Obedience begins with one step

Ronald Reagan reminded us, "We are never defeated unless we give up on God." So many times, we announce that we are 'defeated' in one sense or another, not realizing that our real problem is that we 'gave up' on something God told us to hold onto. We actually give up on him because the road got a bit too bumpy, or the issues got a little tougher to handle than we wanted to deal with. The real issue is that we aren't the ones dealing with those issues - he is - we just couldn't wait to see how he'd handle them!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Whenever we seek to understand things through what our own mind interprets, we are missing what only our spirit can understand. The ways of God are very often beyond what our mind can comprehend - we need the Spirit of God, working on our spirit, to help us understand fully what God is doing. All God asks of us is that we 'seek his will in all we do' - then we let him show us the path we are to take. The next steps are up to us - either we step out in obedient faith down the path he has laid out, or we stubbornly choose our own way.

God's ways are not always transparent, but he isn't about to lead us in a direction that is contrary to his goodness, grace, or protection. We might experience bumps along the way, but they are nothing compared to the privilege of seeing that course all the way through. There is much to be learned in the journey - be open to what he will teach along the way. We might not think we have much to learn, having already seemingly walked that path before, but even a path walked several times over is still able to bring new insights each time it is walked in obedient faith.

The path begins with intense trust. Not in our own abilities or capacity, but in the truth that God will never leave us or forsake us. His faithfulness isn't fickle. The direction he gives isn't 'ill-planned' or 'poorly executed'. If we can't trust when we do not see, we will never walk where we have never trod! Just sayin!

He will

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times. (Martin Luther)

Luther also told us to 'pray and let God worry'. Maybe one of the hardest things for us to come to appreciate is how much we like to worry and really don't take that worry to God until we are all 'worried out'. Jesus reminds us, "So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:31-34)

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace - not in our own ability or intelligence. It isn't about what we CAN do as much as it is about what God WILL do. We focus on the "I Can't", but God tells us to focus on the "He will". What gives you the greatest angst? Is it a wayward son or daughter? Could it be the state of your loved one's health? Might it be the instability in our economy right now? Whatever it is, you will gain absolutely nothing trying to 'fix' it through all your worrying. If you were to take it to God in prayer, truly leaving it in his hands, maybe the issue that gives you the greatest angst would have a different 'label' in your life. Instead of "I can't", it would bear the title "God can".

Tomorrow has its own worries, but we are constantly 'borrowing from those worries' by bringing them into our today. We keep a 'positive' balance on worries because we want to control what we cannot control. Leave those worries in tomorrow's account, allowing God to deal with today's present issues. He already has a solution you don't see yet. You just need to let him have free access to those things. Pray, and let God worry. Luther was spot on with that one. Pray - lay it all out before him, including the truth that you want to 'control' the scenario. Then trust him to reveal himself strong on your behalf - with a bigger, bolder 'finish' to the scene than you could ever imagine or work out on your own. Remember, when we 'can't', God 'will'. Just sayin!

Impossible, meet your better

“I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Matthew 17:20)

Have you ever tried to move a mountain? I have moved sheds, piles of gravel, stones, and the like, but never a mountain! I have moved wheelbarrows full of dirt, filling flower beds and the like, but never the entire mountain - not even a hill! There is something here Jesus wants us to understand: Faith isn't measured as we measure things. It is measured in the hands of God because only he sees the full potential in that small seed of faith.

What insurmountable thing or looming challenge do you have over your head right now? Are you trusting God with it? Have you given him the 'little faith' you have, trusting him to show you the full potential wrapped up in that 'tiny seed' of faith you bring to him? Trusting God with what we don't understand or have the ability to face alone isn't foolishness - it is the wisest and most 'sane' thing an individual can do!

Faith must be cultivated, but have we stopped to consider it could just be the insurmountable or most challenging things that cause that 'tiny seed' to produce the biggest growth? The 'size' of our faith doesn't determine the 'potential' of our faith. That can be a hard one to swallow sometimes because we imagine ourselves too weak or overwhelmed to face the challenge. The truth is, we probably are, but we don't face that challenge in with our own potential - we face it with HIS!

Remember - it isn't about the 'size' of our faith. Great or small, it is all the same to God. It is about the OBJECT of our faith. If we have faith in only what we can see, understand, or do on our own, we will surely be overwhelmed by the issue at hand. If we have faith in HIM, we are unleashing a power that cannot be contained, limited, or resisted. Just sayin!

