Friday, January 09, 2009

Faith, Favor, and the Father’s Love

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. — Isaiah 54:10

This is my memory verse for this week. The Breaking Free study has been focusing on God’s love for us and how not believing in His love is actually a sin. I don’t think I’ve ever thought of it that way before, but I can see how God might consider it a sin—especially after all He has done for us! Now that I think about it, there are probably many things I don’t yet realize are sins in God’s eyes. Lord, thank you for revealing these things to me in Your perfect timing and way.

As I was reading the Word today and letting it soak into my spirit, I began to sense what it might feel like to have the kind of faith and trust in the Lord that He truly desires for us. I got this picture in my head of Tom and me surrounded by a glowing bubble or shield of light—our faith, trust, and belief forming that protective covering. As we walked forward, it cut through the darkness and shielded us from whatever the enemy tried to throw at us—the fiery darts! Then I remembered how many times Jesus said, “Just believe” and “Have faith.”

“Without faith it is impossible to please God…” — Hebrews 11:6

I’m beginning to see that it’s our faith, belief, and trust in Him that ignite the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives! Wow, Lord. Help me grasp this more and more, and to walk in faith, trust, and belief in You.

I had lunch with KM today and was sharing all the little things God has done for me throughout the week—and that’s when I realized that every single day this week, God has revealed Himself to me in small, special ways.

• Monday: I bought a $14.00 Pyrex set for $9.29 due to Target’s mislabeling.

• Tuesday: H’s parents blessed me with gifts and cash.

• Wednesday: I took A to the $1.50 theater and a little girl at the movie gave A a quarter to play a game and even gave her three toys from the gumball machine! Later that day, I found a perfect birthday gift for W at Bed, Bath & Beyond, and the cashier surprised me with a coupon discount.

• Thursday: After W’s birthday dinner at IHOP, an older gentleman (with a front plate that said “I love Jesus”) gave W and A each a stuffed toy out of his van!

• Friday (today): KM took me to Sam’s Club on her membership, and we split several packages of meat—saving us both money.

Wow, Lord, You are so awesome!

Another thing God is teaching me is to truly believe in His healing—for both Tom and me. This morning, a sharp pain shot through my thumb (my “trigger thumb” issue), and the thought came, “If it’s this bad now, how bad will it be when I’m in my fifties or sixties?” Then the Holy Spirit interrupted: “Are you going to let the enemy convince you of that?”

I realized I had just let my thoughts slide into agreement with fear. So I spoke out loud, declaring that God is my healer and rebuking that old way of thinking. The hardest part about healing is that even though I know He can and will, I don’t always know if, when, where, or how He will choose to do it. He may even decide that “His grace is sufficient for me.” Ultimately, I need to believe in a sovereign, loving, and perfect God and let Him take care of the rest. Again—it comes back to faith and trust.

Tonight at S and S’s, we talked about how God brings things into our lives for a season and then moves us into the next one. Sometimes we want to hang onto those things longer than we should, thinking that since God brought them, He must want us to keep them forever.

I shared with KM about the Spirit of Prophecy emails I used to receive. When we were still in our Fuquay house, going through a difficult time, God used those messages to strengthen and encourage us. But after that season passed, the emails no longer spoke to me the same way. Tom began to feel they were a bit like horoscopes—too general, and strange that someone could get a “prophecy” every day. I also sensed the Lord nudging me to look directly to Him for encouragement, so I unsubscribed.

As I was sharing that story with KM, the word “pacifier” came to mind. I pictured a child who needs a pacifier for comfort for a time, but as they grow, they no longer need it. That’s exactly what the Lord was showing me about those emails. They were a “pacifier” during that season—a tool to bring comfort, strength, and encouragement—but as I’ve grown in my walk with Him, He wants me to rely solely on His voice.

I believe there will be many such things in my life—tools or seasons that God uses for a time and then moves me beyond. Lord, help me to always move forward in growth, never getting stuck or too comfortable where I am.

Holy Spirit, I pray that YOU will be my teacher and counselor, and that I will not look to anything or anyone other than You. In Jesus’ name, amen.