The Week in Review: Faith Testing

I try to stay consistent about posting on this blog even if it's only once a week. Last week was different. It's not that God wasn't teaching me anything--au contraire! Sometimes it's better for me to "Be Still" and just listen rather than write.

The past few weeks have been challenging in many ways. I won't go into all the details, but suffice it to say that we all have seasons in our lives that push us out of our comfort zones and stretch us in the faith department.

This morning I was working on a Bible study about faith and immediately realized that God used some of the events of the past few weeks to stretch me in the faith department. I wish I could say that I got an A+. Not even close! I had good moments and bad moments. There were times when I reacted to circumstances through my flesh by saying or doing things that were not so Christ-like. And then I had some Spirit-filled moments when I desperately prayed for God's help and turned to Scripture.

As I look back over the week, I can see that those moments when I turned to God and the Word were some of the most peace-filled moments of the week. Did my circumstances get better? No. Not really. But, I did feel peace that passed all understanding...

And the peace of God, 

which surpasses all comprehension, 

will guard your hearts 

and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:7

...and when I did go to God and Scripture first, I found that things fell into place a little better than if I had tried to do things in my own strength.

Fear not, for I am with you; 

be not dismayed, for I am your God; 

I will strengthen you, I will help you, 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

There's one other thing I learned this morning about my faith: It's been getting stronger over the years. I can now see how my faith has been shaped by my environment and other people since I was a child. My belief system has been rather limited in the past. My knowledge of Scripture was limited and therefore my knowledge of who God is and what He can do was limited. 

As I've spent more and more time in Scripture, I can see how my perception of who God is has been changing. The God I know right now is not the God I knew 10, 20, or 30 years ago. He's much bigger, He's much more loving, He's much more personal, and He's much more awesome than I would have thought a few decades ago. These are the kinds of things we learn only after spending years getting to know someone.

If you need a faith boost, read the 11th chapter of Hebrews. Faith is the confidence we need when we cannot see anything happening and it is by faith that we trust God, knowing that He is able when we are not.

Forgetting Can Get Us Into Trouble

They say an elephant never forgets.

I've been reading through the book of Deuteronomy lately. I know... Visions of page after page of Do's and Don'ts are probably dancing around your head about now. Truthfully, there are a lot of those. They might not seem important to us now, but they were very important instructions for the Israelites. And there is always something for us to learn by reading these records.

You see, the Israelites had been in captivity by the Egyptians for many years. Then they were rescued and led to the Promised Land by Moses. They took quite a long time to finally get there. Time passes and things change, including their memories. So, before the Israelites were to go into this new land, God wanted to prepare them. Hence, all those lists of what to do and not to do.

During all those years away from their homeland--and even on the return trip--they forgot a few things. They forgot the many ways that God helped them.

I've also been reading through the Psalms and recently read this related passage:

Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea. -Ps. 106:7

The Psalm continues to tell the reader how God went ahead and rescued them anyway--miraculously. But...

...how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn’t wait for his counsel! -Ps. 106:13

Then the Psalmist reminds us that on their journey home, God was simply having them wait while Moses was being given the Ten Commandments, yet again...

They forgot God, their savior, who had done such great things in Egypt. -Ps. 106:21

If you keep reading this Psalm, you'll notice that this pattern continues. Before we start beating up on the Israelites, we'll extend a little grace. All of us have pretty short memories. Several months ago I wrote another post about the importance of Remembering. I've been guilty of forgetting too.

Their forgetfulness is what got them into trouble. They lost sight of what God had done for them in the past. So, they fell back into their old ways and they tried to rely on their own resources. They got a little scared and decided to build a golden calf.

Our forgetfulness can get us into trouble, too. We will fall back into old ways and habits to get us by in life. We'll use the world's wisdom to get answers. Maybe we don't build a giant golden calf, but when we get scared we use money to buy some comfort; we put our trust in a job or another person instead of God. This is especially true if we think God is being too slow to answer our prayers, so we'll "help God along" by manipulating circumstances.

The bright spot in all of this is what verse 44 of this chapter says: Even so...

Even so, God remembered his covenant with His people. (He did NOT forget.)
Even so, because of His unfailing love, God continued to save His people.

Yes, the Israelites still experienced the consequences of their sin. That applies to us as well.

Forgetting the past can get us into trouble. So, it behooves us to remember how God intervenes on our behalf, even in all those little ways that we may dismiss as happenstance.

Another point to not gloss over here is that God keeps His promises and God loves His people--unconditionally. That truth extends to us as well. Isn't that great!

