Today I want to talk about the motions we face when we are striving to hold on to our faith even when the unexpected throws us into what can feel like a faith comma.
One good example of this is "the greatest of them all". According to Matthew 11:11- scripture says Jesus called John the baptist, "the greatest prophet", but even the greatest can experience a shake in their faith.
John dies by being beheaded. Did John feel his time was close? Was John encountering fear? Did John feel uncertainty? 100% I believe he did. The word of the Lord speaks in Psalm 23 saying that The Lord walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death and I believe that God met John right there in that prison
At some points of our lives we will be in the same place. We will look at our current situation and have great inner battles that can test our faith in great measures. We will look at our finances, or our health, or whatever areas we are struggling with and we will zero in and focus on our pain and discomfort. We will feel like questioning if God is aware of our need. All our blessings and everything that God has done for us will some how be erased from our memory.
The G.O.A.T.
One good example of this is "the greatest of them all". According to Matthew 11:11- scripture says Jesus called John the baptist, "the greatest prophet", but even the greatest can experience a shake in their faith.
Scripture tells us the story of how Mary, the mother of Jesus, while pregnant of Jesus, visited her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the baptist. At the moment when Mary and Elizabeth meet, scripture tells us in Luke 1:41 that John leaped in his mother's womb. Even while John was still in Elizabeth's womb he was able to be filled with the holy Spirit and able to recognize the savior of the world.
John makes the way for Jesus. John separates himself from the common everyday life and the bible says he lived in the dessert and ate locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4)... John lived a consecrated life to the Lord and was able to recognize Jesus for who He was- The Messiah, The Christ, The Son of God!
John was able to see the glory of God. John had the privilege of baptizing the teacher. In awe, John tells how he is unworthy to untie the sandals on His feet. John was convicted by the Spirit of God and John knew that Jesus was the savior of the world. When Jesus comes to John to be baptized, Matthew 3:14 says, But John tried to talk Him out of it. :I'm the one who needs to be baptized by you" he said, "so why are you coming to me?", yet John baptizes Jesus and is present to see the Spirit of God come upon Jesus as a confirmation that Jesus is the one that the Jews have been waiting for.
Later on, John gets arrested for advocating repentance of sin and calling out on immorality. When he is in prison, guess what? It seems that his faith begins to fail him to the point that scripture says that he send his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the one OR if they should wait for another (Matthew 11: 2-3).
John dies by being beheaded. Did John feel his time was close? Was John encountering fear? Did John feel uncertainty? 100% I believe he did. The word of the Lord speaks in Psalm 23 saying that The Lord walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death and I believe that God met John right there in that prison
At some points of our lives we will be in the same place. We will look at our current situation and have great inner battles that can test our faith in great measures. We will look at our finances, or our health, or whatever areas we are struggling with and we will zero in and focus on our pain and discomfort. We will feel like questioning if God is aware of our need. All our blessings and everything that God has done for us will some how be erased from our memory.
A Moment of Reflection
Can you relate? If so, please allow me to encourage you for a minute here. Although we're not where we want to be, let's stop for a moment and contemplate all that the Lord has done for us and let's realize that we are not where we used to be. Let's thank Him, because through our darkest moments the Lord holds us closer than we could ever imagine and He is the one who determines our first cry and our last breath.
BUT what's next?
Expectation is an expression of faith.
I have expectations that God stays true to His word. Jeremiah 29:11 says that the Lord knows the plans for my life", HE KNOWS. I may not know, but HE KNOWS and this is comforting, yet at the same time scary.
I have expectations that God stays true to His word. Jeremiah 29:11 says that the Lord knows the plans for my life", HE KNOWS. I may not know, but HE KNOWS and this is comforting, yet at the same time scary.
Letting go to let God do what He needs to do in our lives leads us into seasons of uncertainty, seasons of change and seasons of pruning. There will seasons where our hurt is necessary.
Don't know what's pruning? I got you: Click to watch video - I do not own rights to this video. This video on pruning is courtesy of the YouTube channel Garden Tips.
Don't know what's pruning? I got you: Click to watch video - I do not own rights to this video. This video on pruning is courtesy of the YouTube channel Garden Tips.
John 15 we find Jesus teaching that He is the vine, we are the branches and God is the gardener. In order to produce good fruit we need to stay connected to the vine (Jesus). Before or after fruit is produced, some of the branches will need to be cut off as we need to be "pruned" in order to produce fruit in the next season of our lives. This is a metaphor for the period of the seasons in which people or things being are cut off. Circumstances are changing, we're painfully readjusting and attitudes and/or habits are being pivoted in our lives through the direction and/or conviction of the holy Spirit.
I prune my plants because I want them to grow and give fruit. I want them to be beautiful. If they have flowers then I do whatever is required to keep them flourishing. I once had a Hyacinth and it flourished so beautifully:
I have been buying plants and flowers in attempt to practice my plant nurturing abilities. I've seen that caring for plants and flowers will take time, love & care, but to see them grow and change I need to inform myself on what works best for each plant and/or flower. Then I need patience to watch different methods of care do their thing (sort of speak).
I became so excited when my Hypoestes Sanguinolenta had new growth! It took almost a year for her to grow new branches of pink spots. It was so worth the wait!
I'm human and with my imperfect love for plants I attempt to nurture and care for them.
I prune my plants because I want them to grow and give fruit. I want them to be beautiful. If they have flowers then I do whatever is required to keep them flourishing. I once had a Hyacinth and it flourished so beautifully:
The Vision, The Practice and The Wait...
I have been buying plants and flowers in attempt to practice my plant nurturing abilities. I've seen that caring for plants and flowers will take time, love & care, but to see them grow and change I need to inform myself on what works best for each plant and/or flower. Then I need patience to watch different methods of care do their thing (sort of speak).
