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.

Wordy Wednesday

This is my command--be strong and corageous! 

Do not be afraid or discouraged. 

For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

This verse in the book of Joshua has become one of my favorite verses. Maybe it's because the Lord puts this verse in my path every so often--particularly when I really need the reminder.

I heard someone wise say that when God keeps telling you something over and over, it's not because He's forgotten what he's said. It's because He's trying to remind you or teach you something. So, whenever the same Bible verse keeps popping up over and over--I take note.

Is there a Bible verse that has become your favorite this way?

Feeling Overwhelmed? Read Psalm 23

The twenty-third Psalm has to be one of the most familiar passages to--well, just about anyone. It's so often heard quoted at funerals and consequently used in those types of scenes in television shows and movies. So, even someone who may not be familiar with the Bible has probably heard this verse. It's really quite a shame that it's been relegated to funerals, though. The text is so rich and relatable to every day life!

Last weekend this psalm came to mind as a multitude of concerns bombarded my thoughts. April has been a difficult month for friends and family. I've had sick friends, others having surgery, some have had tragic deaths or near-deaths. There have also been a few horrific events which have made the headlines. I have a "threshold" of just how many pressurized events I can process at one time before feeling overwhelmed. I get to a point of wanting to "Cry Uncle." Is that just me or does anyone else feel that way? When it gets like that, I just keep thanking God that He never gets overwhelmed by these circumstances. He's got it all under control.

When I thought of this psalm, the line that came to my mind over and over was verse four. I memorized this psalm in the King James version, so I heard this in my head...

Yea, though I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff 

they comfort me.

But, rather than thinking about this as a funeral verse, I pondered what David was really saying here. Basically, he is saying that no matter what--NO. MATTER. WHAT.--is going on all around him, he has absolutely no reason to fear the evil happening. Why? Because God is there.

I took great comfort in that verse several times this weekend. And to punctuate all of that comforting goodness, God decided to bless me with a few more reminders of this great Psalm. Two of my favorite Bible teachers posted about it on their Facebook pages today! So, I just have to share this quote from Tony Evans,

"It's 'yea, though I walk through the valley.' 

Not 'yea, when I sit down and whine in the valley.' Keep walking."

 

So, take a few moments and read this psalm with fresh eyes. Think about the love and care of aShepherd, for His beloved sheep (that's me and you). And even when we're in a dark valley, even when the news around us goes from bad to worse, we can talk to our Shepherd about it and He willingly and lovingly comfort us. He will lead us and renew our strength.  

 

Psalm 23... A psalm of David.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
² He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
³     He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
⁴ Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
⁵ You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
⁶ Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

New Living Translation

A Place of Insecurity

After I started a new job, I began a search to find the best route to work. (You have to do this in a major metropolitan area with lots of traffic!) I tried several routes and then remembered a little-used back road which provided lots of greenery and no traffic for a few miles. Although I'd been on this road many times over the years, it's not one that I used with any regularity and not for quite a while. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this route during my morning commute...for a while. Then one morning something happened.

I was driving along (I'm sure my mind was wandering) when suddenly all I saw around me were trees, overgrown brush, and the road. There were no familiar landmarks and no cars around. It was just me in my car, the road ahead of me, and all these trees. I had absolutely no idea where I was. Panic rose inside me. I became fearful as I looked around and tried to reorient. Where was I? I tried to remain calm and kept driving in hopes that I would eventually remember where I was. Very soon afterward I arrived at a place where the road intersected with two other roads. To my relief, I finally remembered where I was. The whole experience probably lasted no longer than 15 or 20 seconds. Nevertheless, it was disconcerting and unforgettable.

There was another time when I was a child and found myself separated from my family in a store. I don't remember a lot of details about that incident, but I do recall a similar panic coming over me until my family found me. After that incident my mom always gave me a specific place where I could go should that happen again—a place for us to rendezvous. I was assured that should I become separated again, she would always go to that place to look for me. Thankfully I never got lost like that again, but I always remembered the plan and it gave me a sense of peace.

Life can sometimes be like these scenarios. We can be tooling along when all of a sudden panic sets in. How did I get here? I'm all alone! What should I do? Perhaps an unfortunate incident sets off these emotions or we've simply wandered into (or been pushed into) an unfamiliar path. We feel threatened by unfamiliar surroundings. Everything seems cozy when we are in familiar places, but if we're suddenly plucked out of the familiar, insecurity sets in.

