All in Faith/Trust
A well-crafted phrase intrigues me. It also helps me think new thoughts. Here’s one from a new-to-me resource, The Love of God, a small book from the Oswald Chambers Library:
“Watch the circumstances of life. We get them fairly well mixed, and if we are getting fairly well more than enough of one kind, let us thank God for it. It is producing the particular grace God wants us to manifest.” *
Walking through fields of beautiful flowers… amazing!
I don’t have to know much about gardening to enjoy it… thankfully.
I know that if mixed correctly, flowering plants, dirt, sun, water, time… out comes beautiful flowers!
God does the growing!
I don’t have to know all the details of how… I can just be amazed by the results.
Are these new verses to you? Not likely. Many of us have these verses memorized, and we even classify these as all-time favorites. These words are truth, but it is difficult for us to really live them out.
As a young wife and mother, I thought I had the perfect blueprint for our family. My intention was to have two children. No more. Within a few years we had two wonderful little boys. When I learned that I was expecting baby number three, I was extremely upset.
Deborah, servant of God, prophet, judge, wife, sat under a tree to settle disputes for the Israelites. The Bible mentions she “led” Israel.
Hebrews 11, often referred to as the “Faith Chapter,” mentions by name people who chose to display strong faith in God. Interestingly enough the stories of some of the faithful mentioned there came from the book of Judges found in the Old Testament. These people lived years and years before the writing of the book of Hebrews, but God had the writer include their names. God commended them for their faith.
If you read through Psalms 77, you will find that the psalmist was in a tough spot, in deep distress. He opened his heart to the Lord, and he was honest about how he was feeling. Then he turned his attention to what the Lord had done. He remembered God’s goodness and His mercy.
This verse is so comforting to us. We know that our God is good, and He works all things for our good. BUT . . . we also must remember that our good may include struggles and pain. Our good may be walking through that tough thing.
Have you ever had a season in your life in which a character quality of the Lord continues to come to mind? God keeps reminding me of His faithfulness these days. Maybe it’s because I am in a season of transitions. My oldest child is transitioning into adulthood, making decisions about life and future as she navigates college. My 16-year-old is now driving, transitioning into a more independent teen. My home church is even in transition to a new pastor. But God is faithful. In all things. He is faithful.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes it is hard for me to keep believing. I pray and believe, but then I look at what I can see around me. My faith falters. My fears escalate. Doubt creeps in.
Are you lonely?
In this crazy world filled with so many people, I can feel so lonely…
Do you like to please people?
Most of us do… it just seems right somehow.
What about pleasing God? I want to… but look at this truth…
If God promises, it is so—isn’t that correct ladies? Seems Gideon was having a hard time believing that: “But Lord…how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Mannasseh, and I am the weakest in my family” (Judges 6:15). But Gideon, “I will be with you!” (6:16), said God back. What more could Gideon ask for? Well, lots as it turned out. How about a sign or two or three, God?
Teenage girls recently gathered for a country photo shoot at my parent’s ranch. Round hay bales provided one of many perfect photo ops. I couldn’t help laughing at their attempts to actually get on top of the bales. I repeatedly shouted, “You can do it!” Their eventual conquests became the high point of the outing!
I survived a short, but nonetheless combative parenting phase when all four kids were teenagers. The description “battle-weary mom” fit perfectly.
My grandmother’s false teeth clicked as she read The Little Engine Who Could*. The accomplishment of that little engine cresting the top of the hill provided my first lesson on the power of positive thinking.
I’ve often leaned into the phrase “joy comes in the morning” as I tuck myself in bed, burdened by the day’s events. I trust the truth, yet I have never considered its source.
Hundreds of students stroll past the iconic University of Texas Tower. I imagine, however, that few notice the words engraved across the front of the tower, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” Students who do actually read it may assume the truth lies in the books or classes housed within. Ironically, the words actually came from Jesus speaking to a group of Jews who believed in Him as their promised Messiah (John 8:32). The designer of the Texas Tower seems to have made the error of taking that statement out of context. Since similar biblical phrases frequently appear in art or in graphics, over the next few devotionals, I decided to investigate how their context might alter the way I understood them.
A friend of mine gave me a beautiful lily potted plant during a Bible study. Afterwards I put it in the car and proceeded to go out to lunch and to two other meetings.
I wrote before about my small dog, Buddy, that was attacked by another dog. This happened on a Sunday morning shortly before we were to leave for church. My husband, John, was walking our dog down the street. A big, muscular dog grabbed our dog in his mouth, shook him fiercely from side to side and finally dropped him. In all of this, the stray dog’s teeth sank into John’s hand, leaving behind several puncture wounds.