I became so excited when my Hypoestes Sanguinolenta had new growth! It took almost a year for her to grow new branches of pink spots. It was so worth the wait!
I'm human and with my imperfect love for plants I attempt to nurture and care for them.
How much more tender love and care does the all knowing, creator of the universe and almighty God proceed with when He is working in our lives?
He works with methods that only He can perfect along the way. Through His work He is shaping and molding our lives into His will. Along the way we will need more than faith because when the process gets difficult and painful we will also need to apply mobility. We need to step out in faith and live it out boldly.
Losing a loved one is hard. Cutting things off can hurt. Letting go of certain fears will stretch us out of comfort. Our fears create a toxic, yet familiar niche for thoughts that cloud the ability to believe God for our best. Thoughts create behaviors and behaviors creates patterns. God loves us too much to allow us to stay in the same unfruitful patterns.
My most recent struggle was with a physical illness. I know God doesn't send sickness to our bodies. In the midst of my sickness I became very fearful and even depressed. I've had my fair share of days filled with depression and anxiety (see my Blog Post with my testimony of a battle with depression). Throughout this process I have experienced and continued to learn that God will allow certain things, many times uncomfortable things, to happen so that we can grow in our faith. James 1:2 the word of God tells us to count it as JOY when we meet trials of various kinds, for we will know that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness and further advises us in verses 3-4 to let steadfastness have its full effect so that we may become perfect and complete lacking nothing.
I didn't know what was happening till I realized that instead of constantly meditating on the word of God I was constantly imagining how this sickness was going to get worse. I was fixating on the various painful physical challenges. I was magnifying the limitations and I was slowly, but surely becoming more and more blind to the everlasting and faithful LOVE of God.
When we magnify the love of God there should be no fear in uncertainty because we reassure ourselves that He is still in control.
Every person reading this Blog will have their own set of trials.
He works with methods that only He can perfect along the way. Through His work He is shaping and molding our lives into His will. Along the way we will need more than faith because when the process gets difficult and painful we will also need to apply mobility. We need to step out in faith and live it out boldly.
Losing a loved one is hard. Cutting things off can hurt. Letting go of certain fears will stretch us out of comfort. Our fears create a toxic, yet familiar niche for thoughts that cloud the ability to believe God for our best. Thoughts create behaviors and behaviors creates patterns. God loves us too much to allow us to stay in the same unfruitful patterns.
During the pruning...
My most recent struggle was with a physical illness. I know God doesn't send sickness to our bodies. In the midst of my sickness I became very fearful and even depressed. I've had my fair share of days filled with depression and anxiety (see my Blog Post with my testimony of a battle with depression). Throughout this process I have experienced and continued to learn that God will allow certain things, many times uncomfortable things, to happen so that we can grow in our faith. James 1:2 the word of God tells us to count it as JOY when we meet trials of various kinds, for we will know that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness and further advises us in verses 3-4 to let steadfastness have its full effect so that we may become perfect and complete lacking nothing.
I didn't know what was happening till I realized that instead of constantly meditating on the word of God I was constantly imagining how this sickness was going to get worse. I was fixating on the various painful physical challenges. I was magnifying the limitations and I was slowly, but surely becoming more and more blind to the everlasting and faithful LOVE of God.
When we magnify the love of God there should be no fear in uncertainty because we reassure ourselves that He is still in control.
Every person reading this Blog will have their own set of trials.
As we come across situations in which God is not coming through the way we expected- we ask Him, "why?" and I propose and encourage you to believe today that your why? can help you grow through the trial and the test of your faith if you presented it to God as "what?"... What do you want me to learn out of this pain?What is it that are you are doing in the midst of this storm? What can I do to help someone else that is going through the same thing?
A plan of action.
During these days of hurt or confusion make conscious decisions everyday to stay in the love of God. 1 John 4:18 says that there is no fear in perfect love because fear has to do with punishment. God doesn't want to punish us.
A good example of a plan of action is found in the bible in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 1- The story of Hannah. The word of God depicts a barren woman at the end of her rope. Devastated, heart broken, humiliated by her husband's other wife (who had children) and despite it all, Hannah stayed focused, praying and crying to the Lord to please look down on her request.
Hannah thought a child could fill a void that was in her heart that only God can fill. I'm sure God was watching the process in her trial. Psalm 53:2 says that God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any to understand.
I'm not saying that all bad experiences are coming to us to test our faith, but it surely feels that way doesn't it? Troubling times are a great opportunity to have our faith muscles strengthened. I always say in all my blogs, being a believer does not exempt us from this thing called life.
A good example of a plan of action is found in the bible in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 1- The story of Hannah. The word of God depicts a barren woman at the end of her rope. Devastated, heart broken, humiliated by her husband's other wife (who had children) and despite it all, Hannah stayed focused, praying and crying to the Lord to please look down on her request.
Hannah thought a child could fill a void that was in her heart that only God can fill. I'm sure God was watching the process in her trial. Psalm 53:2 says that God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any to understand.
I'm not saying that all bad experiences are coming to us to test our faith, but it surely feels that way doesn't it? Troubling times are a great opportunity to have our faith muscles strengthened. I always say in all my blogs, being a believer does not exempt us from this thing called life.
But what's next?
I don't know. God will never disclose everything, because we wouldn't be able to handle it. BUT one thing I know, it is important to stay in His word, praying and talking to Him. Our human frailty will place us in situations where we will want to doubt. This is normal. What you don't want to do is sit down to have cookies and coffee with the doubt. Avoid fixating on the scenarios of the outcome. Instead keep your eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of your faith - Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) not forgetting that everything that happens (good or bad), according to Romans 8:28 will work out for good.
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