Strength in Weakness

"Their weakness was turned to strength."

Hebrews 11:34

When I think of faith, I think of the people listed in the so-called "Hall of Fame of Faith" found in Hebrews 11.  They obeyed God at great cost to their reputations, well-being and sometimes their very lives.  They believed when it seemed all hope was lost.  They made decisions based on what would please God, not what would bring comfort and ease to themselves and their families.  They are the men and women of mighty faith that cheer us on in our walk.

But sometimes faith is not found in the momentous acts.  Mostly, it is found in the ordinary, day-to-day activities, in the times when I let my guard down and think I have it all covered.  

Faith is more than trusting God during the crisis or during the earth shattering times.  It's easier to trust God then because I don't know what else to do.  But the real test comes during the normal and commonplace, when I think I have it all worked out.  

Faith is found in our weakness.  As 19th Century British Evangelist George Muller said, "Faith begins where man's power ends."

Letting Go

I remember the neighborhood bully when I was growing up.  Actually, it was a family of brothers who were the trouble-makers.  They started fights on the school bus, used their BB guns to kill little birds and creatures, and intimidated younger children as they rode their bikes home from school.  They lived around the corner from me but I only fell victim to their harassment a couple of times. In general, I did my best to stay away from them.  

Thankfully, God is not a bully or I would probably try to stay away from Him as well.  He does not barge into my life, demanding that He be in control of everything.  He is in control.  Either I accept that and make adjustments accordingly, or I continue to live my life as if I were in control.  

I'm sure you've heard the well-known saying, "Let go and let God."  It seems trite and simplistic, but there is truth found within this adage.  Part of trusting God means letting Him work in my life.    This can certainly be thought of as a leap of faith.  Loosening the grip I hold on my life takes a belief that God has my best interest at heart, that He loves me enough to do only what's best for me, and that He will stay with me through whatever comes my way.

Faith means trusting God enough to let Him lead me in every part of my life. Then I can do as I am directed in Hebrews 12:1 and, "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and . . . run with perseverance the race marked out for (me)." 

Sometimes taking a leap of faith means simply letting go of my will in any given moment and letting God have is way.

Following

I remember watching a group of children playing, "Follow the Leader."  Each child wanted to be the leader so there was no one left to do the following.  All the adults chuckled to see the children wandering around the playground, each being their own "leader".  

In order for one to lead, someone else must follow.  Everyone can't be the leader, but we all are wired to want to be our own leader.  

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lead not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  The New Living Translation puts it this way, "seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."

 I like to think that I'm going on a hike and God is out in front.  He is blazing the trail, approving of every bump and rough spot before he agrees to lead me through.  Sometimes, however, I get distracted by something off the trail, something beautiful and enticing and I take my eyes off my Leader. Other times I am frightened by something scary off to the side and I hide in fear.  Each time, He waits right there for me to get back on the path and submit to His leadership before He continues on the journey.  

Before God can lead, I must agree to follow.

Trusting

Sitting down in a chair is an act of faith.  Before I sit in the chair, I must have confidence in it's strength and integrity, I must believe that it will be able to hold my weight.  If I don't completely trust the chair, I won't sit in it.  

It's the same with faith in God.  If I don't completely trust Him, I won't place my whole weight in His hands.  I'll withhold some things, choosing to worry instead of trusting Him.  How do I know if I'm trusting Him fully?  I will experience a sense of peace that doesn't make sense for the circumstances.  If I don't have peace, I know I'm not trusting fully.

Philippians 4:6-7 describes the process this way.  "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (NLT)

Trusting God with all the little things in my life will bring a calm as I rest in His strength.  

The Hall of Fame of Faith found in Hebrews 11 is filled with the great celebrities of God's family.  They did great things for God, but each was flawed in some serious ways.  What set them apart from everyone else was that they trusted God at His word and they acted accordingly. They let go of their desire to control their own destiny, they followed God as He led them through history, and they trusted that He would deliver on the promises He made to them, taking care of their needs in the process.  