Thankfully, as believers, God has already given us a place to rendezvous when we find ourselves in these unfamiliar surroundings. We can go to Him in prayer and we can read His Word. He will be faithful to meet us there. There is nowhere that God is not.

Psalm 139:7-12 tell us that God is omnipresent:

I can never escape from your Spirit!
    I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
    but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to you.


I'm so thankful that whatever circumstance I may be in, God is always there. I can keep my eye fixed on Him. God is way better than GPS.

The God of Details

You keep track of all my sorrows.  

You have collected all my tears in your bottle.    

You have recorded each one in your book. --Psalm 56:8

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body 

and knit me together in my mother’s womb. --Psalm 139:13

 

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. --Luke 12:7a

God is definitely into details. These verses are just a sampling of how into details He is. Think about all the tiny little details embedded within creation of the earth and human life--molecules that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Then there are all the details given to Noah for building the ark! How about the battle of Jericho? Lots of details there, let's see: March around the city, seven priests, rams horns, don't talk, just march, and do this for six consecutive days. Then on the seventh day you can shout, but you have to say these specific words... Yes, He is the God of details.

I had a revelation in recent months about myself. I realized how often I tend to rush through tasks "just to get them done." I want to cross it off my list and get on with something more "interesting." This is especially true if I don't have to worry about quality control coming behind me to inspect. {smirk} So I often choose the "good enough" route instead of paying close attention to details. Sometimes this results in "do-overs."

Unfortunately this is also how I sometimes approach other things in life besides tasks. Let's see:

• To the person standing in line at the fast food counter who cannot decide what to order...hurry up.

• To the guy in the truck sitting in front of me, don't you know the light turned green? What are you waiting on? Maybe a different shade of green???

• To the acquaintance who cannot decide if she really wants to go out for coffee at 3pm or 4pm or decide if which place we should go to... Either are fine with me. Really. Just please decide so we can get this settled--today.

A lot of this is impatience--okay, probably all of it is impatience. I tend to push myself and others--especially God--to hurry up and get it done. Oops! Did I say God? Yes.

Impatient with God? God has his own timetable and, of course, He is the God of details. Admit it. You've probably tried to ask God to hurry up and do something. If you're like me, you don't come right out and say it that way because that would be demanding God to do something. Instead, it may take the form of whining, complaining, crying--that sort of thing. Manipulation.


The fact is that God is better than the best skilled craftsman you can think of. A true craftsman (or artist) will meticulously work on something until it's absolutely right. No shortcuts are taken. No details are overlooked. Only the best tools and materials are used. These artists can envision what the finished piece should look like and will go to great lengths to make certain it gets there.

That's the way God works in our lives--in my life. Even when I cannot see anything happening, God is working behind the scenes to prepare the "canvas" and to fine tune every single detail. God wants the very best for me and not a half-finished project. It may seem like He is withholding something from me. Not necessarily. It needs to "cook a little longer" or it needs a "nip and tuck" before it's ready. If He did give me what I wanted before it was ready, I'd be disappointed or at the very least I would be short-changed.

Since I've become more aware of this tendency to rush, I've tried to slow down. I've been mindful of times when I try to push God ahead of His plan and His timing. I still get hurried or impatient, but with awareness comes an opportunity for me to practice a new habit: patience. When I'm practicing this habit in my relationship with God, it results in more trust in Him and peace for me while I wait. And if I'm not in such a hurry, I get the opportunity to watch a Master Craftsman at work. Amazing!

Hope for this Unsteady Heart

Earlier this week I wrote a post about true love and trusting Jesus.  Events drove me to my knees seeking the Lord. It was during those unsteady times that Jesus stepped in to steady my heart, to catch the tears, and He lovingly walked with me through the uncertainty. There is hope for the unsteady heart and that hope can be found through Jesus.

I'm a big fan of Kari Jobe and especially her song called Steady My Heart. I've heard it on the radio recently and identified with the lyrics. I want to share the video here for anyone else who may be experiencing the unsteadiness that life brings. I hope you will be blessed by this song as much as I have been.

Patience: I Want it Now!