Because I have a short memory, I've taken to recording some of these things in a journal. It's amazing when I go back and read about some of the things God has done on my behalf and I'll think to myself, I forgot about that!

Preserve these memories for yourself and for the next generation. The next time you face a difficult decision or situation, go back and remind yourself of what God has done before.

Leaning In

My main form of exercise is walking and always has been. I nearly always walked to school when I was growing up.

Even though I grew up in the Midwest where the land is mostly flat, my hometown had a few gentle hills and inclines because it was a river town.

I can still recall several paths to and from the different schools I attended. One was downhill going to school and uphill coming home. The following year I was transferred to a new school, but it was uphill going and downhill coming.

My final two years of high school took place on a different campus than the first two years. The good news was that it was closer to my home, but the bad news was that the school was built on top of a hill. The hill at this school had such a steep and grassy slope that it is considered the prime spot for sledding during the winter months. That hill stood between my house and the school.

I could have taken another route which would have not been so steep, but it would have taken much longer. So, the first few days I walked up that hill and was ever-so glad when I reached the top. It wasn't long before I was climbing that hill with less effort. Within several weeks I realized how easily and quickly I made it up that hill!

One of the tricks to walking up a steep hill is to lean in. By leaning forward as you move up the hill, it helps with your center of gravity by providing balance. If you lean too far forward or lean too far back, you might strain muscles in your back. Now, I don't have any scientific proof of this, but I think leaning in helps move me up the hill easier and faster than standing straight.

source: Pinterest

Leaning in is also a technique we use when a strong wind is blowing. If you've ever been caught outdoors on a very windy day, in order to walk against the wind you must lean into it.

You probably know where I'm going with this. When life takes a turn up that steep hill or we feel that sudden strong wind, we need to lean in.

We lean in to Jesus to give us the strength we need to keep going, to stay balanced, to endure. Leaning in also helps us stand firm against the Enemy. He's always trying to knock us down.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to

stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 

- Ephesians 6:10-11

 


Hard times make us stronger and prepare us for the next battle (because there will be another battle). Just like my walk up that hill to school, if we keep leaning in to Jesus, we'll gain endurance so that the next time we must walk up a hill, it might not be quite as difficult.

Be a hill seeker and not a hill avoider.

As I was preparing this post, I ran across a blog article which is closely related to this topic. I really like how this quote fit with what I was writing about. I share this quote below and a link to the full article at truewoman.com.

"We like to think of our spiritual lives as a 

steady climb up a predictable hill. 

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other 

and eventually we will summit, having “arrived” 

at the apex of what it means to follow Christ. 

But the reality is there will be very high highs,

often followed by very low lows. God is God, 

and we are called to be faithful at both elevations."

 ~ Erin Davis at True Woman.com, "Lessons from the Devastation"

I just couldn't close this without sharing a verse from this great old hymn...

        Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
        Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

        O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
        Leaning on the everlasting arms;
        O how bright the path grows from day to day,
        Leaning on the everlasting arms.

from cyberhymnal.org

God Can Make a Way

Earlier this week as I was reading scripture for my quiet time, one verse really jumped out at me. Psalm 77:19 says,

Your road led through the sea, 

your pathway through the mighty waters—

a pathway no one knew was there! 

There’s always a quickening of my spirit whenever the Lord uses the Word to speak to me, so I had to stop and think on it a moment. What was it about this verse that caused me to stop? I had to look at the context of the scripture and look at it in context of my own life.

This particular Psalm is written by Asaph and it's all about comfort during troubled times and remembering how God came through for His people.  I felt as if the Lord was reminding me that His path is rarely ever the easiest path. In fact, they almost always are ones we would not choose, and often in a place where we might not see a path. There was something very encouraging about that thought. It was a simple reminder to me that God can make a way where my eyes can see no way. 

I'm not going through a particularly troubled time. In fact, this is a rather quiet season in comparison to recent months. But, the path to this point has been rough at times and when I look ahead, I do often feel as if the way is obscured or insurmountable. 

It takes me back to just trusting that God does have a plan for my life and He will accomplish what He wants to accomplish in me and through me. Life won't always be easy. In fact, God rarely does the predictable. If the waters need to part so that I can walk on dry land--God will do that. If He needs to divert my path to go around the mountain instead of over it--God will do it.

Ahhh, if only I had that pillar of fire by night and the cloud to guide me by day! (see Exodus 13:21-22)

What do you need to trust God to do this week?

What Are You Trusting In?

"What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?"

Those were the words spoken by the Assyrians standing just outside the city of Judah (2 Kings 18:19-24). This may be ancient history, but there is modern day application to this story. The Assyrians had already conquered nearby Samaria. Now they were standing outside the city of Judah politely, but firmly requesting that King Hezekiah surrender.

