Beth Moore states so eloquently in her book Breaking Free that "trusting an invisible God doesn't come naturally to any believer. A trust relationship grows only by stepping out in faith and making the choice to trust. The ability to believe God develops most often through pure experience."
The other night as I was tucking our toddler in for the night, our middle child who is now swiftly approaching thirteen came into the room and asked me to come see her when I had an opportunity. When I stepped into her room, I noticed that she was all settled in for the night as well. I sat on the edge of her bed. She began reaching out to me verbally for answers to tough questions. "Mom, I'm struggling with understanding how God was always around even before creation. How, Mom, are we going to live FOREVER?" A smile crossed my lips as I began to value the beautiful young lady growing in faith before my eyes. She's a thinker... make that a creative thinker. She also takes everything literally and often times will "over think" many situations. Understanding a request made of her is very important.
Hebrews 11:1 immediately came to mind. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I posed the question, "What is evidence?" Her response was most assuredly "proof". "So, your faith is all of the proof that you need to know that God exists, that His Word is truth, that what He says He will do." The conversation went a bit further and ended with a good night kiss and a snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug tuck of her sheets. As I closed the door of her room, I was hoping that I had helped her close the door a bit further on her questions.
Haven't I been there so many times? I too overthink and need understanding in many uncertain situations. I challenge the unknown all too often. ( Like mother, like daughter. :) ) I must admit that I am walking out my faith at this exact moment in time. Doubt comes so easily when circumstances are not just as orderly and neat as I dare hope. Even more so does unbelief and questioning arise when someone else seems to be holding the wheel of my car. Sometimes, I just want to scream, "STOP DRIVING MY CAR!" Though a figurative image arises, it is still my exact feeling. Though I struggle, the reassuring thought that even when others are seemingly in charge of how situations can play out, God is even more in charge of them.
Isaiah 43:10 says, "He chose us specifically so that we may know and believe Him and understand who He is." "Believe" here is "to be firm, to be enduring, to trust." All too often our belief and trust in His promises are a choice. Pick one... trust or distrust, belief or unbelief. Eenie, meenie, miny, moe... I, for one, irrevocably say, "I choose to believe."
The other night as I was tucking our toddler in for the night, our middle child who is now swiftly approaching thirteen came into the room and asked me to come see her when I had an opportunity. When I stepped into her room, I noticed that she was all settled in for the night as well. I sat on the edge of her bed. She began reaching out to me verbally for answers to tough questions. "Mom, I'm struggling with understanding how God was always around even before creation. How, Mom, are we going to live FOREVER?" A smile crossed my lips as I began to value the beautiful young lady growing in faith before my eyes. She's a thinker... make that a creative thinker. She also takes everything literally and often times will "over think" many situations. Understanding a request made of her is very important.
Hebrews 11:1 immediately came to mind. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I posed the question, "What is evidence?" Her response was most assuredly "proof". "So, your faith is all of the proof that you need to know that God exists, that His Word is truth, that what He says He will do." The conversation went a bit further and ended with a good night kiss and a snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug tuck of her sheets. As I closed the door of her room, I was hoping that I had helped her close the door a bit further on her questions.
Haven't I been there so many times? I too overthink and need understanding in many uncertain situations. I challenge the unknown all too often. ( Like mother, like daughter. :) ) I must admit that I am walking out my faith at this exact moment in time. Doubt comes so easily when circumstances are not just as orderly and neat as I dare hope. Even more so does unbelief and questioning arise when someone else seems to be holding the wheel of my car. Sometimes, I just want to scream, "STOP DRIVING MY CAR!" Though a figurative image arises, it is still my exact feeling. Though I struggle, the reassuring thought that even when others are seemingly in charge of how situations can play out, God is even more in charge of them.
Isaiah 43:10 says, "He chose us specifically so that we may know and believe Him and understand who He is." "Believe" here is "to be firm, to be enduring, to trust." All too often our belief and trust in His promises are a choice. Pick one... trust or distrust, belief or unbelief. Eenie, meenie, miny, moe... I, for one, irrevocably say, "I choose to believe."
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