This is not the blog “I” expected to post today. Instead, I’m convinced it is the sharing “God” wants offered. it’s been one of those weeks where God takes all power and decisions out of my hands and, as needed, nudges me (more accurately, pulls and kicks me!!) to the path He desires me to blaze.
Honestly, I can almost hear God’s “uh hum”at this very moment. Shamefully, I have to admit, God had to work hard to pound His message into me this week. How did God secure His way over mine? Let me just say, the handwritten draft of my chosen blog for this week, as well as my computer, is 321 miles away and, therefore, completely out of my hands to either proof read or post.
It all began midweek when I texted Jane, a very dear friend who for many of my career years was not only my right hand but,also, my pointer finger to God’s will and way. My text to this earthly angel said, “unfortunately, the only way to confirm we have faith is to have it tested. However, not an easy thing to have happen.”
It’s true. The only way we can absolutely know our faith is genuine is to go through difficult, devastating and, sometimes, physically defeating trials and refuse to give up on God carrying us through and, ultimately, using all dire moments for good — ours, others and His. We solely confirm our faith is real when it is “soul”y all we have left to cling to; but grasping its source (God) is the lifeline to which we holdfast to survive today while hoping to thrive tomorrow.
Whenever we face a challenge, the devil likes to divert our focus from our faith to our fears. This is a pretty easy way for Satan to take us out of God’s hands and catch us in his snare. At our hardest moments, when we most doubt our strength to endure, is when we most need to look to faith for our answer, not our questions. Struggles certify our faith when we realize faith has to be blind to be real. Spiritual insight, not physical sight, is the substance of faith. When we firmly rely on faith, maybe, we can’t see how things are going to proceed; but we clearly perceive God will never recede from caring and carrying us.
Bottom line, are not our trials and tribulations the beginning of possessing a life of faith? Not that I wish myself, or anyone else, a life of storms; but no greater time than in the midst of a storm can a vessel (be it a ship or a child of God) rely on and prove the life saving, steadfast power of its anchor. As Christians, our anchor is God; and the rope by which we are attached to God, our anchor, is faith.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 