew our mind in God’s Word, hope overflows.

Check your motives (1 John 5:14-15). At times when we’re calling out to God, we feel as though our prayers are simply falling on deaf ears. But through our knowledge of Truth, we know for certain that He hears us (Jeremiah 33:3, Isaiah 59:1). Yet, we’re also told to pray according to His will. Although we may not know God’s will in a particular situation, we can rely on the Spirit to go to the Father for us . . . if we come to Him with a humble heart and ready to accept that His way is always best. If our intentions are selfish, we end up back at STEP 1 because God still has work to do in us. God is always at work. Thank heavens He never slumbers!

Focus on Him. (Psalm 25:15). Too often, as we come before God in prayer, in our most hopeless situations, we’re focused on our wants and desires and we lose focus of God and His purposes for our trials. If we’re not focused on God, we’re allowing our emotions to take precedence over our faith in God. The secret to victorious faith is to dwell on God’s ability to handle our problems. We will only find true peace and joy if we completely surrender to His will . . . trusting that His way is always the best way.

Lord God, when all my strength is gone, it is You that I will run to. As I throw myself helplessly at Your throne of grace, I ask You to fill me with Your love, mercy, grace, and Truth. Do a work in me that will lift me from the pit of despair and raise me up to give You glory through my trials of life. When all hope is gone, I will refocus my heart and place all of my hope in You. I will cling to the hope that comes through trusting in You alone, for I know that the true hope I have in You will never disappoint me. Heavenly Father, You are all I need whenever I am in need. It is Your joy that is my strength. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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Only One Thing Matters

Have you ever wondered if maybe God miscalculated the number of hours needed in a day? Have you ever questioned His understanding of what it takes to live this life? We can submerge ourselves into His Word, but at the end of the day, we can’t understand how that time spent will get the bills paid, the house cleaned, the grocery shopping done, the yard work finished, the family fed, or the kids ready for bed. Maybe God just didn’t think far enough ahead into our fast paced, schedule driven, technology powered world. Maybe He’s not being reasonable by allowing us to spend a little less time with Him, so that we could get things done. And what about when the holidays come around? Did He not anticipate the decorations that have to be put up, the parties that need thrown, or the extra jobs that must be worked to pay for it all? Maybe God missed it. Or maybe we have.

The question we have to ask ourselves is, “Am I a Mary or a Martha?” (Maybe instead of a Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde, we find ourselves in a Mary/Martha lifestyle.) In Luke 10: 38-42, we find two women named Martha and Mary entertaining Jesus, only to end up at the brunt of one of His many unorthodox teachings. In those days, the women were to prepare the meals etc. The men were to be at the feet of a rabbi or teacher of the Torah. There was no exception. So, Martha took her place in this world. And obviously, Martha was feeling as though she had more to do than she could handle on her own. (We can relate!) But, Mary recognized that her Lord was in the next room and there was nothing that was going to keep her from sitting at His feet.

The bottom line is, we all have a Mary heart . . . but we’re living in a Martha world. There’s things to be done. So, we can’t help but live our lives in the footsteps of Martha. But, in this account in Luke, Jesus beckons the “Mary heart” in all of us. As Martha politely, yet forcefully, demands that Jesus tell Mary to help her with the preparations, Jesus shocks us all with His response:

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke10:38-42 (NIV)

Don’t you care? It’s a question we ask God a lot . . . if we’re honest. His answers sometimes come in the form of questions, but this answer was straight to the point. In essence, He says, “Stop worrying. Quit being upset. Just come into My presence. Just spend time with Me. I’ll give you peace and rest from your burdens.” But, Martha, like so many of us, had gotten “distracted by all the preparations.” We can’t fault Martha. After all, she was the one who invited Jesus into her home in the first place. She had opened her life up to Him—she just “missed it.” And Jesus sees us “missing it.”  Jesus is helping us keep things in perspective. The things of this life that cause us so much worry and confusion suddenly become irrelevant when we’re in the presence of the Lord. You see, what Martha was doing was “essential” . . . what Mary was doing was “eternal.” That time Mary would spend with Jesus could never be taken from her. Martha’s efforts would be consumed and forgotten within hours.

Jesus wasn’t scolding Martha and He isn’t scolding us over this issue . . . He’s simply saying, “I don’t need you to do anything for Me, but simply let Me be here for you.” He’s saying, “Only one thing matters . . . and that’s being here, at My feet, in My presence.” The message is loud and clear. We can’t allow ourselves to be weighed down and distracted by many things.

If you’re finding yourself stressed out; if you’re finding yourself angry with others for not doing their share; when you wake up in the middle of the night to despair about whether “things” will ever get done . . . don’t continue to neglect yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Stop and sit in the presence of God. Take a moment to re-examine why you’re doing what you’re doing. Remember that there is simplicity in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Ask yourself if you’re spending your time on the things that will last? . . . the things that “cannot be taken away from you?” If you’re consumed with serving the Lord . . . don’t forget who it is you’re serving. Keep your eyes on Him. Keep Him first in all that you do. It doesn’t matter to Jesus if you prepare a seven course meal or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. What matters to Him is that you take the time to simply enjoy His presence. When daily life is frantic and out of control, when worry consumes you and you’re struggling just to make it through, Jesus says, “There’s only one thing that matters . . . and I’m right here in front of you.”

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No Matter What

There are three simple words you should know that will take you places in your faith that you never thought possible. They aren’t complicated and don’t require any “in depth” interpretation. Although frequently manipulated by the circumstances surrounding them, they are precise, pertinent, and powerful when it comes to growing your faith. Are you ready? Here they are:

“No matter what”

If you’re not exactly sure how those three simple words can transform your faith, let me spell it out for you:

When you’re facing financial stress that brings you face to face with foreclosure and the loss of all your hopes and dreams . . . trust God—“No matter what.”

When your spouse is an addict, won’t get help, and continues to allow the devil to unleash chaos, pain and suffering in your home . . . trust God—“No matter what.”

When your child is battling a terminal illness and the end is eminent . . . trust God—“No matter what.”

When your entire life is unraveling at the seams and your pain and emptiness continually smother your peace and joy . . . trust God—“No matter what.”

In the unthinkable pain and suffering that Job endured in his life, he summed up his faith like this:

“Though he slay me,

yet will I trust in him . . .”

Job 13:15 (KJV)

Now, hear the truth, “Faith doesn’t make things easy . . . but it makes all things possible.” And this is where these three simple words will take your faith farther than you ever imagined. It’s when you make the decision to trust God, regardless of the overwhelming evidence within your circumstances that tell you He’s abandoned you, you’ll find yourself in a place of being able to have a personal encounter with Almighty God. And this encounter, as magnificent and life changing as it is, will cost you “something.” Too often, in our walk of faith, we are asked to simply “endure.”

To endure means “to carry through despite hardships; to suffer patiently without giving up.” It means “holding on,” even if by a thread. Jesus assured us, “But he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13 AMP). If we are truly living a life of faith in Christ, we are able to endure, knowing that our God is bigger than our problems, the devil (who relentlessly attacks us), and the pain and suffering that threaten to overtake us. Our faith comes in grabbing hold of God’s Promises even when life is pulling us apart. His Promises assure us that our God is boundless, measureless, limitless, and immense.

In the face of your obstacles, no matter how insurmountable they might seem, you have the opportunity to know God in a more intimate way than ever before. He’s drawing you nearer. He wants you to close your eyes, trusting Him through faith and not by what you see around you. God is asking you to walk in this world, yet allowing you to experience joy and peace, as you to step into His. It may “look” as though you are walking through the valley of death . . . you may be facing the “unthinkable,” but God assures you . . .  He is there, He is all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful, and ever-present (Psalm 23). In the darkness, He’s there to take your hand and lead you . . . not by blind faith, but with a mature, strong, enduring faith that steadily learns to trust Him—“No matter what.”

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Help Wanted

Life gets overwhelming in a hurry. Even when you diligently try to simplify life, somehow it finds a way to complicate things on its own.  Without much effort, we can find ourselves disillusioned with the reality that we face. If we’re facing financial struggles, we diligently seek job opportunities with better pay. If we’re struggling with relationship issues, we seek out an “expert” that seems to know how to handle the situation. If we’re desperate to see a loved one who is chained to addictions set free, in fear, we decide that it’s time to take matters into our own hands. Each and every burden we face brings with it an opportunity to live out our faith, or become overwhelmed and reap the consequences of acting as if we’re more sovereign than God. If Jesus couldn’t do anything without God’s help, how can we expect to? If Jesus depended upon God to make the decisions in His life, why don’t we? Our lives should reflect a sign into heaven that simply reads, “Help Wanted!”

God doesn’t intend for us to live this life in our own strength and in our own resources. Jesus spoke plainly on this issue:

"I tell you the truth,

the Son can do nothing by himself.”