The past week or so I've been studying the topic of patience in preparation for a group Bible study meeting. As usual, God has impeccable timing. For the past few months the Lord has placed many Bible verses about patience in front of me such as:

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. 

Remember the great reward it brings you! 

Patient endurance is what you need now, 

so that you will continue to do God’s will. 

Then you will receive all that he has promised. 

~ Hebrews 10:35-36

When my patient endurance began to wear thin and gradually turned into child-like impatience, God decided to get me into a word study about patience. It's probably the equivalent of writing on the blackboard 100 times that I will not chew gum in class! So, rather than enjoy this word study all by myself, I thought I'd share it with you.

Here's a definition from a secular online dictionary...

patience [ˈpeɪʃəns] n

1. tolerant and even-tempered perseverance

2. the capacity for calmly enduring pain, trying situations, etc.

[via Old French from Latin patientia endurance, from patī to suffer]

From thefreedictionary.com.

I like these definitions: 

1. The ability to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay; quiet, steady perseverance, diligence. 
2. Accepting the imperfections of others.
3. True patience is anchored in hope.
4. An eager desire for relief or change; intolerant of anything that delays.
5. Impatience is the chief trait of self-centeredness (immaturity).

What does the Bible say about patience?

• In the Old Testament scriptures, patience is often defined as longsuffering or slow to anger. 
• In the New Testament the terms endurance and waiting are often used with patience. 
• Longsuffering is generally used in association with people. 
• The terms patient endurance or waiting are usually associated with our circumstances. 
• The opposite of patience (impatience) in the Old Testament is usually referred by the word weary (Isaiah 7:13). I found that definition very intriguing. When I feel impatient, weariness is not the first thing I think of but the mind and soul does become weary.
• Mercy, gentleness, and humility are often closely tied with patience in the Bible.
• Just a few of the rewards of patience: You earn respect (Proverbs 19:11); Doubly blessed (Job 42:10); God is pleased (1 Peter 2:20); Others will speak well of us (2 Thess. 1:4); We will be complete (James 1:4); Hope and encouragement (Romans 15:4). Patience is a fruit of the Spirit!

I'll leave the rest of the word study up to you. Hey, I can't do all the work!


So, what have I learned about patience?

• I get impatient with people sometimes, but I usually become more impatient with my circumstances.
• It grows my faith beyond its current level (maturity) and absolutely requires me to trust God with my circumstances.
• Building patience doesn't happen overnight and I falter a lot. 
• At times I'm much more immature than I believed myself to be.
• There is true peace that occurs in my life when a measure of patience is achieved. That peace only comes through trusting God.

And the consequences of impatience? 

• pain and suffering
• broken dreams
• troubled relationships
• compromised integrity
• God's displeasure
• untimely death

Wow. I don't like this list at all and this list is not exhaustive! The next time I begin to feel impatience coming on, I need to read this list.

I found this word study quite interesting. Some of this information I found in a free PDF booklet online: Discovery Series about patience.

We're Not Skaaaid...

"We're not skaaaid (scared), I'm gonna let my light shine."

That was the line from a song the children sang at church recently. The line was sung with a cute accent--the reason for the odd spelling. The premise behind the song is that we need not be scared or fearful when we have Jesus shining through us.

I was listening to Kay Arthur teach on this very topic a few days ago.

Jesus Calms the Storm (Mark 4: 35-41)

³⁵ As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ³⁷ But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

³⁸ Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
³⁹ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
⁴¹ The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

 
The disciples had their focus on the storm instead of Jesus. They really had no need to fear because Jesus was in the boat with them; they would not perish as long as He was with them. However, Jesus did not get mad at the disciples for asking for help. He simply focused His power and attention to the storm, telling it to Silence and Be Still. This is also translated in some versions as Hush or Peace. Jesus was calming the storm.

When we're in the midst of a storm, Kay says we need to stop and hear the voice of Jesus over and above the storm. Storms in our lives may be actual storms, trials, or they may also be doubts, fears, discontent, temptations, etc.

Jesus asks the disciples two questions after he calms the storm. So, in the midst of our storms we should ask ourselves...

1. Why am I afraid? (Jesus is here with me)
2. Do I still have no faith? (I can trust in him at ALL TIMES. See Psalm 62) I should go back and remember the times Jesus has brought me through other storms. Storms have a way of stretching our faith.