Typically we think of conquerors as those who storm the gates. They shoot first and ask questions later. But sometimes the enemy stands outside and attempts to use reason to gain control. Why not? If bloodshed can be avoided with a little attack on the mind, give it a try.

King Hezekiah was one of those good guys. He trusted the Lord, obeyed God, and removed pagan shrines in the land. He followed in the footsteps of his ancestor, King David. Consequently, the Lord blessed him. But,the enemy still showed up. Hezekiah tried to smooth over any wrongs his people had done to the Assyrians. He offered reparations of gold and silver. It did no good. The Assyrians weren't interested.

That's when the mind games began. The enemy was standing outside their city walls asking them to surrender. When Hezekiah refused, the Assyrian representative accused them of relying on their own intellect or on another army to rescue them. After Hezekiah refused to surrender, the Assyrian man pulled out all the stops by suggesting that God wanted them to surrender. He implied that God had led them to have Judah surrender because of something they had done.

Here's where the present-day life application comes in. We're cruising along in our lives, trying to follow God's path, being obedient yet not always succeeding. The enemy sneaks up beside us to remind us of those times we've failed and entices us to surrender. He fills our heads with doubt and fear. We try to stand firm in our faith, trusting that the path we're on is the one God want us on. Inside we wonder if he's right...Maybe God did send this circumstance to get me back into His will or to punish me? 

Hezekiah stayed firm in his faith. He prayed rather than responding to those threats (2 Kings 19). The Lord responded by delivering them. In fact, more than 100,000 Assyrians died in their sleep. God stepped in and helped calm their fears and He took care of the enemy. Hezekiah did not trust in his intellect. He did not trust in the strength of his army or Egypt's army. He trusted God.

The enemy seems to be telling me to "throw in the towel," with lies such as: 

The odds of finding a mate at your age are very low. It's time to give up. 

You don't have what it takes to write. There are plenty of writers out there already.

I could go on and on with a laundry list of lies, doubts, and fears. When I hear these, I need to remember to pray and consult the Lord. I need to remember to trust in the God, His promises, and not in anything or anyone else.

What lies are you listening to? Have you consulted the Lord about it?

I'll end with these verses from Psalm 56:1-7.

O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me.  

My foes attack me all day long. 

I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, 

and many are boldly attacking me.  

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 

I praise God for what he has promised.  

I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  

What can mere mortals do to me?  

They are always twisting what I say;  

they spend their days plotting to harm me. 

They come together to spy on me— 

watching my every step, eager to kill me.  

Don’t let them get away with their wickedness; 

in your anger, O God, bring them down.

Bridges

I don't really like bridges. I'm not fearful of them, but I don't particularly like them. I still remember many nightmares that involved really high bridges that led to nowhere. I still recall a rickety drawbridge from my hometown and being afraid of that bridge until it was torn down in favor of new construction.

I don't fear bridges quite as much as I've grown older. Out of necessity, I've learned to tolerate bridges. Yet, even now when I'm sitting on a bridge full of traffic and a heavy truck goes across, I can feel the bridge shake and I wonder: Will the bridge fall down?

Bridges are actually very helpful. When I was a child, my father built a bridge in our back yard to span a creek that ran through the yard. It was a pretty little bridge that I dubbed "the lady bridge." Bridges allow me to easily cross over a river to visit my home state when I'm traveling. My path to work involves crossing over interstates on bridges. Bridges take me to my destination.

Bridges can be beautiful. Or scary.

Bridges can overlook some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Or bridges can overlook a neglected neighborhood.

You just never know what you're going to get when you cross a bridge. The path along that bridge that can sometimes make us wonder when we'll ever get to the other side of the bridge--our destination. We need to have faith that the bridge will get us to our final destination.

Sometimes our spiritual journey is just like that. We are hoping and praying for a change in our circumstances. God begins to work in our lives and puts us on a new journey. Sometimes that journey takes us over a bridge. The journey may reveal some breathtaking moments. Or that journey may bring out our fears. Either way, God is with us on that journey. We must trust that God has us in the center of where we're supposed to be--even in the midst of fear. If we've asked for this journey of change, we need to trust God and lean on Him.

We can count on God to take us through these faith journeys. If we avoid the bridges, our journey may take a whole lot longer.

This reminds me of the account of Jesus and the disciples as they crossed the stormy lake in a boat. We may encounter some rough waters but Jesus will be there with us. Jesus asked them (us and me)...

“Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  (Mark 4:40b)

My faith verse for 2013 is...