John 5:19 (NLT)

“For apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5 (NLT)

Jesus made it clear that he did NOTHING on His own. Jesus lived His life around this truth. And we should, too. If we will come to a place of realizing that we are to completely depend upon God for everything, we will find God in everything. He tells us if we will seek HIM, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:7). We’ll find Him speaking to us, leading us, opening doors and closing others, working in hardened hearts, tearing down walls, bringing light into darkness, and pouring out His amazing grace that flows like a roaring river. We can’t live out God’s will for our lives without depending upon Him for every breath we take and every step we make. (We can, but it doesn’t yield the results we desire.) At any given moment, we will face the unthinkable; a set of impossible circumstances that threaten to destroy our faith. We will all face moments of reality, so overwhelming, they take our breath away and we’re certain we can’t carry on. In those times, we can thank Jesus for the secret that He shared with the world. His secret when He was overwhelmed was: prayer.

At a time when Jesus had been doing countless miraculous healings, endless teachings, and traveling continuously, He knew He could not do it all in His own strength. We learn that before the day had even begun, He found a quiet place where He could pray.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 (NIV)

In times of despair, when you’re crying out to God and it appears that He either doesn’t care or He simply isn’t there, it is in that moment of sweet surrender where God’s grace will flood your soul with the truth: He is there and He does care. We’ve been given the promise of His presence (Matthew 28:20). And it is through prayer that we can be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). You see, there’s no such thing as God being “almost” sovereign. If you feel that God is out of touch and distant in your life . . . who moved? His promises say that He is a very PRESENT HELP in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1) . . . believe what is true, trust in the promises God has made to you. Seek Him, lean on Him; depend upon Him for everything and in everything. Don’t take one more step without being still before God . . . pour out your heart to Him . . . believe that He can do all things . . . trust in Him completely . . . and then wait patiently for His help.

“Fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed,

for I am your God;

I will strengthen you,

I will help you, . . .”

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

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Fearless Faith

Worry woke up, startled at 2:30 am. She thought she heard a noise downstairs and couldn’t remember if she’d locked all the doors earlier that night. As Worry had to wrestle out of the covers and venture the house on her own, panic set in; her husband was out of town. Worry made it around the house, overcome with fear of the unknowns that lurked behind every corner— she realized that all was well and she tirelessly crawled back into bed and lay still . . . staring at the ceiling. Worry’s mind wrestled with why her husband hadn’t called that night and why he seemed so distant lately. As one thought exited, another one entered. Worry tried, endlessly, to stop the thoughts from bombarding her mind so that she could get some sleep, but nothing worked. Worry couldn’t calm her mind when the stack of unpaid bills on the kitchen counter only grew higher day by day. Worry looked at the clock and it was now 4:30am. She had to be up by 5:30am to get the kids ready for school and rush to a job that held no security—pink slips were going out over the next week. Grasping hold of her faith, Worry got up to begin the day; wondering exactly how she would make it through.

**********

What advice would you give to Worry? Maybe you’d simply find the opportunity to blast your faith at her and tell her to just “Trust God.” Know this: In a world that is overcome with daily debilitating adversities, those words offer little help and even less hope. You see, Worry always has more questions than answers; more fear than faith.

So, if you see Worry, or if you’re struggling with fear and have befriended Worry, take the necessary steps to walk in victory through every valley and have “fearless faith”:

Pray. Don’t allow the possibilities of tragedy to overwhelm you. Don’t sit down to a cup of coffee with the enemy, instead fall upon your knees in helpless dependence upon the God of impossibilities. There is nothing that God cannot do. Trust Him and cast “[all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him . . .” (1 Peter 5:7 AMP)

Rest in the Lord. Jesus has promised to give you peace, but not as the world gives. He gives a peace that “surpasses all understanding.” When you continually take your life to the foot of the Cross, you can gaze into His eyes and find true rest in knowing that He has risen and is able to save you. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7 NIV).

Focus on today. God’s grace is sufficient for the moment. God is never late, so don’t worry that He won’t show up on time. If you think He’s missed His opportunity to work miracles in your life, you should know that you’ve just been set up to witness an even greater miracle if you continue to trust. “Let us therefore boldly approach the throne of our gracious God, where we may receive mercy, and his grace find timely help” (Hebrews 4:16 NEB).

Trust that God is enough. Jesus performed many miracles and calmed a few storms, yet even His closest followers still had times of doubt. As you reflect on how God has brought you through your past valleys in life, what more must He do to prove Himself? Trust that God knows your needs. He is mighty to save and He will rescue you as you diligently trust in Him. “Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:32-33 NLT).

Lord God, I bring all of my worries before You and I lay them at Your feet. I know that I can depend upon You at all times as I trust in Your sovereign love for me. I pray that you will refine my faith and use my life as a testimony to your incredible mercy and abundant grace. When I don’t know what to do . . . I will keep my eyes on You (1 Chronicles 20:12)!

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God’s Advice

We face more decisions in a day than most of us can count—those decisions we make influence our life in more ways than we can understand. So what decisions are you facing in your life today? Maybe you’re faced with a decision over which job to take, whether or not you should sell your home to pay the bills, or something as simple as what to eat for lunch—whatever decisions needs to be made, they should never be made without first asking for God’s advice.

Too often, when we are faced with a decision, no matter how large or how small, we tend to look to ourselves and others—we seek the counsel of many people other than God. In 1 Kings 22:5 (NLT) we’re told, “But first let’s find out what the Lord says.” We can only imagine the kind of victory we would walk in daily, if every child of God never made a decision without FIRST finding out what God said about it all. Too many people have made irreversible decisions which have driven them onto a wrong path for the rest of their life—don’t underestimate the decisions you make in your life, no matter how insignificant you might think they are. God wants to be involved in every decision you make; He wants to be involved in every area of your life, because He wants you living life abundantly in His peace.

God has instructed us, through His Word, that we should not rely on our own understanding of things; we are to come to Him and HE will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). When you’re faced with whatever decision lies before you, listen carefully to the voice of God. Ask Him for wisdom— James 1:5 (NLT) says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” If you hear His voice and you get direction, walk obediently in the way He has provided. Don’t be led by others’ advice or the reasoning within you. If you don’t immediately hear from God, wait on Him.

At times, God is silent so that He can work within our circumstances and draw us nearer to Him. If Satan is tempting you to rush ahead of God, asking you constantly, “What are you going to do?” give a quick response, “I’m going to wait on God; what are you going to do Satan, when you’re defeated in my situation?” Don’t worry about tomorrow—today has enough troubles of its’ own (Matthew 6:34). Don’t entertain the devil in your life; don’t sit down to a cup of coffee with him to discuss the issues in your life! He’s got advice alright, and he can use others to disguise himself—he can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He uses everything he can in your life— people, places, and things, to get you to focus on what you don’t know, what you don’t have, and what you can’t do! Face him head-on; be determined to look him in the eyes and walk forward in faith, not by sight.

Don’t be deceived, God has promised that He is with you always (Matthew 28:20); He has promised that He will guide you always (Isaiah 58:11). Don’t be fooled by the enemy that “God has forgotten you, that He has failed you.” Seek God’s Truth in your life, at all times, in all things, seek HIS advice!

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Enjoying Life NOW

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the day to day routine; it consumes our lives and can, at times, rob us of our joy. It has been said, “Life is like a coin―You can spend it any way you choose, but you can only spend it once.” Definitely something to think about as we rush through our busy lives, only to find we wake up one day and we’re at the end of it; we’re left wondering where the time went and filled with thoughts of how we would have lived life differently.

When you discover the richness of God in your life, acknowledging the many blessings He has provided, you find yourself living in the present; living life to the full and overjoyed with the grace God has provided for the moment. Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (AMP) says,

“Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, and the power to enjoy them and to accept his appointed lot and to rejoice in his toil--this is the gift of God [to him]. For he shall not much remember [seriously] the days of his life, because God [Himself] answers and corresponds to the joy of his heart [the tranquility of God is mirrored in him].”

Don’t be trapped by the ways of this world. It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Our joy will not come from who we know, where we live, or what we drive. Our joy should come from knowing that the God of the universe loves us enough to walk with us as we grab hold of His hand. He takes the time, out of His obviously busy schedule, to meet us right where we are. He doesn’t want us looking back with regrets, but focusing upon Him in the present moment. He’s given us forgiveness for the past, faith for the future, and His grace for the present moment. He didn’t send His son so that we would be consumed with worry and filled with despair. He’s told us quite the opposite in John 10:10 (AMP):

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”

Did you catch that? He came so that we might have JOY until it overflows! Now, God’s not talking about a joy that is tied to our circumstances―He’s talking about an unshakable joy and peace. That peace and joy comes by trusting in God’s Promises for your life; in knowing that God is on your side. Although your situation doesn’t seem to be moving in the right direction, your peace and joy should come from trusting, that God is in control and He is still on His throne. Our peace and joy comes from walking by faith, not by sight. If we walked by sight, very rarely would we even get out of bed in the morning! Our joy will come from a humble attitude; realizing that we don’t deserve anything, but God gives it to us anyway. In all of your circumstances find something to be thankful for. God wouldn’t ask us to do it if it weren’t possible for us to do (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

So, whatever you’re going through, don’t waste the moment you’re in. Don’t let the enemy rob you of your joy! Your joy is not tied to this world, your joy is found in a God who loves you and nothing that take that from you.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for meeting me right where I am; in my fear and despair. I have been tempted to cling to the things of this world which only leads to more of my frustration―living for things that in the end do not fill me with joy, but deprive me of it. Teach me to live with and attitude of gratitude for the many blessings You give. Lord God, even when life is painful, fill my spirit with joy, that You are still in charge and working out Your purposes in my life that are for good. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

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Walking with God

The dawn of  each new day should remind us that God’s mercy, loving-kindness, and compassions never fail and are fresh every morning . . . the sun rising should prompt our spirit to “begin” again. It’s a time of renewal—letting go of the past, cherishing the present, and grasping hold of the future, as God reveals it.