A faith wardrobe

Sometimes we make the process more complicated than we need to. We will never make a journey of a thousand miles by fretting about how long it will take or how hard it will be. We make the journey by taking each day step by step and then repeating it again and again until we reach our destination. 

(Joseph B. Wirthlin)

But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ’s life, the fulfillment of God’s original promise. (Galatians 3:25-27)

Journeys all have a destination in mind. We may not clearly know the destination when we set out, but we have a general idea. As we go along this journey with Christ, we have a general idea of being washed, made clean, getting a fresh start, but do we know where that 'fresh start' will take us? Not always! We might imagine it just means we 'do over' what we haven't done so well thus far. It could mean we take a totally different path than we had been on for a long, long time. When God asks for us to take a new path, are we intimidated by those first steps? Probably, but as we take the first one and then the next, it gets easier to take the subsequent ones, doesn't it? What do we do when we prepare for a journey? Don't we prepare what we will wear along the way? As always, Christ doesn't disappoint in that regard either! He prepares a new 'wardrobe' of faith that 'grows with us' as we continue along this journey with him.

Imagine the clothes you wore as a teenager or young person. Are you still able to fit into those clothes? Not many of us are, but even if we are able to 'fit', do they 'fit' our life any longer? Not usually! We get 'new clothes' that 'fit' our present circumstances. If we work construction, we own a hardhat, some dungarees, and maybe a pair of leather work gloves. If we work in healthcare, we own scrubs, solidly good shoes that take us the miles we walk each day, and perhaps a stethoscope. If we are a stay-at-home mom, we likely have clothes that 'fit the day', depending on if we are cleaning the house or going to the grocer to restock the family's food items. As we grow older, comfortable fitting clothes and shoes replace business suits, tight jeans, and high heels! The wardrobe changes as we 'grow' in life. In much the same way, our 'faith' wardrobe grows with us. We learn to 'put on' deeper, well-anchored faith as we discover new things along this journey, don't we?

Faith is an ever-expanding thing. We don't 'put on' the same faith today as we did yesterday, and it is quite likely the faith we start the day out with may require us to 'put on' new faith as we go through the day. Faith is never stagnant, just as the journey is ever changing. We must allow Jesus to 'adapt' our faith wardrobe as the journey evolves. Just sayin!

Let him do his thing

Perhaps one of your new year's resolutions was to worry less and trust God more. If you made that one, you are definitely not alone. It is human nature to worry over things - what to do, where to go, who to see, when it will be done, and on we worry. The more we worry, the less we trust - the more we cast that worry on Jesus, the less it will consume our every thought, plan, and action!

Don’t be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me. (John 14:1)

The 'command' is pretty specific - DON'T BE TROUBLED. I imagine God emphasizing that one to us, so I made it all caps! The troubles of this world are so many and seem to mount with each passing day. It almost seems we barely get past yesterday's troubles before new ones are on the horizon. When our eyes are on the troubles we observe around us, we cannot see the glory God has laid out for us. His watchful eye sees far better than ours ever do, so maybe it is time to do as he says and stop being 'troubled' over this or that.

Trust is a learned thing. We don't just launch into trust and then all is well for a lifetime. We learn to trust as the relationship is built. Did you catch that one? The relationship has to be built. It is not enough to just say 'yes' to Jesus and trust that all will just fall into place in our lives. There are things we must relinquish in order to make this relationship work - things like our selfish pride, damaged emotions, and grudges that have become mountains over the years. We cannot expect peace if we constantly hold onto the things that disturb that peace over and over again.

Little by little, item by item, we share the things with God that give us all this anxiety and sorrow. Little by little, item by item, he takes those things into his care and asks us to trust him with the outcome. That is where the rub comes - it is hard to trust him to take care of what we have had such a hard time letting go of all this time! The moment we let go, we want to take it back! The instruction is clear - let go, stop being troubled by those things, and let him do his thing. Just sayin!

Exchanged birthright

The moment we begin to justify sin in our lives is the moment we need most to turn back to what God says about each of us. We were born to do wrong - sinners even before we left our mother's womb. Born with the 'birthright' to sin. We aren't born without a will, but rather with a will that is oftentimes opposed to the will of our Creator. As we begin to develop, we use that 'will' to get what we want. As I have said in the past, we don't need to be told to be selfish, self-centered, or self-directed. It comes quite naturally to want all the toys, attention, and permission to do whatever we want!