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; 

it gives us assurance about things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1).

Snow Cones in the Desert

I've been reading through Psalm 105 the past couple of days. One of the devotional books I use has camped on that particular Psalm but today we got to the end.

The Psalm starts out like this...

Psalm 105

¹ Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.

    Let the whole world know what he has done.
² Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
    Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
³ Exult in his holy name;
    rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
⁴ Search for the Lord and for his strength;
    continually seek him.
⁵ Remember the wonders he has performed,
    his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
⁶ you children of his servant Abraham,
    you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

Give thanks.
Sing His praises.
Exult His name.
Search for Him.
Remember Him.

All reminders to the chosen people, the Israelites. Then the psalm goes on to remind them of the covenant God had with His people through Abraham and his descendants. The psalmist goes on to speak about a huge piece of their history, the time they spent in Egypt and making their way back to the Promised Land. Many highlights of God's provision and deliverance is given during the remainder of this psalm. It was all happening because of a covenant (a solemn promise) made to Abraham and his descendants.

Nice. But where am I going with this?

The final verse of this psalm jumped out at me. It's easy to overlook after thinking about all the other things that happened to the Israelites--promises made, promises kept.

⁴⁵ All this happened so they would follow his decrees
    and obey his instructions. Praise the Lord!

The words ALL THIS HAPPENED SO is what caught my attention. I always want to know WHY things happen (I've talked about that before) so I guess that's why I noticed those words this time. Those words said to me, Pay attention, Kristi. So I reread that verse. All of those things in verses 1-44 happened for God's purposes and to teach the people God's ways. God wasn't handing out snow cones in the desert simply because the people were His sweet, little children. They didn't always do the right thing. In fact, they often did the wrong thing. God loved them anyway. He provided regardless. He allowed certain things to happen to them--all under His watchful eye--so that they would learn to love God, trust Him, and obey Him. Praise Yahweh!

Just another reminder to me that everything I go through, the good and the bad, is all part of God's plan. It's all about Him so that I can glorify God and point others toward Christ.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Not the Ghostbusters, I hope! 

Actually, today's post is about Self-Reliance vs. God-Reliance.

Who do you call on...
     When times are tough?
     When you need help?
     When you're lonely?
     When you're afraid?
     When you simply do not understand what's going on?

Or do you...
     Suck it up?
     Pull up your bootstraps and do it yourself?
     Veg out in front of the television with a pint of ice cream?
     Act out and tell people off?
     Over analyze the situation and come up with a plan?

Imagine yourself stranded in the desert. There's nothing for miles around and your car is broken down. There's no traffic on the road. You've been sitting there waiting for a few hours as the heat bears down on you. That bottle of water you brought along is empty. Suddenly a car appears just over the horizon and gets closer and closer. The driver stops and asks if you need help. You wave them away and say, "I got myself into this mess. I'll figure a way out. Thanks, anyway." What???? Why in the world would you wave away someone who is willing and available to provide help? Oh, that's right: Self-Reliance.

Our society expects us to be self-reliant. Don't get me wrong, self-reliance isn't all bad. Really. I mean, if you know how to fix a toilet yourself and don't have to pay a plumber, self-reliance is very good! But, there are times when self-reliance instead of God-reliance is not good.

In 1 Samuel 27:1 we see David on the run from Saul. David is giving up hope that Saul will ever stop chasing him. In fact, he's pretty sure he won't live through this experience.

But David thought to himself, “One of these days 

I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. 

The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. 

Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere

in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

Notice that David "thought to himself." That was his first mistake. He was tired of running and he didn't bother consulting God. He listened to his own counsel then David made an alliance with Achish, a Philistine King. This was not part of God's plan. Yes, David was feeling the pressure of his circumstances, he felt disappointment because he had been anointed King and was not given the throne, and I'm certain he was frustrated. (He had two wives, his men, and their families traveling with him. Don't you just know somebody must have asked Are we there yet?) On top of all that, David had no home and was constantly on the run. That would be difficult for anyone. But, David decided to take matters into his own hands. Sounds reasonable to us. But it wasn't what God had planned. You'll have to read the rest of the story on your own.

Self-reliance provides no rest and no peace. God-reliance provides rest and peace, even in the midst of trying circumstances.

Does God allow us to be self-reliant? Yes. He allows us to make choices in our free will. God would much rather we always rely on Him. But, He is always close by to assure that His plans for our lives move forward. God is able to untangle the nets we step in and smooth over some of the rough patches we make for ourselves. Wouldn't it just be easier to rely on God first, though? Who you gonna call?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

~  Proverbs 3:5-6