Long ago, “In the beginning,” Adam and Eve had a “fresh” start, and although we all are thoroughly familiar with the story, the most important part of their “beginning” is that they “walked with God.”

“They heard the sound of the Lord God

Walking in the garden . . .”

Genesis 3:8 (NASB)

They were in the garden and so was God. They heard His voice and He was with them because they had to hide from His presence. They were in perfect harmony with God.  The question is, “Are we?” As we start the “beginning” of each new day, the most vital step we can take in “beginning” anew is to make sure we are walking with God. In order to do so, we must follow these 3 steps:

Surrender our sin. We cannot begin something “new” until we go through repentance for the old. We need to come before God’s throne of grace and repent of any and all sins that keep us from moving forward into all that God has for us. There may be sins that we are readily aware of, and there may be sins that God must reveal to us. We can pray as the Psalmist did, “Search me thoroughly, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24 AMP).

Get to know God. In order know someone, you must spend time (quality time) with them. You can’t get to know God “on the run.” We must “acquaint ourselves with His attributes and His promises. “Submit to God and be at peace with Him; then things will go well for you”(Job 22:21). Be determined to seek out a “Word from God” each day. Be diligent in immersing yourself in God’s presence and seeking after His heart. If you’re staking every step of your life on God’s Promises, you’re assured that God is with you. And if He is with you, who or what can be against you (Romans 8:31)? Make time to concern yourself with God and He will make time to concern Himself with you.

Be patient and persistent. Walking with God is NOT an easy journey. There are MANY valleys, but there are also unforgettable mountaintops. We must keep searching after God . . . our faith walk is a journey, not a destination. “Search for the Lord and His strength; continually seek Him” (Psalm 105:4 NLT). Along the way, we must walk in HIS strength, not our own. We can’t walk with God without God. “I will go in the strength of the Lord” (Psalm 71:16 KJV). In His strength, you can do all things. In Him you will run and not grow weary, walk and no faint (Isaiah 40:31). God knows our difficulties, He knows the flesh is weak, so He’s told us to “walk with Him,” to enter into His presence in prayer, and not give up (Luke 18:1).

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When God Shows Up

There seems to be a begging question throughout history, “When will God show up?” As time passes, and God seems nowhere to be found, a second question trumps the first, “Will God show up?”

Chances are . . . you’re asking these same questions in your own life. You’re struggling between faith and doubt and doubt seems to be winning out. You have justifying faith—you’ve accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. You have sanctifying faith—you’re a new creation in Christ through your continual surrender and God is at work in your life. Ahhhh, but then there’s living faith . . . and that is the kind of faith that doesn’t require any faith at all . . . it is the blessed assurance that God has already shown up . . . that His Promises are prophecy in your life. It’s when faith transforms into sight and faith is no longer needed. It’s the inner conviction that God’s Promises are true, He is faithful, and He is with you always (Matthew 28:20). Rarely do we walk in a living faith; we depend upon what we see far too much. And our sight keeps us stuck, right where we are, until we choose to step forward into the unknown . . . trusting God in the face of impossibilities.

We’re waiting for God to show up, yet He’s always there . . . waiting for our faith to acknowledge His presence. The problem is we fail to recognize Him, so we keep looking, keep waiting, keep watching, and keep doubting. We walk by sight.

Did God suddenly show up at the Red Sea? Or was He already there waiting as He’d promised Moses?

Did God, in a moment’s notice, decide to help David defeat Goliath? Or did He have a plan for David to become King?

Did Jesus surprisingly show up in a manger?Or had God foretold of His coming through the prophets?

Was it simple injustice that crucified Jesus on a Cross?

Or was it God’s grace at work providing a way for man’s redemption?

One thing about God—He appears to be full of surprises. But, we might be shocked to realize that He’s actually quite predictable. If we are His sheep and He says that we hear His voice, then quite possibly, we’re not listening (John 10:27; Matthew 11:15).

All those years ago, before Jesus was born into the world, His own people, the Jews, were told He’d be coming. God’s voice spoke through the Old Testament, telling of the Messiah’s coming. It was told that God would come to earth and be born as a male (Isaiah 9:6-7), He’d be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), He would come from the root of Judah (Isaiah 11:1-10), He’d be from the house of David (Isaiah 16:5), He’d be born in Bethlehem and be from Nazareth (Micah 5:2, Isaiah 9:1-2), His birth would trigger a massacre of boys (Hosea 11:1), His mission would include the Gentiles (Isaiah 42: 1-4,6; Isaiah 49:6), His ministry would include miraculous healings (Isaiah 29:18, Isaiah 35:5-6), He would be despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3), He would be hated without cause, rejected by rulers, and rejected by his own brothers (Isaiah 49:7, Psalm 118:22, Psalm 69:8), He would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13), and His disciples would scatter (Zechariah 13:17, Matthew 26:31). And let us not forget Jesus’ foretelling of His crucifixion, death, and resurrection (Matthew 20:17-19).

So, why are there still those who doubt? Why are there unbelievers? Is it because God has not fulfilled His Word? Or is it that people choose to ignore what is readily before them? What about in our own lives, has God spoken to us personally? Have we sought out His Word and will for our life? Are we standing on His Promises, believing them, and living our lives as if we do? If He’s assured us that He is with us always, why are we looking for Him to make His presence known (John 10:25)? Why do we doubt, and wait for God to show up . . . when the Truth is . . . He already has. Jesus is all you’ll ever need.

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Hearing God

Do you find yourself banging on the door of heaven, only to be met with silence? It often seems that no one is home . . . you can walk away feeling alone and completely empty inside. Far too often, we are filled with despair when we feel that God has abandoned us. But prayer is much more than God just answering―the problem is that we use prayer as a means to an end, but God has given us the privilege of prayer so that we might have an intimate relationship with Him. Prayer is for us to praise Him for simply Who He is, not just what He gives.

We can so easily find ourselves overspent and overdrawn, in more ways than one; we are left completely lost and empty. We cry out in desperation and wonder, “Where is God?” And yet, He is right where we left Him―we’ve left Him out of nearly every area of our lives. We have decided to shut God out until tragedy strikes, and then we swell up with pride, call out in prayer, and expect that God should show up when we ask Him to. The problem is not with God, but with us. Instead of asking God to answer the prayers that are devastating our hearts, we should start praying about all the things that are breaking His.

It is quite disturbing that not much has changed in the past 2,000+ years. Isaiah looked out upon people who longed for happiness and security―an “abundant life.” But they were looking in all the wrong places and so do we. Then, just as now, people were running to the marketplaces and to places of amusement, spending their money frivolously for things which brought them no permanent satisfaction. And yet, Isaiah did not condemn them, but looked past their gluttony and immorality and embraced them with a word from God:

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.  Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.” Isaiah 55:1-2 (NIV)

God offers what cannot be found in this world, true fulfillment. It is our deepest need, not just to know about God, but to have an intimate relationship with Him; knowing Him as Creator, Redeemer, Judge, and closest Friend. Prayer is a human act, given to us by God’s grace which reflects our dependence upon Him. It is not God that has let us down or forsaken us, it is that we that have forgotten and forsaken Him in our failure to understand our privilege of prayer. The Word that God gave to people over 2,000 years ago through Isaiah is just as relevant today as it was back then. He is calling us to understand our true condition and turn to Him:

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55: 6-8 (NIV)

C.S. Lewis said, "If God had granted all the silly prayers I've made in my life, where would I be now?”

Our problem with prayer is that we have forgotten that God’s ways are not only higher, but better. Our current condition is not evidence of God’s unfaithfulness, but of ours. We have failed to pray as we’ve been instructed, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.” Our greatest Christian privilege has become our biggest failure. People all over the world recite the Lord’s Prayer daily, and yet, have no intention of anyone’s will being done, but their own; we are praying, not that “God’s will be done,” but that He approve ours.

C.S. Lewis also said, “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way."

We must turn away from “self-centeredness” and pray with whole hearts that, “God’s will be done.” We must trust that His ways are higher and better. We must be committed to constant prayer; rejoicing in hope, by trusting in His Promises (Romans 12:12). It is through prayer, that we invite God into our world, to lead, guide, and direct us, each and every moment of our lives. Our privilege in prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him.

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Prepared in Praise

In times where we’re uncertain of what the future holds and crippled beneath the weight of fear, we tend to forget that God is dedicated to deliverances, His mercies are immeasurable, and His miracles are manifold. We lose sight of the fact that it is our sufferings that bring about Psalms . . . and the Psalms end in praise.