These men and women of great faith are not the only ones who can be made strong in our weakness.  We too can show the kind of faith that will inspire generations to come to run the race that God has set before them.  

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will rest fully in the promises of God.

What do I choose to worry about instead of surrendering fully to God?

How do I show my lack of faith in the way I insist upon being the leader of my life?

Faith as Action

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,

‘Whom shall I send?

And who will go for us?’

And I said, ‘Here I am. Send me!’”

Isaiah 6:8

“Therefore, since we are surrounded

by such a great cloud of witnesses,

Let us throw off everything that hinders

And the sin that so easily entangles,

And let us run with perseverance

the race marked out for us.”

Hebrews 12:1

I don’t know what I truly believe until I’ve been tested on it.  All through High School and College, I took a strong stand against abortion.  I wrote convincing papers that supported my view point, discussed the topic with fellow students, and spent a lot of time thinking about the issue. It all was an intellectual exercise, however, until my junior year in College when I became pregnant after meeting the man of my dreams.  I was scared and didn’t know what to do so I went to a phone booth with the intention of looking up abortion clinics in the area, just to check them out.  Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. 

As my finger slid down the yellow pages in the “A” section, my eyes were drawn to the “Crisis Pregnancy Center.”  I paid them a visit, soon finding out they did not offer abortions but instead existed to save babies.  They counseled me and showed me a film about abortion.  As I watched the graphic images flash across the screen, I knew I couldn’t do that to my baby.  As fearful as I felt about revealing my transgression to my mother, slaughtering the innocent child within me was not the answer. By the grace of God, my belief had withstood the test and that baby is now a beautiful 23-year-old young woman.

Faith is not simply an intellectual exercise. It is more than a belief that is never translated into action.  Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1 as, “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”   I can say I trust God with my life, knowing that He has a plan for me and that all things work together for the good, but until I am tested on that belief, these are only so many words on a page.

The Call

Oswald Chambers wrote in “My Utmost for His Highest*” that, “The call of God is not for a special few, it is for everyone.”  In order to hear the call of God, I must be paying attention.  Isaiah did not perceive a personal plea from God to go and tell the people His message.  No.  Instead, he was seeing a vision of God and overheard the Lord asking who He would send.  Anyone could have responded to this call, but it was Isaiah who took the step of faith, coming forward in response.

What am I hearing God say?  Do I respond with, “I’ll go!” or do I mutter, “Someone should do something about that!”  It is easy to fall into the pattern of assuming that someone else is more qualified than I to heed God’s call.  But all He requires is a willing heart; he supplies all the strength, know-how, understanding, words, etc.  He is a God who is in the habit of generating something out of nothing.

If I hear God's call, it is up to me to either ignore it, or respond.

Shake off Sin

Now that I’ve stepped up to the plate, what do I do?  There are so many obstacles in my way, and the major one is sin.  It’s like in those horrible dreams where I am trying to run as fast as I can, but I’m being weighed down my some unseen burden and I can’t get my footing in the sand.  I put all my effort into it, but barely get anywhere.

My sinful self tells me that I can’t answer this call because I am ill-equipped and am thoroughly unqualified.  There are so many others who could do a better job than I.  Maybe I’m being foolish and rash in my decision-making.  It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I’m having second thoughts.

Faith is believing that God is bigger than all my weaknesses and that He can accomplish His will through me despite my sinful nature.  Or as Pastor Grant Fishbook recently said in a sermon about giving, “God’s 10% is bigger than your 90% because He is bigger than you!”  It is the same with obeying.  The only way I can confidently heed His call is in believing that He is bigger than my weaknesses.  He is God and He can use even me, a sinful woman, to bring about His will.

I can either let my sin hold me back, or I can shake it off and run freely in the direction God has pointed me.

