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Archive for FaithLift
Strong Enough
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Life’s circumstances seem to stretch our spiritual muscles to a point that they’re either severely fatigued or painfully torn. We find ourselves realizing that we simply do not have the strength to go on. Taking just even one more step of faith seems impossible. And it’s there, in our helplessness and hopelessness, that we find the answer to our problem . . . we need God:
“What is impossible for people is possible with God.” Luke 18:27 NLT
In our fight of faith, we miss the point. God never asks us to walk in our own strength, but in His. He is all we need.
“The weakness of God is greater than man’s strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV
We’re not strong enough to win this fight of faith, but He is. And He never expects us to work miracles—that’s His job. Our only responsibility is to stand firm in our faith . . . and that happens in three ways: Read More→
The Abundant Life
Posted by: | CommentsYou don’t realize it, but your life’s most dire prayers could be summed up in one phrase: “Where’s my John 10:10?” Jesus promised it, we trust Him, but our believing isn’t bringing about seeing. We know we should have it, but we don’t. Where’s our “abundant life?”
“I came that they might have and enjoy life,
and have it in abundance
(to the full, till it overflows).”
John 10:10 (AMP)
Shut Up to Faith
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You need to know something as you face the struggles of each day—God has not abandoned you. You may feel like He’s shut you out, but what He’s really done is “shut you up.” In your moments of utter helplessness, it’s the hard places in life that threaten to destroy your faith which are used by God to strengthen it. You want a way out . . . He’s making a way through. You crave comfort and He brings you to the Cross. You know the place:
There is sickness, but no healing.
You’re faithful, but others betray you.
You hope, but all hope seems gone.
You give to God and others, but you lose everything.
You love, but find hatred greeting you at every corner.
You’re afflicted in every way, but there’s no deliverance.
You call out to God, but there is no answer.
Though we’re tempted to believe that God has abandoned us, nothing could be further from the Truth. We’ve declared that He’s destroyed our faith, but what He’s really done is “shut us up” to our faith, He’s brought us to the Cross . . . where all hope seems gone, but Redemption is sure. It’s the place where God’s greatest works are done. Though our faith seems crucified, God’s merely working out His plan. He’s working within us, dissolving our doubts and whittling down our worry. He’s “shutting us up,” until all we can do is “look up.”
“But before faith came,
we were kept in custody . . . , being “shut up” to the faith
which was later to be revealed.”
Galatians 3:23 (NASB)
Faith that Stands
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s not easy to “Be still and know that God is God.” God calls upon us to trust that He’s in control, but it’s difficult, at best, when life is raging out of control. When we’re “being still,” we assume that means doing nothing. But nothing could be farther from the Truth. Though waiting patiently for God, in stillness, is probably the most difficult thing about our walk of faith, it is also the most critical part of it.
We can’t be tempted to panic when God isn’t showing up when we think He should. And we can’t allow ourselves to despair when He doesn’t do what we thought He would. God’s ways are higher, and they’re also better (see Isaiah 55:8-8). Yet, it takes a journey of faith with God to even begin to believe that Truth. These times of uncertainty are opportunities for God to reveal himself to you to a greater degree and grow your faith in ways that you can’t imagine. God is continually searching the earth for people who will trust Him through every crisis and cling to Him alone in every hopeless situation. Though it’s hard for us to come to grips with, God himself is often the One who leads us into, or allows us to face situations that are beyond our control. The situations are often frightening and overwhelming, to say the least. But, God does so in order to grow our faith—He leads us into these situations to see if we have a faith that stands and trusts in Him completely. In our moments of despair, it’s through His still small voice that we hear Him shouting through our megaphone of pain: Read More→
Walking with God
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s a New Year. It’s a time of new beginnings. Just like the dawn reminds us that God’s mercy, loving-kindness, and compassions never fail and are fresh every morning . . . a New Year prompts our spirit to “begin” again. It’s a time of renewal—letting go of the past, cherishing the present, and grasping hold of the future, as God reveals it.
Long ago, “In the beginning,” Adam and Eve had a “fresh” start, and although we all are thoroughly familiar with the story, the most important part of their “beginning” is that they “walked with God.”
“They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden . . .”
(Genesis 3:8 NASB)
When God Shows Up
Posted by: | CommentsThere seems to be a begging question throughout history, “When will God show up?” As time passes, and God seems nowhere to be found, a second question trumps the first, “Will God show up?”