We face difficulties and we find our faith being put to the test. But what is our faith without a test to try it? When our faith is being tried, when hope seems to be running out, and we can’t see Jesus through the pain, we must press through in prayer AND praise. And what we need to know about our lives, and our purposes, is that we are here on earth to develop a firm foundation of faith in God. We are here to wait for Him, suffer (if need be, for His will to be done), fellowship intimately with Him, and be conformed to the likeness of Christ. Those purposes and the process of transformation is painful, to say the least; but the joys to come will last forever . . . the pain will not. Though those promises are truly what our spirit needs to hear, our soul has a hard time standing upon what God has assured us:

So we don't look at the troubles we can see now;

rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.

For the things we see now will soon be gone,

but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT)

We tend to look at our pain instead of the Promises. We pray, but forget to praise. And praise as if the prayer is answered. Faith expects God’s answer and waits until He does:

I will climb up to my watchtower

and stand at my guardpost.

There I will wait to see what the LORD says

and how he will answer my complaint.

Habakkuk 2:1 (NLT)

God tests us not to prove Himself, but to prove our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7). Even as we struggle to take one more step of faith, God wants us praising Him continually and declaring the victory as if it is sure . . . because it is. He doesn’t want us paying attention to the wind and the waves as we walk upon the water . . . He wants us keeping our eyes on Him. He wouldn’t call us to walk upon the water if He wasn’t certain we were able to do it. It’s our faith in Him that gives us the blessed assurance that in Him ALL things are possible. We can’t take our eyes of Jesus.

We must focus on Jesus,

the source and goal of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2 (GOD’s WORD)

God wants you to prepare for your victory through praise. He wants you living each moment full of faith, poised with prayer, and prepared in praise. Your life is in His hands, His presence is with you, and your Psalms must be the preludes to your praise. Prepare for God to show up . . . because He will.

. . . do not be surprised

at the painful trial you are suffering,

as though something strange

were happening to you.

But, rejoice that you participate

in the sufferings of Christ,

so that you may be overjoyed

when his glory is revealed.

1 Peter 4:12 (NIV)

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Fixed Faith

Life can take frightening twists and turns into unknown territory, often leading us to critical forks in the road. We can find ourselves in a place of doubt and disbelief, paralyzed by the unknowns that keep us from taking that very next step of faith. But, if we’ll look to God, and call out to Him in prayer, we’re assured of His divine guidance, direction, discipline, and encouragement. In our moments of despair, we must fix our faith. If we’ll do three things, we’ll find our faith fixed and ready to run the race set before us:

1) Remember. We tend to have a short term memory when it comes to God’s faithfulness. He may have parted Red Seas in our life, but when we’re in the desert and there’s no food or water, Red Sea miracles tend to lose their luster. Yet, those miracles are our foundation to God’s faithfulness. If we can reflect on times when God showed up for us in the past, we can fix our faith on His faithfulness for the future.

2) Focus. We find ourselves focusing on a lot of things other than God, and it’s easy to lose sight of our Shepherd. The storms of life that bring the blinding rain and roaring winds keep us from seeing clearly. But, even through our fear and doubt, we must focus upon Who God is and what He’s promised. We must continually trust in His Word, regardless of what our circumstances tell us.

3) Walk with God. God never intended for us to walk through this journey of life alone. His desire is that we would have our faith fixed in the knowledge that He is with us always (Matthew 28:20). He’s instructed us not to walk by sight, relying on our five senses, but to walk firmly in faith based upon what He’s promised. Our circumstances may distract us at times, but if we’ll fix our faith on remembering and focusing, we’ll find ourselves walking with God . . . even when we’re unsure of where our life is going. We’ll find our faith fixed, planted firmly, in the Truth that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

We can trust God and fix our faith in Him because He has proven Himself faithful throughout history. Though things appear to be falling apart, they’re really just falling into place in the hands of our sovereign and loving God. Nothing can prevent God from achieving His perfect will. And He’s promised that if we’ll put our trust in Him, we will never be disappointed (Romans 10:11).

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Faith Is As Faith Does

With “faith” accessories thriving, it seems much easier to wear our faith than to actually walk in it. God was never meant to simply be an accessory.

Faith can be appealing until we find that involves more than just acquiring a free ticket to heaven. If we’re living in faith, then the Holy Spirit is at work, overtime, and we’re going to find ourselves turned inside out. Faith reaches into the innermost part of our being and radically changes who we are. It’s not what about you will be different when you decide to truly follow Jesus . . . it’s that NOTHING will be the same. Faith permeates how we talk AND walk. If “faith is as faith does” in your life, then there are four things that are happening:

1) Faith Speaks. Our faith in God was never meant to be kept a secret. It was meant to be shouted from the mountaintops. God wants us speaking His Word and confessing it in every area of our life. We can’t allow our circumstances to become the center of our attention, the things that we meditate on day and night . . . God has commanded us to make His Word the highest priority in our lives. God clearly states in Joshua 1:8 (NLT): “Study this Book of Instruction continually, Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” Don’t miss out on the promise of prosperity and success!

2) Faith is Obedient. Accepting Jesus comes by humble submission to the grace God has extended, but there’s more to faith than just coming to the Cross. When you’re part of the Kingdom of God, He will require more of you (Luke 12:48). We have responsibility, so contrary to popular belief, faith is not a “free” ticket. Micah 6:8 (NASB) says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humble with your God?” The Bible is full of instructions, to lead us into the Victorious life God intends for us to live. God is always leading and guiding us through His Word . . . and we should be following and obeying Him in every area of our lives.

3) Faith Sees. Before accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, we were blind, but now we see! As we meditate on God’s Word, the Holy Spirit goes to work and our eyes are opened to the Truth that is found in God’s Promises to us. We can walk out every area of our life with the Light that shines into the darkness of this world. And all too often, as we walk in faith, we’re going to face uncertainties that will challenge our faith in ways that we wish it wouldn’t. But that’s faith. It’s trusting God for what is unseen. It’s walking in full assurance that every single one of God’s Promises are true and that He is faithful to His Word, even when life’s circumstances seem to contradict what we profess to believe. Faith sees life through God’s eyes and not our own.

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Frustrated Faith

Our faith can give way to our feelings, as the circumstances of our life drive us to magnify them, instead of God.  In moments of deep despair, as our faith is frustrated, due to the hopelessness that stares us in the face each and every moment, we so easily forget that ALL things are small to God and it’s Him that we should be magnifying.

“Letting go and letting God,” doesn’t happen easily, so don’t be surprised when “casting your cares” (1 Peter 5:7) doesn’t seem to work, instantly. It’s a process, so don’t get frustrated. Realize that faith is a continual work that is a step by step process, not a giant leap. The point of faith is not so that you can ever learn to live life on your own, but coming to a realization that you need God’s guidance and direction for every step you take. Faith is an absolute dependence on God, and until we come to a place of realizing the purpose of faith, we’ll be frustrated.

In Philippians 4:11, Paul said he’d learned to be content in whatever circumstances he was in. What seems impossible is always possible with God, and that means being content when your world seems to be falling apart at the seams. Your desperation and hopelessness is your opportunity to trust God, and it’s ultimately the time when God’s mighty hand sets the stage for miracles in your life. The moments when all hope seems gone will allow you to learn how to trust in God, rely on His strength, and have confidence in His divine will for your life. Your frustration will fade when you learn that God’s plans for your future are for good, even if it doesn’t appear to be the case in the here and now (Jeremiah 29:11).

This world will tempt us to live in a state of discontentment; but it’s when you learn the “secret” that contentment will bring about the peace you need to overcome the frustration in your faith. And the “secret” according to Paul the Apostle is that we can “do ALL things” through Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13). Although life can take us into some dark and confusing places, and it’s unsettling to move forward, we can do so by relying on God to shed light in the darkness and lead us through valleys that seem to never end―we can be certain that He has promised to be with us (Psalm 23:4; Matthew 28:20). It’s by faith that we walk through this life, because we’re trusting in an invisible God that works supernaturally in our visible world. His power and presence trumps any laws of nature and keeps us from being consumed by flames, even amid the testing of our faith by fire.

Whenever you’re frustrated in your faith, feeling as though you’re not moving forward and unable to take another step, lift up your feelings to the Lord and wait patiently for Him to reveal His path for you. Don’t take another step until you’re absolutely certain that God has given you peace and confidence about how to proceed. He may ask you to wait longer, He may tell you to take a giant leap, or He may ask you to rest in Him as you watch Him part the Red Seas of your life. No matter what, obey Him. It’s ultimately trusting in Him that will free you from the frustrations of faith.

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BONUS FEATURE:

1st Chapter of

THE WAYS

of

GOD

FINDING PURPOSE

THROUGH YOUR PAIN

Cherie Hill

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.

THE WAYS

of

GOD

FINDING PURPOSE

THROUGH YOUR PAIN

Cherie Hill

© 2012 by Cherie Hill

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the author.