I was born to do wrong, a sinner before I left my mother’s womb. You want me to be completely loyal,
so put true wisdom deep inside of me. Remove my sin and make me pure. Wash me until I am whiter than snow! (Psalm 51:5-7)

If we have this 'birthright' of being born sinners, how do we overcome sin? There has to be an exchange of nature - our nature for the nature of Christ placed deep within our souls, spirits, and hearts. God relishes the moment we realize our need for his grace - for the removal of sin and the desire to be made pure before him. When we cry out for grace, his response is to lavish it - not in limited quantities, but in overwhelming 'quantity'. He is generous in grace - a gift we will never find anywhere else. As our psalmist cries out, he reminds God that he needs God's wisdom, not just in bits and pieces, but in ways that will affect him at the core of his being. Maybe we have been content with bits and pieces of God's wisdom in our lives, but the more we realize our 'bent' toward compromise in our life, the more we will recognize we need more than just dribs and drabs of his grace and wisdom! We need to only ask - he does the washing. We need only to cry out - he fills the void deep within our spirit that was made for him, and him alone.

Complete loyalty is something most of us yearn for in our walk with Jesus. Yet, sadly, we all seem to struggle with this on occasion, don't we? We get our eyes off of him, placing them squarely back on us, what matters to us, what will make us feel good, or what will fulfill some plan we have concocted in our finite minds. Then, when things seem to be failing with those choices, we find ourselves crying out once more. Someone once asked me if I thought God ever got tired of our ups and downs in this faith walk. I know he is disappointed when we fall into sin, giving into temptation in our lives, but his grace is never far away. His love never wanes. His hand never stops reaching. We may not realize the intensity of his love, the faithfulness of his grace, or the depths of his wisdom, but it is there even when we don't realize we need it! We may not realize we need to exchange one 'birthright' for another, but he does and the way has already been prepared for that to happen. We need only ask! Just sayin!

Do you have living faith?

A person’s body that does not have a spirit is dead. It is the same with faith—faith that does nothing is dead! (James 2:26)

Faith is meant to produce something - it isn't just an ethereal thing that we 'have' but never put to use. Faith is meant to have feet and hands - it is meant to be put into action. Democritus once said, "Our sins are more easily remembered than our good deeds." Wouldn't it be wonderful if our good deeds were the things others remembered instead of our sinful actions. It takes only one bad deed to damage a reputation, and it can take thousands of good ones to restore it!

Faith and deeds are interrelated. You cannot separate one from the other. Ephesians reminds us that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, not our 'good deeds', but that living for and in Christ Jesus means that we will produce good deeds. In other words, our life is lived for others, not just ourselves. Prior to welcoming Christ into our lives, we did 'good works' in the hopes we might find our way to right standing with God. After welcoming him into our lives, our attitude toward doing good works actually changes - we do them as an outflow of grace.

Transformational grace has a way of working its way out of us - it turns us away from the 'me, me, me' focus and toward seeing the needs of others. It helps us see beyond the end of our own nose, so to speak. In seeing needs around us, there is an urgency within us to be used in whatever way God desires - allowing the grace resident within us to affect the lives of those around us. These 'works' are not to earn favor with God but are an act of gratitude for all he has already done for us!

As a body without a spirit is dead, so is a 'stated faith' without the evidence of 'grace actions' flowing from it. We might say we are 'Christian', but does our life reflect the transformation of Christ within us? If so, it is natural to see the actions of grace extended beyond our lives - we become the hands and feet of Christ to a hurting, mixed up, and crazy world. Faith without works is dead, but faith isn't accomplished by works. They are an outflow of his work in us. Just sayin!

Over and over again

The one who plants few seeds will have a small harvest. But the one who plants a lot will have a big harvest. Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give. And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

How many 'seeds' have you been given? Does each seed only bear one other seed? Not hardly! Seeds have a way of multiplying when they are planted. God doesn't expect us to keep the seed of faith we have been given, but he asks us to 'plant it' deep within the hearts of those around us. Why? It will grow and be able to produce more seeds of faith that can be passed on to others!

There are many types of 'seeds' God gives us, faith being only one of those seeds. The seed faith that gives from a heart of generosity is also a good thing. We have been called to 'give', not just out of the abundance of what we have received, but sacrificially. That means we don't consider it a burden to give what God prompts us to give - time, talent, or treasure. 

