Progression of Faith

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"What shall I return to the LORD

for all his goodness to me?"

Psalm 116:12

There is nothing more hurtful and aggravating than to be ignored or misunderstood, especially in a time of crisis. On the flip side, it is especially endearing when someone takes the time and effort to understand my dilemma, to feel my pain, to care enough to listen.  It makes me feel valuable and like I'm worth the time it takes to comprehend my situation.

God is always faithful to show this kind of loving kindness to me.  Even though there are billions of people crying out to Him, He is big enough to listen to each of us.  Therefore, my pleas for help never fall on deaf ears.  His sensitive hearing encourages my dependence on Him, and as I see with my own eyes how He is faithful and dependable, I learn to trust Him more and more.  When I put my faith in Jesus Christ and enter into a personal relationship with Him, I will find there is a progression of faith that takes place.

Rescue.  The crisis hits, the attacks come, the worst nightmare plays out.  I feel like the whole world is against me, like I can't catch a break, as if there is some kind of curse on my life.  In the midst of my despair, I take a chance and reach out to God, trusting Him even a tiny bit to help, to offer some kind of assistance, to spare me complete destruction.  

A miracle-of-the-heart is born.  Deep inside I sense a glimmer of hope, a white light flickering in the darkness of my soul, a feeling that everything will be okay despite the enormity of the problem I face.  Comfort comes as my confidence in the future returns (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).  Even though I felt ready to end it all, like there was no other choice but to succumb to the forces of evil, my Father of compassion lifts me out of the muck and sets my feet on solid ground (Psalm 40:2).  I remember my worth and the strength to carry on returns.  It was worth taking a risk and calling out to God in the midst of my suffering.

When I trust in God enough to believe He can help me, I will find salvation come in many different ways.

Restoration.  I never thought I'd walk in peace again, that my soul would be restored, that the tears of my eyes would ever dry up.  But here I am, back in the land of the living, so to speak.  

Even though I spent some time wallowing in self-pity, focused only on what was wrong, overwhelmed by the tragedies of life, my faith in the God who is above all things has returned.  Despite the fact that I was on the edge of sanity, close to losing my battle, soundness of mind and wholeness of health has returned.  While my heart wavered as doubt became my mantra, a firmness of heart came back.  Now a steadiness of step has resumed as God has restored my faith in Him.

As I receive salvation from the God in whom I trust I will discover restoration, and my faith in Him builds.

Response.  How do I respond in the face of such rescue and restoration?  What can I give to a God who has everything?  How do I react when I experience the hand of God at work in my life?  It seems the more I see of Him, the more I want to place myself in His hands.

At the beginning of this walk with Jesus, I didn't really know much about Him.  I was feeling my way through, learning what it meant to live in companionship with Him.  Since I wasn't quite sure, I didn't place a whole lot of faith in Him.  Over time, as I saw His faithfulness, I placed more and more of my trust in Him.  I also found more for which to thank and praise Him.  Before I knew it, I was more and more dependent upon Him.  I expect by the end of my life I will more fully realize just how fragile is my life and how much I need Him.

When I see God save me in so many different ways, receiving restoration, I can't help but respond with even more faith in Him.

Faith is not stagnant, staying at one level for all of my life.  Instead, I discover that the more I witness His rescue, experiencing restoration, I respond with even more faith in Him.  This is the progression of my faith as I walk with Jesus through thick and thin.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to let Him work out the latest crisis in a way that will bring glory to Him.

How do I back away from God when things get hard, letting today's crisis overcome my faith?

When have I experienced a return of wholeness and health, and what was my response?