Scripture quotations marked "The Amplified Bible" (AMP) or "The Amplified New Testament" are taken from The Amplified Bible, Old Testament copyright © 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation and The Amplified New Testament copyright © 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, Wheaton: Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV®) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked "NLT" are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked "NKJV" are taken from The New King James Version / Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers., Copyright © 1982. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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As for God, his way is perfect.

Psalm 18:30 (NIV)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1:              Can God Be Trusted?

Chapter 2:              Work In Progress

Chapter 3:              Hope Being Gone

Chapter 4:              Perfect Peace

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Chapter 1:

Can God Be Trusted?

Life has taken some unexpected turns. You’ve either decided to take detours in your life, or you’ve been forced into them . . .only to find yourself at a dead end. The twists and turns have distorted your sense of direction and you feel like you’re spinning out of control. You’ve daily been striving to take the “high” road, but without warning you find yourself shoved off the road altogether, and you’ve landed into a ditch (the “valley”).

It appears you’re in the middle of nowhere. And when you need help the most, there’s not a soul in sight. If faith is supposed to be an insurance policy against the tragedies in life, it isn’t paying off.

In a moment of solemn realization, you’re surprised you’ve survived thus far; but in times like these, there have been moments when you wish you hadn’t. The truth is, you’re calling out to God, but He doesn’t seem to be answering. Desperation is draining you and you’re exhausted from the “fight of faith.” Doubt seems to be getting the best of you.

If God is at work, you can’t see it. If God really loves you, you can’t feel it. And if He doesn’t show up in your circumstances, it’s the end of the road. As the reality of the situation sets in, you can’t help but wonder if God really cares? You reason: He could have been there and He wasn’t. He could have done something and He didn’t. Looking back, your prayers even seem like cruel jokes . . . when you hoped for good, evil came; when you looked for light, darkness came flooding in.

Yet, when I hoped for good, evil came;

when I looked for light,

then came darkness.

The churning inside me never stops;

days of suffering confront me.

(Job 30:26-27 NIV)

You realize that what you’ve been wrestling with aren’t simple matters of faith, but feelings of abandonment and betrayal by a God who claims to love you. Your soul begins to cry out:

How long, O Lord, must I call for help?

But you do not listen!

I cry, but you do not come to save.

(Habakkuk 1:2 NLT)

As if things could not get worse, God remains silent and the emptiness intensifies. Why does God allow pain and suffering? C.S. Lewis so powerfully said,

“God whispers to us in our pleasures,

speaks to us in our conscience,

but shouts in our pains:

It is His megaphone

to rouse a deaf world.”

Albeit true, we just wish God wouldn’t shout so loud! Are we really that deaf? Evidently so:

They have ears but cannot hear.

(Psalm 115:6 NLT)

Yet, as He shouts at us, why can’t we see Him? Where is He when we need Him? He calls to us through the megaphone of pain, but when we come running, we can’t find Him!

But if I go east, he is not there;

if I go west, I do not find him.

When he is at work in the north,

I do not see him;

when he turns south,

I catch no glimpse of him.

(Job 23:8-9 NIV)

Doubt steps into the picture once again, and the questions begin to spiral out of control, “Does He know what we’re going through? Does He understand our desperation?” Through the silence, there’s a whisper in our spirit, and briefly we recall:

Even though Jesus was God’s Son,

he learned obedience

from the things he suffered.

(Hebrews 5:8 NLT)

“For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15 NIV)

Our spirit is calmed as we realize that a deep desire is satisfied: We not only want a God who knows all about our pain, we want a God who shares in it.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. (Isaiah 53:3 NIV)

Although we might argue that our situation is as painful as enduring the Cross, our argument just simply doesn’t hold water. Our blood and water have not been spilled out, literally. As we humble ourselves at the foot of the Cross, in a brief moment of calm, we can’t help but wonder, “Does God know something I don’t? Is it possible . . . that things look different from His perspective and He knows the bigger picture? Is it feasible that in my pain and suffering, He IS working all things for good and I just can’t see it?” Maybe, just maybe, God knows what He’s doing. In a moment of reckoning, we realize:

“God allows in His wisdom

what He could easily

prevent in His power.”

-Graham Cooke

Even though that revelation is thought provoking and fairly “faith stretching” . . . knowing that God loves us and works “all things for good,” in the end, just doesn’t seem to be enough. The begging question within our soul is, “Can God be trusted?” As we ponder the answer, we recall that God’s ways are higher.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9 NLT)

We’re convinced that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts—as hard as we try, we can’t figure God out. And His ways may be higher, but they certainly don’t seem better. We made plans for our lives, but He’s determining our steps and taking us places we never wanted to go.

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:9 NLT)

We find ourselves taking the very next step in front of us, only to find our feet knocked out from under us. How can we trust a God that is constantly bringing us to our knees in helpless desperation? We decide to take the journey of life with Him and He brings us to the edge of a cliff. We find ourselves at the edge, consumed with fear, and God seems to push us right off; we’re helpless and hopeless and free falling into the abyss of darkness. What kind of loving God does this? Evidently, One that’s teaching us to trust Him.

Indeed these are the mere edges

of His ways,

and how small a whisper

we hear of Him!

(Job 16:14 NKJV)

The word “trust” is an interesting word. Its root is from the word that means “to lie face down on the ground.” With that in mind, we’re starting to get the picture . . . that’s why we’ve fallen and are unable to get up. It’s all about trust. And God is bringing us to a place where faith is no longer an option or a luxury—it’s a necessity.

Don’t for a second believe that trust is a passive state of attitude and mind. Trust is a dynamic, vital act of the soul by which we choose to take hold of the Promises of God and cling to them, despite any adversity that seeks to overwhelm us. In our moment of reckoning, as difficult as it is, our suffering Savior versed words that cause our faith to deplete even more, as we realize we don’t have the faith that willingly, gladly, and trustingly drinks of the cup of suffering that God has handed us:

Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me? (John 18:11 NLT)

Though it’s not what we want to hear, Jesus exemplifies how we are to trust God. Surrendering everything to God is the highest form of faith, especially when it includes suffering.

“This was a greater thing to say and do than calm the seas or raise the dead. Prophets and apostles could work wondrous miracles, but they could not always do and suffer the will of God. To do and suffer God’s will is still the highest form of faith, the most sublime Christian achievement. To have the bright aspirations of a younger life forever blasted; to bear a daily burden never congenial and to see no relief; to be pinched by poverty when you only desire a competency for the good and comfort of loved ones; to be fettered by some incurable physical disability; to be stripped bare of loved ones until you stand alone to meet the shocks of life—to be able to say in such a school of discipline, ‘Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering my Father has given me?’—this is faith at its highest and spiritual success at the crowning point. Great faith is exhibited not so much in ability to do as to suffer. –Dr. Charles Parkhurst

We want to trust, we want to have faith that moves mountains, but we need to be sure that God will not allow anything to thwart His glory. We need to be assured that nothing will keep Him from giving us “good” things in life. We need to know that He’s “in charge”—that nothing happens outside of His awareness. We need to be assured that no one and nothing can act outside of God’s sovereign will or against it. Once again, we hear His voice whispering to our troubled minds:

I am God, there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please.’ (Isaiah 46:9-10 NIV)

To us, our situation looks hopeless, but the place of hopelessness is where God can show Himself powerfully in our lives. What we find, as we wait on God to reveal His will, is that often times He only reveals Himself.

In our continued suffering, our questions of “Where is God when I’m hurting?” turn to questions like “Where is God when it doesn’t stop?” And what we find is that God is at work in our lives . . . He never sleeps or slumbers (see Psalm 121:4) . . . through our hopelessness, He’s drawing us near, preparing us to make a decision. Will we trust Him? Will we take Him at His Word?

In times of desperation, we will do one of two things: Run from God or run to Him. It’s our choice. And if we’ll trust Him while we’re upon our knees, He will take us through a journey of faith that allows us to fully grasp how Romans 8:28 reads into our life:

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.

In job layoffs,

God works for the good.

In divorce,

God works for the good.

In pain and suffering,

God works for the good.

In broken relationships,

God works for the good.

In sickness,

God works for the good.

In addictions,

God works for the good.

In loss and grief,

God works for the good.

In your hour of need, God is going to show you that He is all you need. He’s the Redeemer. It may be “Saturday,” but God is a God of “Sundays”—resurrection days. When you’re trusting in God, you’re trusting in the power that raises the dead . . . He may be only moments from rolling your stone away. He wants us to trust Him on Saturday . . . He’s looking for our faith.

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are committed to Him. (2 Chronicles 16:9 NIV)

Now, it may not “look” like Sunday is coming . . . trusting God is never easy, but it makes all things possible. You see, God loves to do the impossible, so if you’re at the edge, upon your knees, in desperation, God’s got you right where He wants you. He’s brought you to this very place. (Unfortunately, some of us just have farther to go to get there.)