Are you happy to give of yourself to others? Are you happy when you are able to give out of the abundance of your resources to help another in need? Are you happy when your talents are able to be used to bless those around you? If you cannot answer 'yes' to these questions, then maybe it is time to explore what is holding you back from sharing those 'seeds' God has placed in your possession.

There is no 'dictate' to give, but there is to be a desire to give of ourselves because so much has been given to each of us. Seeds aren't meant to be hoarded but planted. They aren't going to multiply otherwise! If you have any doubt about this, just try it! God even challenged the Israelites to bring their offerings to him for his use, 'testing' him in a way, then they saw his tremendous faithfulness to them over and over again. 

We may not think our time could be used as a blessing to another but offer it with sincerity and see how it does! We might not believe our talent can be put to use by anyone else or feel that we have a talent anybody could find a use for, but God gives each of us something unique we can offer. Offer what you have with a genuine heart and see if God doesn't just prove his faithfulness over and over again! Just sayin!

Simply believe

Come, let us bow down and worship him! Let us kneel before the Lord who made us. He is our God, and we are the people he cares for, his sheep that walk by his side. (Psalm 95:6-7)

We have been looking into the life of Noah, a man known for his obedience to God and one who stands out for us as a man of 'great faith'. "Noah was warned by God about things that he could not yet see. But he had faith and respect for God, so he built a large boat to save his family. With his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith." (Hebrews 11:7) We might not feel our faith is all that 'great' at times, but if God asked us to do something kind of 'way out there', would we believe it possible God would guide us throughout the task? If we did believe that way, we'd take the steps toward ultimate obedience into all that God asks of us because we'd be assured of his plans, even when we don't fully understand them.

The building of the ark required faith. The gathering and housing of all those animals took faith. Living with them in the enclosure of the ark took a huge amount of faith. How many times do we hear God asks us to do something, then find all manner of excuses or arguments as to why we aren't the ones to do it, or that it is just too impossible? Noah simply obeyed because of his faith, and he is to be remembered as one who was made right with God through his faith. Remember, Noah was asked to build the ark long before Jesus walked this earth - long before miracle after miracle was performed. He simply believed God existed, that he loved his children on this earth, and that he deserved both our reverence and obedience.

Noah trusted that what God told him what was about to happen would ultimately come to pass. He didn’t need to see proof through miracles, or signs, or wonders. God’s Word to him was enough - in hearing it, he took a step outside of his comfort zone and into the 'unknown' of faith. The things unseen didn't matter - he trusted God with the known and the unknown. Maybe this is our lesson today - to trust God with what we cannot see. In every example of great faith in the scripture, it wasn't the 'stature' of the man that mattered - it was the absolute trust they placed in God's ability to do as he said IN SPITE of their weaknesses, inabilities, or lack of 'knowing all up front'. Just sayin!

Things hoped for

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. (Epicurus)

While we don't always hope for the best things in life, we all have some form of hope that occupies our minds and somehow motivates our internal man just a bit. Hope for the 'right stuff' and you are praised; hope for the 'wrong stuff' and you are criticized. What is the 'right stuff' in life? Is it really 'stuff'? Or is the 'right stuff' really what another delights in providing in our lives? Who is that 'another' I speak of? You already suspected it - Christ! We cannot hope for anything greater than his presence within us, his purpose being worked out through our lives, and his provision sustaining us as we fulfill that purpose.

Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1)

If faith is what 'makes real' the things we hope for, why is it some hope for so much and really don't see the evidence of it in their lives? It could be the thing hoped for is the worst thing for us! We don't always have the purest of hopes, do we? Sometimes we hope for things God knows will bring us nothing more than increased anxiety, overpowering feelings of guilt, or 'debt' of some sort that burdens our minds and souls. Those things might become anchors that weigh us down when all God wants for us is to be free. So, can we hope for a new vehicle? Yes, of course, but it may be that the timing is not correct, the financial burden too great for us right now, as the price we are about to pay will actually come down in just a few short months. God's 'no' to what we hope for is not to hurt us, but to protect us from unwise choices.

