I have lots of reminders around my house. I have a paper calendar on the fridge for the future dates, a magnetic one front-and-center for the month, a dry erase marker in the bathroom so that I can post notes on the mirror, and, of course, my mobile secretary i.e. my phone calendar. Often we remember the trivial stuff, but we forget what matters most. Like . . . I forget that God is faithful when life is crashing around me. I forget that God is my Peace when I am freaking out. I forget that God is my Healer when the latest plague is forecasted on the news and I am tempted to break out the Hazmat suits. I forget that God has amazing plans for me when my life feels trivial. So I need to remember to remember God’s power, His Presence, His love for me. As I purpose to remember, my faith rises to meet whatever challenge is before me, and I move ahead in confidence.
Encouraging Words
Faith
I was totally inspired by a story from Matthew 17 the other day. Here’s the rundown: a man came to Jesus and asked Him to deliver his son who was afflicted with a demon. The father said that he had brought the boy to Christ’s disciples, but they couldn’t help. Jesus replied, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?” Then Jesus cast out the demon. Here’s the thing . . .Jesus had given the disciples power to heal, to cast out demons, but their unbelief limited what God could do through them.
We underestimate the importance of faith, don’t we? Hebrews 11:6 says that it’s impossible to please God without it, and the verse specifically goes on to say that God rewards faith. So if faith is the key that unlocks the miraculous, then it’s pretty vital that I learn to really trust God, right? How do we do that? Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” I have discovered in my own life that the more of God’s Word that I read—I mean, really read . . .with my eyes peeled and heart open—the more the impossible seems possible. And Jesus went on to say in Matthew 17, fasting is pretty important, too, when it comes to starving unbelief.
Honestly, I am not interested in living an average Christian life where I go to church a couple of times per week and stay in a bubble. Jesus told us to Go in His authority and change the world, and He promised to go with us. It sounds like a pretty cool adventure to me: partnering with God, using His resources to see lives changed for the Kingdom. That’s the assignment that was given to the disciples and now to us. I don’t want to be a “faithless and perverse generation” that is unable to complete our mission. Nope, let’s read God’s Word, listen to the Voice of Holy Spirit, and see breakthrough in the lives of those around us.
Happy 2018
Happy 2018! I tell you, last year was a really interesting one. Have you ever felt like you were living in a pressure cooker? Yep, that sums up part of 2017 for me. I knew that God was doing new things in me, and I was DETERMINED to not flake out and miss His best, but it can be difficult to walk in peace when your life is careening out of your control.
In the middle of last year, a prophecy was spoken over me that said, “Buckle up!” in a nutshell because things were about to get a little crazy. You would think I would settle back and take the bumpy road in stride, but, well, that just didn’t happen. I paced and fretted at times, but as days turned to months, I did notice that my faith was being refined, and every day my vice grip on Jeanine’s agenda loosened a bit.
Now as we enter the new year, I am emerging from the chrysalis with a new resolution to walk in His way and at His pace. Matthew 6 tells us to take no thought for tomorrow, so I am endeavoring to be fully present in this moment and leave the future in the future. Life is good; God is better, and my hopes are high for 2018!