He led the Israelites to the Red Sea—He’s led you to yours. God allowed Daniel to be thrown into a den of lions to be devoured—He’s done the same with you. He gave David the opportunity to defeat a giant—He’s giving you the chance as well. He permitted Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego to step into a fiery furnace, but He met them there . . .  He’ll meet you in your furnace of affliction. He gave Peter the opportunity to walk on water—He’s calling you upon it too. But, you’ll have to trust Him. That’s what He’s after . . . your trust in Him. He’s after your heart . . . the one that’s breaking. And He needs you to make a decision . . . sometimes many times a day, hour, or minute—to trust Him. It’s your choice . . . He leaves the decision to you. Want to see His track record? Check out the Old and New Testament. Not a SINGLE person regretted trusting God . . . but the whole Bible is filled with the sorrows of those who decided not to.

Trusting God is only possible if you make a decision—a decision to “take His Word for it.” God’s Word is His promises to you . . . and you can bet your life on every single one of them.

Anyone who trusts in him will not be put to shame. (Romans 10:11 NIV)

You can make the decision to simply “trust” God and then watch Him prove Himself faithful, or He’ll bring you to a place of “needing” to trust Him. And most of the time, the walk of faith entails both ways. At the end of all hope, when you’re being tested beyond measure, when you are no longer able to trust anyone BUT God . . . there’s a way of escape, but it isn’t the way you probably envisioned.

The temptations in your life are not different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

The way out! That’s what we’re hoping for. But God’s ways aren’t our ways. He’s taking us a different route . . . right through the valley of adversity. He’s bringing us to the end of our will, so that we will embrace His. And unexpectedly, we get a glimpse of just one of the ways of God. He brings us into brokenness, so that He can make us whole.

Indeed in our hearts we felt

the sentence of death.

But this happened that we

might not rely on ourselves,

but on God who raises the dead.

(2 Corinthians 1:9 NIV)

What we find, at the point of no return, is that the only way out is through . . . and the only way through is by trusting God. As if life were not difficult enough, that somber revelation is not in the least bit encouraging. In fact, on the surface of it, that means things will probably get worse. Can we really trust God when adversity consumes our life with pain? Does He really come to the rescue of those who seek Him? Does He, as His Word says, deliver those who call upon Him in the day of trouble? (see Psalm 50:15)

You’re not the first to ask such pertinent questions in the matters of faith, and you won’t be the last. Do these words seem eerily familiar at all? :

When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I pray, with hands lifted toward heaven, pleading. There can be no joy for me until he acts. I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help. You don’t let me sleep. I am too distressed to even pray! I think of the good old days, long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs. I search my soul and think about the difference now. Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again show me favor? Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed? Has God forgotten to be kind? Has He slammed the door on his compassion? And I said, ‘This is my fate, that the blessings of the Most High have changed to hatred.’ (Psalm 77:2-10 NLT)

As we struggle in our faith, doubt steps into the conversation and asks the begging question, “Can God be trusted?” . . . He’s glad you asked.

IT’S A CHOICE

You need to make a choice—God’s way or your way. And God has spoken, “As for God, his way is perfect.” (Psalm 18:30 NIV)

You see, your life is your vote  . . . you’re either for Him or against Him (see Luke 11:12). You either believe Him or you don’t. You either live your life trusting Him or you call Him a liar. Though that’s a rather harsh statement, it’s reality. You must cast your vote . . . everyone must—believers and unbelievers alike. Each and every day, we cast our vote.

God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19 NIV)

It’s not about believing IN Him . . . even demons believe.

You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19 NIV)

Believing God is a different matter altogether. It’s trusting God. It’s having faith in who He says He is through His Word. Just as faith comes from hearing the Word of God (see Romans 10:17), trust is based upon our faith . . . it’s stepping out in faith and being assured that God is true to His Word. According to Nicholas Wolterstorff,

“Faith is the footbridge that you don’t know will hold you up over the chasm until you’re forced to walk out onto it.”

The truth is, in moments of doubt, all we need to do is stop and take a deep breath . . .look around us, and quite frankly, observe the obvious.

The evidence that God exists is so overwhelming that it is simply senseless to spend any amount of time thinking otherwise.

Francis Chan urges us to “stop and think”:

“Right now you’re standing on this giant ball that’s spinning at a thousand miles an hour! And while it’s spinning, it’s flying around the sun at 67,000 miles an hour! That’s crazy!”

If God can keep the universe in motion, surely we can trust Him with our lives. Yet we doubt the One who placed each star in the sky.

When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

what is mankind that you

are mindful of them,

human beings that you care for them?

(Psalm 8:3-4 NIV)

God is a God of details . . . and He knows every detail of your life. Never doubt that He does.

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. (Luke 12:7 NLT) (P.S. If you don’t have hairs on your head—God knows that too!)

But doubt comes knocking regularly, doesn’t it?!? Rest assured, God’s Word holds true once more, He uses ALL things for good . . . even doubt.

“Where there is no longer any opportunity for doubt, there is no longer any opportunity for faith.”

—Paul Tournier

Know that it’s “okay” to doubt. If you’re not willing to entertain doubt and let doubt make its case, your faith may never grow and become the footbridge that is needed to cross your chasm.

It’s okay to have doubt in the midst of your faith, but allowing doubt to rule in your life is as John Ortberg puts it in his book, Faith and Doubt, “like jumping off a diving board and trying to put off actually entering into the water.” You put yourself in an impossible situation. Sooner or later, you need to trust that the water is there and jump in. You have to believe something before you doubt anything, so give yourself a break and realize that every saint doubts. Your belief in God is the first step, but it’s in ultimately trusting Him that not only puts you in the water, but causes you to walk upon it.

But, it’s your choice. And not choosing is its own choice. Trusting God is not a decision you make once. It’s a choice that must be made hundreds upon hundreds of times a day. The decision will sometimes be small, at other times, life changing. Either way, the choice comes down to whether or not you believe that God is trustworthy.

Peter had a chance to trust God. (Note: The other Disciples stayed in the boat. Peter took a risk—He chose to trust, even through his doubts.)  Jesus called to Peter as He walked upon the water:

“Lord, if it is you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt.?”

One thing that stands out in this story is that the Disciples had “gone ahead” of Jesus. We’re not sure if that was by their choice or Jesus’, but we know that we tend to “go ahead” of God from time to time. (Okay, more often than not.) Yet, what’s even more remarkable about this story is that although the Disciples thought they were “ahead” of Him, Jesus came walking to them.

It seems we’re NEVER ahead of God. We’re no different than Peter . . . we WANT to believe, but our circumstances get the best of us. The winds of adversity begin to instill fear in our hearts and we take our eyes off Jesus. Trusting in God requires taking risks and trusting in Christ-centered help. Mature faith will never develop in shallow water.

There’s another place where there was a choice that had to do with water . . . it was a healing at a pool. The pool of water had been known to cure people. The waters were said to make the blind to see and the lame to walk, yet there was one man who had been an invalid sitting by the pool for thirty-eight years. (Wow that’s a long time, yet we too sit on this side of faith allowing doubt to get the best of us.) When Jesus saw him, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” (A choice had to be made.) What seemed like a ridiculous question revealed the choice God gives us in the obvious situations of life . . . we must “want” His help. The man’s response is even more shocking, as he is before the Son of God . . . making up excuses! (Haven’t we done the same?) “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” (We mock his excuse —“How absurd is that!?!” Yet, our excuses are no better.) Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. (Did you catch that? AT ONCE!)

Listen, don’t wait for Jesus to come to you. Go to Him. Don’t expect a “divine” sign from heaven or a “feeling” within your soul before you choose to trust God. Rest assured, in times of hopelessness, those things will never occur. There may not be anyone there to “help you into the healing pool when the water is stirred.” Most often you’re going to have to encourage yourself in the Lord. You’re going to have to “Get up!” and walk forward in faith . . . trusting that God is true to His Word.

David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. (1 Samuel 30:6 KJV)

Know that once you take a step of faith, you’ll be met with winds of adversity that instill fear in your heart, they’ll be doubts that try to keep you from taking another step toward God—you’ll come face to face with the enemy, the devil. An old southern preacher once said,

“If you don’t come face to face with the devil sometimes, then you must be going the same direction he is.”

Make sure you’re not moving in the same direction as the devil. Don’t be afraid to face him. If God is for you, who dare be against you (see Romans 8:31)? Know that each obstacle you face is part of the enemy’s strategy, but tools in the hands of God. As hard as it is to accept, God calls the shots. And yes, He allows good as well as bad.

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, Consider: God has made the one as well as the other. (Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV)

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? (Job 2:10 NLT)

The sooner we realize that God is God and we’re not, the better off we’ll be. (His throne isn’t big enough for the two of you.) If we choose to sit upon our own throne, running our own kingdom, He’ll let us. But, He urges us to trust Him. He pleads His case within the Bible and urges us to choose “life”—His way.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. (Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV)

God makes it clear: It’s our choice. And the choice is vital. There is nothing more critical than life and death; nothing more desirable on earth than blessings and nothing less desirable than curses. How much easier can the choice be?