Faith is what makes real the things we hope for - proof of what we cannot see. There is no greater hope than for our lives to be renewed - regenerated by the power of the living God within us. There is no greater pursuit than righteousness, but how many other 'hopes' get in the way of that pursuit? What we hope for may actually be good, but the timing may not be correct. God may be working on other things within our character that will prepare us for whatever it is we are hoping for. We have to understand God is in the 'line upon line', 'precept upon precept' business. He does a little here within our character, so that he can impact a little there within our character. All the while, we are hoping for the work to be complete within us, but there are a few more 'lines' that might need development before we can say it is complete! Just sayin!

Embrace faith, not works

I want to belong to him. In Christ I am right with God, but my being right does not come from following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him. All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death. (Philippians 3:9-10)

There is no other way to be 'made right' than through Christ Jesus. There is no other set of rules or 'belief system' we need to follow in order to 'gain righteousness'. With that said, why do we still try to 'be made right'? I observe those who have given their hearts to Jesus trying to 'earn' their way into heaven or some such thing, all through 'righteous actions', family traditions, and deeply rooted traditions of 'the church'. For some reason, Satan has been able to convince many that they need 'more' than Christ in order to be 'made right'. They strive without purpose because all God has purposed has been accomplished in Christ Jesus, therefore all their striving and 'deeply rooted traditions' are nothing more than religion. God asks us to enter into relationship with him and then stop 'striving'. It is time to put down that which we thought would earn anything in God's kingdom and begin to lean into the faith he gives. When all we count on is the faith he provides to be made right with him, we begin to engage in actions that he purposes for us. Those actions aren't done to 'earn', but because there is a genuine interest in seeing others set free from their bondage to sin and made right with Christ. 

The Great Commission wasn't given to the apostles in order for them to 'earn' anything in God's kingdom. In fact, it was to help spread the good news about the way into God's kingdom - a way bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus. The believers were to share the good news and in turn, God would show these sinners the way into his kingdom through the finished work of Christ. “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me. So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Nothing in the commission says we are to show them how to do 'works' in order to be welcomed into God's kingdom. Authority was given to share the good news and 'make followers' - by showing them they can live in 'liberty' in service to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. the 'commission' involved teaching 'obedience' to the Word of God - obedience to God's will.

If we don't realize it, we are living, breathing 'testimonials' of all God has done for us, in us, and ultimately through us. Faith given becomes faith replicated. Obedience taught becomes obedience learned. Do we learn it naturally, or by following some set of rules? No, we learn it by example - the example of Christ, who although divine in all ways took on the form of a man and lived without sin in a very sinful world. We'd do well to study his example, sharing in the grace he gives, and learning at the feet of our heavenly Father. Then we need to share what it is he has taught and what we have learned. Really all the learning we do is because God grants us the ability (through faith) to embrace it. Just sayin!

A blob of faith

You don’t know where the wind blows. And you don’t know how a baby grows in its mother’s womb. In the same way, you don’t know what God will do—and he makes everything happen. (Ecclesiastes 11:5)

We all have those seasons in life when we know stuff is happening, or about to happen, but we really aren't sure what all is about to come our way. We get a little frightened by the stuff we don't understand, try to make some assumptions about what we believe may be happening, and generally get ourselves all out of sorts when stuff gets harder than we'd like. Then along comes God's intervention and all of a sudden, almost without us noticing, things begin to sort themselves out and life gets a little easier. What we missed in all that in-between stage was the peace God wants us to walk in as we go THROUGH those seasons.

Today, we can use 3-D ultrasound to get an almost perfect picture of the baby's features. In the time this passage was recorded for us, a baby was concealed deep within the womb until the time of conception. At the time of birth, what was hidden from view was revealed. God is reminding us that we might not always see what he is doing, but he is at work. He is arranging things, multiplying other things, creating what is to come long before we ever see it revealed in our lives. The 'happenings' are behind the scenes and as with the development of the 3-D ultrasound, we aren't the kind of people content in 'not knowing', so we attempt to finagle our way to resolving things to the way we imagine them to be. 

God makes things happen, even when we don't see him at work. In the good or the bad, he has a mission in mind for each of us. We may not really like all the waiting to 'see what comes', but when we lean into his Word, allowing it to wash over us and bring us comfort, clarity, and consistency in our faith, we will do better in the 'in-between' stages of life. The baby starts out quite unrecognizable as a 'baby' - it is just a 'blob' of tissue coming together until one day features begin to be recognizable. In much the same way, God is at work with a 'blob of faith' within us, forming it this way and that through this event and that, until one day that 'blob' becomes recognizable as a deepening faith in his plan. Just sayin!