I love the following quote from Kay:

In any given situation you can either 

fear the situation or 

you can fear God, 

who is over the situation. 

Remember, fear of God means reverence and trust. God is in control and he has the power to calm the storm.

One of my favorite songs lately is called The Same God by Newsong. A line from that song says,

The same God who led you in will lead you out.  

So take all the fear and doubt, go on and lay them down.

What? Don't Worry???

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. 

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. 

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure,

 and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent 

and worthy of praise. ~ Philippians 4:6-8 (NLT)

I recently listened to Kay Arthur teaching on these verses. She had so many great points that I wrote down some of the highlights to share here. The mind is such a battlefield. That's where the Enemy is always trying to work on me with doubts, worry, second-guessing my actions, feelings of self-worth, etc. Can you identify? My mother has always said that, "Worry is a rocking chair that doesn't get you anywhere."


We are to be anxious for nothing (verse 6). The version above interprets this as worry but we're probably more familiar with this being translated as anxious. This is an imperative. That means I am commanded to not worry or not be anxious. Ack! So each time I worry, I must stop it! Easier said than done, right? Kay points out that Paul tells us how we can stop being anxious if we just continue reading this passage. There are three steps we should follow, in order:

1. Prayer. When we feel that anxiety or worry coming on we should begin with a general prayer which focuses on God and who He is. Reflect on His sovereignty and His love.
2. Supplication. This means that we pray a specific request--tell Him what we need.
3. Thanksgiving. Stop and recognize that we have Jesus during this moment, this trial. No matter what's going on, we still have Jesus right by our side and we can be thankful for that.

Once we do these three things, then peace will guard our hearts and minds.


And, because our minds are such a battlefield, we should focus on things that are:

• true
• honorable
• right
• pure
• lovely
• admirable
• excellent
• worthy of praise

So, if things come into our minds that do not fit any of these categories, we need to throw it away. The Enemy is waging warfare in our minds. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh" (2 Cor. 10:3).

What we think on is what we will be. Ponder that statement a moment. If we fix our minds on anger, untruth, and bitterness, then we will take on those qualities. I believe I'll choose the true, honorable, and excellent list.

God's Timing

Been thinking about circumstances of life lately.  I've always heard the phrase, God's Timing is Perfect.  It's usually in response to something I hoped would happen, but doesn't.  You know...that long-awaited job or meeting that "special someone."  It's kind of a catch-all phrase that's used in Christian circles.  I understand why people say it and I've said it myself.  It is some comfort when paired with understanding God's sovereignty.  God knows that everything I hope for doesn't need to unfold exactly like I'd imagined.  He sees the big picture. He knows what I need and when it's needed.  The operative word here is need.  I won't even get into the wants.

Lately, though, I've seen this timing thing work out in my life in so many small ways as God reveals and gifts things to me exactly when I need it.  These little things that happen are so easily overlooked.

Example: Recently I started having a feeling of anxiety in my gut.  I've had this feeling in the past, but it's been a while.  It's almost like a stomachache without actual pain.  But, it's definitely emotional pain.  I thought most of that emotional distress was behind me and I began to wonder why this feeling had returned?  Instead of trying to figure it out for myself, I took this concern to God in prayer.  I asked God to tell me why this particular emotional pain was happening again.  I didn't get my answer that day.  However, the next day I began to feel it again about the same time of day.  Once again I asked God to tell me why I was experiencing this anxiety.  I was ready to deal with this.  God immediately brought to mind those other times when I experienced this pain.  In each occurrance, the pain was associated with two particular emotions:  Fear of the Unknown and Loss of Control.  Ah-Ha!   That's exactly what has been going on.  I had an answer.  God's timing was just right.

You see, God had asked me to give up control over a particular area of my life.  Until then I had not realized how much I had been trying to control things myself.  I surrendered control to Him.  So, the side-effect of surrendering control is facing that fear of the unknown and loss of control.  Now that I know what's going on, God and I will deal with it.  Oh, and that anxious feeling in my gut went away as soon as I realized the truth.  And if it does come back, I'll know that I'm trying to take over again.

A much smaller example of this gift of God's timing are the encouraging messages from friends just when I need to hear from someone, a sweet hug, or a really good belly-laugh just when I need it.  He always knows what I need, even when I don't know.  God is good and his timing is perfect!