To believe actively that our Heavenly Father constantly spreads around us providential circumstances that work for our present good and our everlasting well-being brings to the soul a veritable benediction. Most of us go through life praying a little, planning a little, jockeying for position, hoping but never being quite certain of anything, and always secretly afraid that we will miss the way. This is a tragic waste of truth and never gives rest to the heart. There is a better way. It is to repudiate our own wisdom and take instead the infinite wisdom of God. Our insistence upon seeing ahead is natural enough, but it is a real hindrance to our spiritual progress. God has charged Himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him. -A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy

The question is, “Will we do it God’s way or our own?” We are all earthen vessels, but whether or not we claim to be the captain of the ship is a vital part of whether we arrive safely at our destination, sink at sea, or end up lost in the vast ocean for eternity.

As the story goes, there was a ship sailing through black water on a black night . . . the seaman on watch saw a light ahead. He reported to the Captain who immediately ordered the following message sent:

“Request that you alter your course

10 degrees south.”

The reply: “Request that you alter

your course 10 degrees north.”

The Captain, now angry, sent another message a little more terse than the first: “Request you alter your course 10 degrees south. I am the Captain.”

The reply: “Request you alter your course 10 degrees north. I am a third class seaman.”

This time, the Captain became furious: “Request you alter your course 10 degrees south. I am a battleship.”

The reply: “Request you alter you course 10 degrees north. I am a lighthouse.” It’s up to you.

It’s up to you. The choice is yours. Jesus is the Lighthouse in our lives. The adversities in our lives are avenues that God uses to direct us to Himself, once again. God has made the way for us:

I am the way

and the truth and the life.

(John 14:6 NIV)

In times of darkness, don’t doubt what God has shown you in the Light. It all comes down to whether or not we trust God. And our question, “Can God be trusted?” is only answered by yet another question, “Is God REALLY sovereign?” Our faith hinges on our answer to that one question. And our answer changes everything.

WHO’S IN CHARGE?

There’s no such thing as God being “almost” sovereign. He either is or He isn’t. And if He isn’t, then He can’t be trusted.

“What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” –A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy

You see, God is real, whether we believe He is or not. Our disbelief doesn’t erase His existence—just as our lack of faith and trust in Him doesn’t nullify His faithfulness.

“What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? (Romans 3:3 NIV)

“If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13 NIV)

You may be at a place that you’re not even sure God exists, much less at a point of trusting in His sovereignty; you may need to take a step back and understand why it is you should believe.

[Note: If you’ve never trusted Jesus as your Savior and you’re exhausted from the trials of life and going your own way, you can come to Him now. (He’s always waiting.) Without Christ, your suffering is meaningless misery. But if you’ll let Him take control of your life, becoming Lord and Savior, He’ll walk with you through every difficulty and give you unimaginable peace and joy, even in the midst of pain. If you would like to accept His offer of salvation, you can pray:

Lord Jesus, I believe you are truly the Son of God. I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. Please forgive me for all of my wrongdoings and let me now live in relationship with You going forward. I receive You as my personal Savior, accepting the work you accomplished on the Cross to save me from my sins. Fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I might follow you all the days of my life. Amen.

Once you’ve prayed that prayer, seek after Jesus with all that you are. Meditate on His Word day and night. Grab hold of God and never let go. God loves you with an unfailing love.]

The only way to trust God is to know Him. And knowing God is the key to finding peace and purpose in a life that can seem incredibly overwhelming on some days and absolutely meaningless on others. In His great love for us, He says that if we’ll seek Him, we’ll find Him . . . if we seek Him with all of our heart. And what we’ll find is that ironically, His existence, His sovereignty, His power and providence is less about faith and more about facts.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV)

Although it may seem like it, God isn’t hiding from you. He’s not avoiding the “tough” questions or the “awkward” situations—He’s always waiting for you to come to Him.

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him. (Isaiah 30:18 NLT)

God waits for you to come to Him. He longs to pour out His love upon you and bring Light into your darkness. But, He loves you more than that . . . in His sovereignty, He knows that through this journey of life you will need to trust Him for everything, in order for you to experience peace and joy while on this earth. So, He’s allowed, in His wisdom, your situation of desperation. It’s an opportunity for God to teach you something deeper about Himself. He has brought you to your knees, so that you have nowhere to look, but up. He has a habit of allowing us to dig holes so deep that we can’t get out without His help. It’s by design. God is teaching us to trust. The paradox of the Christian faith walk is that the strongest Christian is the weakest Christian.

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV)

The weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV)

But, how do we trust God? How can we be sure of His Promises? In order to trust God, we need to “know” Him. And in order to know Him . . . we must listen to His voice. And His voice is heard through His Word.

My suffering was good for me,

for it taught me

to pay attention to your decrees.

(Psalm 119:71 NLT)

If we are to trust God, then it is crucial that we have confidence in His sovereignty in all that affects us. If there is a single event in all of the universe that can occur outside of God’s sovereign control, then God can’t be trusted. If you believe in a world of pure chance, what difference would it make if a plane crashes in a random city and yours makes it safely to its destination? But if you believe in a world that is ruled by a powerful, loving, and gracious God who cares for you at all times, then that belief makes an incredible difference.

We must be absolutely convinced that God’s love is perfect and His wisdom, infinite. Our trust in God cannot be based upon someone else’s experience, but upon what God has told us about Himself in His Word. We want to see God at work in our lives, yet we fail to realize that His hand is only visible to eyes of faith. And faith doesn’t walk by sight.

“Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.” –St. Augustine

We have to receive God by faith—by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. When you learn to trust God, you don’t have to “see” anything. You just know with all certainty that He’s there.

There was a little boy who was out flying a kite. It was a fine day for kite flying; the wind was brisk and large billowy clouds were blowing across the sky. The kite went up and up until it was entirely hidden by the clouds. “What are you doing?” a man asked the little boy. “I’m flying a kite,” he replied. “Flying a kite, are you?” the man asked. “How can you be sure? You can’t see your kite.” “No,” said the boy, “I can’t see it, but every little while I feel a tug, so I know for sure that it’s there!”

Despite all appearances, we must trust God through our faith in His revealed Word. His Word is vital to our survival . . . it’s what lights our path:

Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and light for my path. (Psalm 119:105 NIV)

We want to know His “ways”. . . they’re not hidden—they’re revealed through His Word. As we seek Him and His voice through His Word, we get a glimpse of God’s ways—how He thinks and how He acts. He’s told us that we need His Word just as we need bread for our physical bodies:

Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4 NIV)

God’s Word is straight from His mouth. His Word was written to teach us:

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. (Romans 15:4 NLT)

God’s ways are revealed through His Word. He loves you enough to speak to you—to tell you the Truth. And through His Words, we learn that He is sovereign—the Scriptures give proof throughout history that He is.

THE FACTS OF FAITH

God’s Word, the Bible is the most unique book ever written. It is the Bestselling book of all time across over 2000 years. That alone is astounding. Unique to the Bible are the foretelling of over 2500 prophecies of which approximately 2000 have already been fulfilled. (The remaining 500 reach into the future and are yet to unfold.) (You can find more astounding facts where Faith meets Science at: http://www.reasons.org) If you’re a numbers person, you can make an attempt to digest that the probability of any one of these prophecies having been fulfilled by chance are less than 1 in 10, conservatively. The more intriguing part is that the prophecies are for the most part independent of one another , so the odds for these being fulfilled by chance without error is less than one in 10²ººº. (That’s 1 with 2000 zeroes behind it!) (Facts found at Reasons.org) Although others have “partially” predicted events over time, God specifically states in Deuteronomy 18:21-22 that He does not make even the SLIGHTEST error in His predictions. With God, there is NO room for error. These are facts . . .  not faith.

For over two thousand years, the Bible has been scrutinized more than any other book on earth. No one has been able to disprove Its authenticity. By just the mere fact that It has survived such harsh critics should alert us to Its supernatural quality. In a world of such abundant evil and cynicism, the Bible should have been dismantled a LONG time ago.

“Jews preserved it as no other manuscript has ever been preserved. With their massora they kept tabs on every letter, syllable and paragraph. They had special classes of men within their culture whose sole duty was to preserve and transmit these documents with practically perfect fidelity . . . whoever counted the letters, syllables, or words of Plato or Aristotle? Cicero or Seneca?” –Bernard Ramm, Can I Trust My Old Testament? (Speaking on the accuracy and number of Biblical manuscripts of the Hebrew Scriptures.)

“The truth is that the Bible, when compared to other ancient writings, has more manuscript evidence than any 10 pieces of classical literature combined. The facts show that no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament.” (John Warwick Montgomery, History and Christianity.)

When you break down the Bible, Its reliability must be tested just as any other ancient document. In order to study the Bible’s reliability, historians have studied the number of existing manuscripts and the dating of those manuscripts. For starters, there are more than 5,300 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament that date between 40-100 A.D. If you include the manuscripts of the New Testament in Latin and earlier versions, the total number of manuscripts of the New Testament reach over 24,000 copies. These are HISTORICAL documents, authenticated. Historians, not Christians, have proven it. The Bible is reliable. And that changes everything.

“It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.”–Nelson Glueck (Renowned Jewish archaeologist)

“There can be no doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of the Old Testament tradition.” –William F. Albright (One of the world’s most renowned archaeologists.)

For most, it’s not the reliability of the Bible’s documents that are the problem . . . it’s the “supernatural” side of things that causes people not to believe. The bottom line, no matter how hard you try, you can’t argue with God.