Persevere

Running long distances can become monotonous and exhausting.  It takes a sense of purpose and a desire to reach the finish line in order to keep going. 

In the race of life, there are many things to drag us down, giving us reason to quit.

“No one really cares, I don’t know why I continue working so hard when I never receive one ‘thank you’.  I don’t think my effort is truly appreciated.” 

“I am just not getting anywhere.  I am the same today as I was yesterday.  I don’t think I’ve moved one inch forward despite all my effort.  I might as well stop trying.”

“I don’t think these kids are ever going to get it.  No matter how many times I teach this lesson, they continue in the same behavior.  I think my words are falling on deaf ears.  Maybe I should quit.”

“I work so hard but I haven’t received a promotion in years.  Doesn’t anyone see my efforts?  Doesn’t anyone care?  Why do I bust my behind, always striving for the best when it gets me nowhere?”

It is easy to get discouraged when my focus is on the outcome or the impact my actions are having on those around me.  But, if I instead keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and care only what my Father in heaven thinks about my efforts then I will have the strength to carry on.

Once I am running my race, my strength will come from focusing on God’s purpose for the battles I face , and achieving His approval at the finish line .

It’s easy to say I believe in Jesus and trust Him for salvation.  The hard part comes when I hear His calling to act on that faith.  Then I must take action, not letting my sinful self hinder my forward motion, and then stick with it for the glory of God.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will not just say I follow Jesus, but back it up with action.

How have a failed a test of faith by ignoring a call to do something to demonstrate God’s love to those around me?

When do I make excuses, expecting others to take up the call instead of me?

*January 14^th entry

Believe

"For nothing is impossible with God.”

 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. 

“May it be to me as you have said.” 

Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:37-38

"Oh, Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind."

"Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to."

"He who has no Christmas in his heart will find no Christmas under the tree."

"People have to believe in something."

"I need to believe something extraordinary is possible."

"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone."

If you've watched any Christmas movies lately, you might recognize some of these quotes, or the sentiments behind them.  I tend to get mushy at Christmas time and overflow with warm and fuzzy thoughts.  But do I really know what these thoughts mean, or do I just repeat them because they sound good?  

Christmas is a day set aside for me to remember the birth of our Savior; Jesus Christ.  Since He is the author and perfecter of my faith, is it possible to have faith without Him?  And, is it possible to have faith in general, or does it need to be directed toward something or someone?

The Source  Faith, as defined in Hebrews 11:1, "is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  As outlined in the "hall of fame of faith" found in Hebrews 11, faith is vital to anyone serious about following Jesus.  In fact, verse 6 explains the importance of faith in our walk. ". . . without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."  I have no hope of pleasing God without having supreme confidence in Him and His ability to keep His promises and provide for my every need.  Even this certainty, however, is not from myself, but is a gift of grace from God himself.  "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence." (I Peter 1:3)  If I want to have faith, I must get to know the One who is the source of faith. 

The Focus Faith is nothing in and of itself.  Or as Oswald Chambers so wisely phrased it: "Faith that is sure of itself is not faith; faith that is sure of God is the only faith there is."  It sounds good to say, "you just have to believe that everything will be okay," but it rings hollow in the face of the truth.  "Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory." (1 Peter 1:21 NLT)  God will never let me down; I can trust in Him completely.  I cannot just believe, but I must believe in God.  My faith must be directed toward God, or it is an empty shell.  If I want my faith to be true, I must direct it toward Him.

When the angel Gabriel visited Mary to inform her of God's plan, she believed the angel's words when he said that nothing is impossible with God, and she accepted His impossible plan for her life.  Her faith was from God and  in God.  As a result, we celebrate Christmas today!  May the faith God has given me make this Christmas a most precious one as I trust in Him as my Savior!

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will have faith in God and God alone.

Where do I believe what I hear without testing it against the truth found in scripture?

How can I live my life in a way that demonstrates the faith I have in Jesus?