Chances are . . . you’re asking these same questions in your own life. You’re struggling between faith and doubt and doubt seems to be winning out. You have justifying faith—you’ve accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. You have sanctifying faith—you’re a new creation in Christ through your continual surrender and God is at work in your life. Ahhhh, but then there’s living faith . . . and that is the kind of faith that doesn’t require any faith at all . . . it is the blessed assurance that God has already shown up . . . that His Promises are prophecy in your life. It’s when faith transforms into sight and faith is no longer needed. It’s the inner conviction that God’s Promises are true, He is faithful, and He is with you always. (Matthew 28:20) Rarely do we walk in a living faith; we depend upon what we see far too much. And our sight keeps us stuck, right where we are, until we choose to step forward into the unknown . . . trusting God in the face of impossibilities.
We’re waiting for God to show up, yet He’s always there . . . waiting for our faith to acknowledge His presence. The problem is we fail to recognize Him, so we keep looking, keep waiting, keep watching, and keep doubting. We walk by sight. Read More→
Just Don’t Move
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Have you ever felt like you were trusting God with everything you are . . . only to find yourself consumed with overwhelming circumstances in life that seem to point to the idea that God just simply can’t be trusted? He seems to be able to keep the universe in motion. He appears to be able to handle the “big stuff.” But He must be too busy to deal with the “details” of your life. You’ve declared your faith in Him, you’ve poured out your soul in surrender to Him as Lord of your life, you’re committed to following in His footsteps, yet you find yourself in the middle of Red Seas, encroaching enemies, and desert conditions where it’s unlikely that anyone could survive. Where is God then? Where is He when your world is crumbling down around you . . . when despair is pulling you under, and impossibilities surround you? In times like these, God is right where He has been all along . . . with you ALWAYS. You might not hear it over the crashing waves, the shouts of fear within your soul, or the sounding alarms of your pain, but God is speaking to you in the midst of it all, and His words could not be more clear, “Just don’t move.”The Truth About Troubles
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On the surface, our troubles seem like nothing more than God’s failure to uphold His Promises to us. Our faith quickly loses its luster when it is tarnished by the circumstances of our lives. We begin to question whether or not God cares, only to find ourselves deeply considering the possibility that He’s not even there. Troubles do that to us . . . they shake our faith like nothing can. But troubles accomplish many other things as well. And that’s why God allows them. His ways are so much higher . . . and His vision is reflected through His Promises. He gives us glimpses of what it looks like to look through His eyes. All we must do is to seek Him and we will find Him. And when we find Him, He pulls us close, embraces us with His grace, and reveals the “truth about our troubles.”
“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT)
Our troubles may not seem small at all. Read More→
Enough IS Enough
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You may be spending a little more time with God these days than you ever expected you’d have to. Desperation seems to do that . . . draw you near to God. When we’re down, with nowhere to look but up, we find God’s Word to be true: “all things work together for good for those who love Him.” (Romans 8:28) We come to grasp that “ALL things” includes those things that contribute to our temporary despair.
In His presence, you may find peace, but more often you’ll feel desolate in an endless desert of unanswered questions. At times, your burdens will seem to only get heavier at His throne, not lighter. You will find yourself feeling severely dehydrated, when you’re sure that God promised you would never thirst. (John 4:14) And while you’re drowning in despair, God’s only reply to you after pouring out your heart and soul in anguish may be, “Trust me, My grace is sufficient for you . . . it is enough.” When we’ve had it with life and we’re shouting at the heavens, “Enough is enough!” . . . God’s voice pierces our soul: “Exactly! I give you My grace which is “enough” . . . it’s all you need. Enough IS Enough!” (Frustrated, we realize that we’re obviously having a communication problem with heaven . . the clouds must be getting in the way!) Read More→
Down But Not Out
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Did you hear that even the devil has felt the reality of our economic crisis and decided to have a garage sale? They say that Demons came from the deepest pits to bid on the tools of hell. At one table anger was selling cheap – so common, so plain, and so effective. Greed brought a big price and pride drove bids to unheard of levels. Multiple copies of the jealousy tool were hot items. Lust, as always, was bargain basement.
The shrewdest demon in hell took Satan aside and said, “Tell me, your lowness, what is your best tool?” Satan nodded to a steel box in the corner, “it’s over there, but it’s not for sale.” The demon tried every crafty dodge in hell to get Satan to sell, but he wouldn’t budge. The shrewd demon wandered over to the box that held Satan’s prime weapon. Carefully, he slipped the latches and raised to top… not a very impressive tool; small really, but the demon did not doubt its potency. He turned the cold little instrument over to read the label, and then he understood. The label simply read: Discouragement. (originally authored by William R. Rathvon) Read More→