Way-Finding Friends

While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:2-5)

I don't know about you, but I want these kinds of friends in my life! I want friends who will 'bare-handedly' remove rooftops for me! I want to know that regardless of my ability or faith, they are right there when I have needs I may not be able to handle on my own or even recognize I have a way to have to have those needs met outside of the 'normal' way of meeting them. How about you? Do you have those kinds of friends? Do they recognize a need in your life even before you recognize it yourself? If you do, you are truly blessed!

The crowd wasn't too much for them - they saw the need of their friend and it would take an army to stop them! They dug a hole in the roof - nothing was stopping their friend from getting in front of the Lord of Lords. We actually don't need namby-pamby, wishy-washy faith friends. We need 'roof removing', 'get 'er done' friends - nothing being too great of an obstacle to get our need before the Lord. One thing I have observed to be true - faith isn't obstacle free. If we want our miracle, we are likely going to have to get past some obstacles in our path.

Seeing their faith - it wasn't the man's faith that Jesus took note of - it was the faith of the four friends. There are times when my faith is nothing to speak of - it wavers just like it does for you on occasion. When it doesn't match the faith needed to 'get 'er done', we'd actually do well to 'lean into' the faith of those God has provided as our spiritual companions in this journey. Why? They aren't affected by the intensity of our need - the intensity that actually paralyzes us and makes it difficult to bring ourselves before God on our own. They find a way where we see no way. 

I want 'way finding' friends. If you don't have those type of friends in your life, isn't it about time you find them? Just askin!

Desperately Determined

She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” (Mark 5:27-28)

There is something 'desperate' about this woman's faith, isn't there? She wasn't afraid of the crowds - even though she would have been deemed 'unclean' because of her disease. She wasn't concerned that her need was too great for the healing touch of her God. She wasn't going to allow her 'weakness' to impact her drive to obtain her healing. She was 'desperately determined'. Some of us need to get this desperate and determined in our pursuit of the things we need God to do in our lives - to 'drive toward' our healing instead of wallowing in our weakness.

If I can but touch his robe...

She didn't even need to talk with Jesus, have him stop and acknowledge her. Her desperation led to her to believe that even though it would be better to behold his face, hear his voice, and 'feel' his touch, she would do whatever it took to get 'just close enough' to receive from him. Sometimes we approach God this way, don't we? We get 'just close enough' to receive, but not 'near enough' to really relish his presence. The thing about God is that he understands this type of faith, but he takes it one step further! Just like Jesus did that day, he turns toward us, asks the pointed questions, and then waits on our response.

Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” (Mark 5:30)

Who touched me? As much as we might want to just be 'healed', Jesus is more concerned that we share in his presence. The woman's desperate faith gave her the drive to press through the crowds, but would it be enough to drive her toward 'come forward' with her need in the midst of what seemed like a humbling situation? Some of us need to be humble enough to acknowledge our need. We could just continue to 'creep up on Jesus' whenever we have a need, but he is much more delighted with our face-to-face encounter with us. If we approach with desperation, driven by hope, why is it so hard for us to just openly acknowledge our need? When we do, miracles happen! Just sayin!

Tried and True

But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from his commands,
but have treasured his words more than daily food. (Job 23:10-12)

There are probably more times when you don't know exactly where your life is headed than there are the times you are 100% certain where everything will work out as planned. The good news is that God knows where we are headed, and he has prepared the path we walk upon. Stay on the path and you will come out the other side of this present journey tried and true.

Following God's ways in the midst of 'not knowing' is harder than it sounds. We want certainty, but God isn't always going to show us the end from the beginning. We just need to stay the course and trust him even when it doesn't seem like 'all is well'. Job didn't have a great perspective from the top of a dung pile, but he remembered to constantly seek God regardless of where life put him!

Is faith tested when all is well in our lives? Not usually. It takes a bit of a challenge to 'test' anything, doesn't it? You fill the inner tube with air and dunk it under water to see if it is 100% sealed. You rev the engine to a certain amount RPMs to see if it will endure the expansion heat and friction causes. Testing involves a certain amount of pressure - the very pressure we may not want or welcome!

Predetermine to stay the course - even when you don't have 100% certainty about what you will encounter along the way. You can know this for sure - God prepares the path, sets the course, and maintains us along the way. We just need to press in, remember what he has said in his Word, and allow it to sustain us as we traverse the 'testing ground of faith'. Just sayin!

Ballsy People

Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.” As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress. (2 Kings 2:9-12)

Have you the faith to ask the difficult things? Some might see Elisha's request as 'ballsy' - maybe even a little 'prideful' since he asked for a 'double portion' of the faith and power Elijah had exhibited while he was alive. Sometimes 'ballsy' individuals put others off - their simple faith and trust in God making them a little uncomfortable. That's okay because 'ballsy' people aren't afraid to ask God for what is needed, when it is needed, for whom it is needed!

Later on, Elisha would stretch himself out on a dead boy and ask God to restore his life. He would petition with all his heart and trust God to do the rest. He would see the cruse of oil in the widow's house multiplied time and time again. He would see hungry people around him and tell the woman offering twenty loaves of bread and a sack of grain to feed all one hundred of them. She'd question the 'sanity' of that request, but there were leftovers to be enjoyed! Ballsy people ask for the impossible because they know God is the one who is able to do what we see as 'impossible' or 'improbable'.

Ballsy people ask not only for 'one share' of faith, but a 'double share'. They aren't afraid to ask God to make them instruments he can use and to give them his 'backing' as they go forth in service to him. As difficult as it may be to imagine God giving greater faith and trust in his power, ballsy people ask! Why? They know their God and they trust him to be there in them, working through them, meeting the needs of a people who need to come to know him, as well. Elisha wasn't intimidated by the impossible - he knew the God of the impossible and trusted him to be there whenever the need arose. How about us? Do we trust God enough to be 'ballsy' in our faith? If not, maybe it is time we ask God for that 'double portion' and see what he will do. Just sayin!

Persist IN

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 

(I Corinthians 13:7)

I don't know who needs this today, but the words that popped in this passage today were 'love never gives up'. There are times when all we want to do is throw in the towel and just call it quits. It could be in a relationship, a job, some adventure you got yourself into, or even a dream that you have always wanted to see fulfilled. Love never gives up - never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures - regardless of the circumstances, our lack of whatever it is we need at the moment, or how hard the pressure seems to be 'in the middle of the muddle' we call life.

Does that mean whenever we want to give up, we need more love in our lives? No, it just means we turn to the one who loves us beyond our understanding of his love. We turn to Jesus and ask him for whatever it is we need at the moment - to continue with purpose, power, and persistence. If God has called you there, he will take you through it until you see his hand in it. If he has placed you there, he will clothe you in his grace to get beyond the present discouragement you feel. If he is drawing you there, it is because he is already there to meet with you.

Be faithful IN the circumstances. Be hopeful FOR the moments to bring greater things. Be consistent and see what God will do THROUGH the circumstances you find yourself in. The truth is that we all doubt when times get a bit harder than we imagined they could be, but we don't have to put our faith in our doubt! We need to take our doubt to God and ask him to change our outlook. In other words, we are asking him to change our perspective so we 'see outside' the circumstances. When we do this, we begin to see Jesus, not the 'hardness' of the moment.

Life doesn't always deal us a 'good hand', but when we press into his love and allow his love to envelop us with his peace and endow us with his power, we will have whatever we need to persist even in the worst of circumstances. Just sayin!

My troubled emotions

Fear is a powerful emotion that some say can actually paralyze you - putting you in total "stall mode" while the world moves on around you.  If you have ever experienced that heart-pounding, sweaty palms, shaky legs kind of fear, you know just how many scenarios run through your head making it almost impossible to exercise clear or rational thought at that moment.  Fear produces an anxiety response physically - it just isn't the emotional upheaval going on inside our heads.  

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. I trust God, so I am not afraid of what people can do to me! I praise God for his promise to me. (Psalm 56:3-4)

Scripture comes complete with stories of men and women in positions of great peril, emotional upheaval, and even life-threatening circumstances of both their own and others doing.  We all struggle with similar emotions and the physical responses which come along with them.  We don't stand as uniquely "different" when it comes to the life-challenges we face.  Most of the world faces similar stuff to us, just in a different sector of the world.  I know what it means to be emotionally and spiritually deprived of those things your life just yearns for.  We can all associate with each other's fears in one way or another, can't we?

Sometimes we need a little "self-talk" to remind us that we are not doing this alone - we have God on our side and we just need a little reminder that he is there alongside us.  David actually used praise to get his mind off the issues at hand and to refocus his attention on the one who would walk him through to the other side of the challenge he faced. Self-talk might involve a little refocusing of our attention off of our own abilities and efforts, squarely focusing on the abilities and efforts of the one who is in control of the circumstances in the first place. The moment we begin to remind ourselves of where it is we have placed our trust, the more we will begin to see the basis of our fears not being well-founded. When we remember God is our foundation, nothing can rock that foundation.  We begin to see that all the fear we have mustered up inside is really not a lack of "nerve" or "chutzpah", but a misplacing of our trust.

The basis of fear is really a lack of trust.  This may seem a bit over-simplified, but the opposite of fear is faith - faith is based solely in trust.  We sit on the stool, believing it will hold us upright because we trust those four legs underneath us to do their "job" or "part".  The stool's legs exist for one purpose - to hold the stool upright.  The seat on that stool exists for one purpose - to hold the weight of the one perched on it.  Faith is placing the weight of our world squarely on the "perch" of the one who has the ability to hold up under that weight.  If we lack the trust in his ability to hold us up under that weight, we never move toward firmly resting in him.  We avoid or try to create a new "stool" upon which we will place our weight (our trust).  If we want to overcome fear, we do so by refocusing our self-talk.  Instead of focusing on why we cannot do whatever it is we need to do, we need to crawl up on the perch of God's rest.  There, and only there, will we find rest for our fear and peace for our troubled emotions.  Just sayin!

A let down isn't always bad

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:1-5)

Stop for a moment to consider the faith of these friends. There is no indication the man had enough faith to do such a thing - although he certainly had the need. These words struck me this morning - "Seeing THEIR faith". It is important to know that THEIR faith got the man where he needed to be in order to receive his healing. Sometimes it isn't our faith that gets us to that place where our need is met - it is the community of friends that we have in Christ Jesus that get us there!

A surgeon doesn't operate alone. He is surrounded by others, all doing their particular tasks. The entire operation requires a team effort, expertly coordinated and perfectly orchestrated. The team makes the difference! We can 'get by' with a lousy team, but when the right team is in place, what a difference that makes. When the right team is in place in your life, the difference is palpable. The 'faith energy' produced when we are surrounded by those who are also close to Jesus energizes us when we are 'running low'.

They dug a hole through some poor guy's rooftop in order to get their friend before Jesus! I can only imagine the moxie that took to coordinate such a plan and actually 'create the opening' that would become the means by which the man received his healing. There are definitely times when we need others with a courageous spirit and determination that won't quit. When we are having doubts, we need their faith. When we are succumbing to the 'difficulties of the moment', we need their perseverance to continue on in spite of it all.

Sin might attempt to keep us flat on our mat, but the faith of good friends and their determination to see us made right again with God may be the thing that propels us forward into the presence of God again. We cannot ignore the need for community - they could provide the 'biggest let down' of our lives. Just sayin!

Tested Faith

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. (James 1:2-3)

How do we fair when things are a little bit too difficult or different from the 'ordinary' in our lives? If there is uncertainty looming, where do we turn? The answer to those two questions can show us a great deal about where it is we place our trust and on whom we 'rely' when the times are a bit challenging. Panic setting in, or a peace that seems to envelop you - which one best and most often describes you? 

When our faith is being tested, it is an opportunity for God to demonstrate his power and grace. If we face difficulties in 'panic mode', we frequently take things into our own hands. In other words, we jump right out of God's arms and attempt to take control of the situation, leaving God somewhere 'back there'. Get out ahead of God's power and you might just find yourself facing some pretty tough stuff without the wherewithal to deal with it!

Some things we should keep in mind:

- Our faith isn't tested because God has it in for us. It is being tested because God wants to strengthen that reliance upon him, not our reliance upon others or ourselves.

- The testing of our faith is an opportunity to grow closer to God than we ever have been before. If we embrace the test, we are likely to discover things about God and ourselves that we really didn't fully grasp prior to the test.

- Our plan may not always work when it comes to facing the hardships of life. The closer we get to Jesus in the times of testing means the less we rely upon our own plans and devices to work through those hardships. 

- Character is most frequently developed in the 'hard places' in life. It seldom comes when we aren't 'stretched' or 'stressed' a bit. Character is the result of a 'tested faith'. To resist the testing is to resist the growth God desires. Just sayin!