Seasons

I recently read something written by Beth Moore that said "God places a huge premium on living, breathing faith.  In fact, the more you search the Scriptures, the more you discover that nothing is more important to God than our faith.  But God is not the only one who puts a high priority on this issue of our faith.  Satan also has no greater focus in a single one of our lives.  Though he is no match for God, he is powerful and dangerous foe of believing man and woman.  They both know faith works, we need to know it too."

What is faith?  According to dictionary.com it is confidence or trust in a person or thing.  How much do we trust God?  In our relationships, with our children, with our finances, with our health?  It's much easier to sit in a room full of believers praising and worshiping and saying how much faith we have than to put it into action during times of trial.

Last night I was thinking about how often we view our circumstances as measure of our favor with God.  If my life is going well and is relatively pain free it is easy for me and others to say God is good, He is providing and caring for us.  But when chaos strikes we start to question His presence or His goodness.  I think we would all agree that Jesus was in favor with God.  But stop and consider the account of His baptism.  In Matthew 3 we are told that Jesus goes to John the Baptist to be baptized and at the moment He came up out of the water heaven was opened and He saw the Spirit of the God descending like a dove and settling on Him while a voice from heaven said "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased."

Do you know what happens immediately after that?  Jesus is lead by the Spirit to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  Scripture tells us that Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and nights and the first thing Satan says if you are really the Son of God turn these stones to bread.  I would imagine that the thought of bread after 40 days of nothing was really tempting to Jesus.  I can hear Satan now...Is this how God treats those He loves and is well pleased with, He sends them into the wilderness with no food...shouldn't He be throwing you a banquet beloved Son?  Well Satan goes on and tempts Jesus further finally offering Him a way to escape the cross if He just bowed down for a moment to Satan.  Jesus was hungry, tired and the idea of the cross had to be frighting.  But He is faithful and true to His calling.  His faith says that despite the current circumstance greater things are coming.

Has that ever happened in your life?  You faithfully serve God and then the notice comes that your job has been eliminated, your child has terminal cancer, your spouse doesn't love you anymore, your friends abandoned you?  Faith is much harder to live out in those situations than when we are coming up out of the baptismal waters.  When we are coming out of a great season of walking close with God, Satan knows that it is time to attack and plant those seeds of doubt.  Is this really what God does to those He loves?  Does He allow them to go into the wilderness of cancer or financial crisis or loneliness?  He will refine you in the wilderness if you allow Him to. 

Next time you find yourself in a wilderness remember that God hasn't moved, He is right where He has always been.  It's one thing to know He is God, it is another to live like He is God.  Where have you placed your faith?  

He is faithful

A few years ago Andy and I went through Dave Ramsey's Financial class and have worked very hard at becoming debt free.  We felt like God was calling us to things but we had some debt that was holding us back.

At the time we had just recently purchased a brand new 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan (which I loved by the way).  The payments weren't high, we weren't behind on them and they weren't killing us each month but we felt like God said very clearly, car payments aren't wise.  So we went to some dealer's to see if we could get out of the payment.  Not going to happen they told us.  Frustrated we came home and after a week of praying decided that if God wanted us to get rid of our van he would sell it.  We listed it on Craigslist that night with an asking price that would pay off our loan and leave us enough to go pay cash for another vehicle.  The next morning I got an email from a lady wanting to come that afternoon and see it.  Two days later she bought it for our asking price.  God sold my van!

Here we are a little over 2 years later and we haven't had a car payment since and never plan to again.  We have been able to live debt free and it is amazing.  We are now feeling like God is saying you know that mortgage, let's get rid of it.  I guess I always thought that a 30 year mortgage is something everyone has to have.  That you buy your home and 30 years later you pay it off, if you don't end up refinancing and borrowing against your equity at some point.  

Well in order for us to chip away at our mortgage it would require either Andy or I to take a part time job.  We both applied at various places and hadn't heard much until a few weeks ago.  I got a phone call from the Home Sweet Home Mission asking if I would be interested in interviewing for their part time Residential Associate position.  I was ecstatic and nervous all at the same time.  This is my dream job and yet I have not worked in over 8 years.  To say the least I am slightly out of shape in the work force realm.  I came home feeling like the interview went well and it must have because they called and offered me the job which I gladly accepted.  

The crazy apart about this is that this job is not only an answer to financial prayer but also to a heart prayer.  Prior to feeling like God was calling me to be a stay at home mom I was going to school to be a social worker.  I have always had a heart and passion for people.   I was devastated when that door was closed.  Well like so many other things that I don't know God has shown me that He didn't completely close that door, it just looks different than what my plan was.

Isaiah 55:8-9 comes to mind..."My thoughts are not like your thoughts.  And your ways are not like my ways," announces the Lord.  "The heavens are higher than the earth.  And my ways are higher than your ways.  My thoughts are higher than your thoughts."  I mean how many times are we sure we know what is best.  We are created in His image, we are not created as Him.  What kind of a God would He be if He thought like you and me?  My life works best when I place it in His hands and allow Him to use me as He desires.  It gets messed up when I inject what I think would work best.

So as I go to work tonight I'm going in with the mindset that this is right where He wants me and He has thoughts and ways that are so far above mine and for good reason, He alone is God.  It doesn't mean that His way is always what I would consider easy or pleasurable but I know it is for good for He promised me that in Jeremiah 29:11-14.  "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”