If you just go with the basics of the Bible, if you just think about It in a common sense way, why would the writers of the greatest book in history acknowledge such dreadful sins and doubt in God. Why would God allow this to be written in His book? Why wouldn’t you, as an author, paint a more “rosy” picture of yourself? Instead, God reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly. He reveals Truth. He reveals His mercy and He assures His wrath. He sheds light on the trials of the greatest saints to ever walk the earth. He shows their vulnerability, their fears, and their atrocious failures. He shows how He works in the lives of those who hate Him and how He gives grace to those who should never deserve it. He takes a man who murders Christians and makes him into an apostle that changes the course of the Christian faith forever. The Apostle Paul, by his own admission, was the worst of sinners. Yet, God reached down, made him blind, and then made him REALLY see.

You can look at every single documented event in the Bible and see that God is speaking to us. He’s showing us things about Himself and ourselves. He has proven throughout history that He is absolutely trustworthy. Time and time again, He’s shown that His grace prevails. Even upon the Cross, the criminal who hung beside Jesus acknowledged his sin and laid his soul before God’s mercy. The message: It’s never too late to believe . . . it’s never too late to turn to God and trust Him. His mercies never fail (see Lamentations 3:22).

In the face of all that you must go through in life . . . with all that you choose to believe in this life, why not take a risk and just “make the choice” to believe God . . . to take Him at His Word? So many get to this point of decision, yet can’t step forward . . . the reason—Pride.

SURRENDER

You may think you are going through trials and tragedies that are insurmountable, but none of them would compare to God abandoning you to yourself. Nothing would be more catastrophic than God allowing us to go our own way with no hope of turning back to Him. His love sees past our pride and offers grace at every turn. God knows that our pride keeps us from understanding our desperate natural condition. The truth is: we’re corrupt in every facet of our character. But, though we’re broken, we can be fixed. God loves us too much to leave us as we are. So, when we come to Him, when we abandon all else, we encounter a Divine exchange: We surrender this life—God gives us TRUE life. Seems like a no–brainer, don’t you think?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciples must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Matthew 16:24-26 NIV)

Forfeiting your soul—that’s a depressing and defeating thought. But, people do it every day—they forfeit their souls to addictions, hopelessness, fear, and despair. Maybe you’ve done it. If you have, there’s still hope. As long as you’re alive, you can be Jesus’ disciple. All you have to do is surrender.

The great misconception is that God loves us just as we are. That’s true and not true. The truth is: He loves us too much to leave us as we are. He’s not going to leave us where He found us or how He found us, if we surrender ourselves into His care. Truly, we must die to self. Why? Because all too often, our pride gets the best of us—we seem to think we’re better than God. We pick apart His plan and question His purposes. In times of deep despair we dethrone Him through our doubt and find Him a failure through our fears. We cling to what we know, see, and feel, and then declare that God just isn’t there. We trust ourselves, instead of God. And that . . .  is the greatest tragedy. But, God is greater than our sin . . . He’s greater than our pride.

If we’ll surrender, laying down our lives, and abandoning ourselves to Him, He goes to work. In your surrender, His Light will slowly, but surely, pierce the darkness you’ve been walking in. He’ll reach down and save you. And then He’ll take your brokenness and put you back together better than before. You can’t make all your wrongs right, but God can. You can’t change your heart’s desires, but God will (see Ezekiel 36:26). You can’t walk through your valley in your own strength, but you can do it in His.

With all that God promises to do in exchange for surrendering our pride, which destroys our lives anyway, why wouldn’t we run to Him in helpless abandon? Why wouldn’t we turn to Him and trust Him? It’s for one reason alone: We don’t understand the depths of His love.

CRAZY LOVE

There’s something you need to know about God before you trust Him . . . His love is CRAZY. In fact, His love makes no sense at all. Don’t try and understand God’s love—just receive it.

God’s love not only abounds, it proliferates. It is unfailing and overflowing. His love is excessive and beyond measure. Yet, when we’re facing evil and suffering, we interpret our circumstances to mean that God doesn’t love us after all. In fact, we’re disappointed beyond words that His love for us doesn’t exempt us from our pain and suffering. Isn’t faith supposed to be our insurance policy against pain and suffering? If God loves us, why does He allow us to suffer? In the face of such difficult questions, and with the appearance that God is dodging them all, He speaks volumes through His Word once more:

After God revealed his name to Moses, “He passed in front of Moses proclaiming, ‘The Lord, The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.’” (Exodus 34:6-7 NIV)

The love we know and “experience” here on earth sets us up for failure in our relationship with God. Superficial love does not withstand the test of time or trials of life. God doesn’t love us on our terms, but His.

The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. (Psalm 32:10 NIV)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love. (Psalm 51:1 NIV)

Grasping the Truth of God’s love is the secret to a victorious life. God’s love conquers all. No matter what you face, no matter the depths of your sin, God’s love overcomes them all—not because of what you’ve done, but because of what He did . . . it’s all about the Cross . . . His love and mercy poured out WHILE we were still sinners. You can’t gain God’s love and you can’t lose it. It’s crazy. Hold onto Truth and never let go. God’s love will set you free and keep you free.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:10 NIV, 19 NKJV)

To know God, is to know that God’s love remains even through our trials and temptations, through our joys and pains, and through our faith and doubt. We must dwell in God’s love and know that even though He is loving, He is holy . . . and holiness demands justice.

God is love, but He is not only love. We can’t be fooled: God’s love in the New Testament does not eclipse His holiness. If we think that God only loves and does not hate, then you’d think He’d only call upon us to love . . . but He doesn’t. He commands, “Hate evil, love good.” (see Amos 5:15) God is clear in the Psalms when He declares, “He [God] is angry with the wicked every day.” (Psalm 7:11 NLT) To look at life through the eyes of God is to love good and hate evil. Our God of love is also a God of wrath (see Romans 1:18).

It was the same Jesus who spoke words of compassionate love and forgiveness that also spoke some of the harshest words of condemnation. Jesus spoke more about Hell, than anyone else in the Bible. His infinite love required Him to condemn and to call for repentance. Who the Lord loves, He also disciplines; He punishes those whom He calls His children. So, we can’t be tempted to believe that just because we’re being punished for our sins, or we’re enduring the suffering caused by another’s sins, God doesn’t love us. He will love us through it. He’ll use it all to draw us nearer to Him.

“Is Israel still my son, my darling?” says the Lord. “I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely I will have mercy on him.” (Jeremiah 31:20 NLT)

“I have loved you my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” (Jeremiah 31:3 NLT)

His love, in its perfection, corrects and bandages us. Though His hand may strike us, it also heals (see John 5:17-27). Though troubles come, His love prevails.

“His love never quits.”

–Eugene Peterson

The knowledge of God’s love for you is the foundational Truth upon which all other truths are built. You can’t go forward in faith, you can’t understand God’s ways, until you understand His love.

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:17-19 NLT)

Did you catch that? He’ll make a home in your heart. The moment you fully accept God’s love for you, something’s about to happen: He’s about to make your heart His home. He’s about to go to work. And all the construction is going to seem chaotic—it’s going to be painful. As He oversees your circumstances, He’s about to go to work on you. As you’re trusting God, accepting His love, and pressing forward in faith, the chaos shouldn’t be confused with the transforming works of God’s hands. Although He destroys, He rebuilds. He’s got the blueprints for your life . . . and there’s some work that needs to be done. When you’re trusting God, you’re always a “work in progress.”

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” –George MacDonald (Quoted by C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cherie Hill is the founder of ScriptureNow.com Ministry

which brings the Word of God into over 30 countries around the world. She has a BA in Psychology and is trained in Biblical Counseling through the AACC. She is an Amazon.com Bestselling Christian Living author, consistently ranked in the top 10 authors in Religion and Spirituality,

who spends her time at the feet of Jesus.

Author of:

WAITING on GOD

Hope Being Gone

FAITH Under Construction

BE STILL

(Let Jesus Calm Your Storms)

Beginning at The End

(Finding God When Your World Falls Apart)

THE WAYS of GOD

(Finding Purpose Through Your Pain)

empty.

(Living Full of Faith When Life Drains You Dry)

From the Heart of GOD

Table of Contents

Other Bestsellers by Cherie Hill

Copyright

Preface

Out of Faith

Holding On

Don’t Forget

Just Don’t Move

Strong Enough

The Faith Lie

Shut Up To Faith

Broken and Blessed

Faith that Stands

Beyond the Doubt

It’s in Your Head

Expect the Unexpected

Questioning God

When Your Faith is Shaken

The “Now” Factor

When the Sky is Falling

Weary in the Waiting

The Abundant Life

The Heart of the Matter

The 3 Keys to Faith

Stepping Over the Line

Running On Empty

Only One Thing Matters

No Matter What

Help Wanted

Fearless Faith

God’s Advice

Enjoying Life NOW

Walking with God

When God Shows Up

Hearing God

Prepared in Praise

Fixed Faith

Faith Is As Faith Does

Frustrated Faith

BONUS FEATURE: 1st Chapter of THE WAYS of GOD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR