Do You Believe?

What does it take for you to believe?

I have been walking with Jesus for a long time so it's hard to remember what caused me to first draw near to Him. I remember desiring to do the right things. I remember wanting to know more about Him. I was a young teen when I made my decision to follow Him; I realized I could never be good enough to go to Heaven on my own. I needed Jesus. My epiphany came in the normal course of my daily activities; I remember sitting at the kitchen table listening to my mom explain about her finding the Savior. It made perfect sense for me to believe too. It was the missing piece. That’s when I chose to believe and follow Him.

In our Christmas story in Luke chapter two, there were two people given a chance to believe. Both were visited by the Angel Gabriel. Both were given pretty shocking news. Their stories are similar yet the results were very different. Zacharias was struck mute for his unbelief until he wrote on the tablet nine months later, His name is John, after the miraculous birth of a son in his old age. Mary was called blessed by her cousin, Elizabeth because she believed what the angel told her.

In reading this account I have been struck by belief and unbelief, two choices that I have every day. Will I believe God or not? I want to choose to believe God for whatever He says, in His word and in His promises. This is easier said than done when faced with impossible odds or the murmurs of doubt that always manage to crowd my thoughts. I struggle in the same way that people in the Bible struggled. I wonder if I am more like Zacharias or Mary in my responses.

As 2011 begins to unfold, my word to contemplate is BELIEVE. Because, believing isn’t finished just because I know Jesus. Believing is something I need to do every day while I walk with Him.

Believing requires faith and trust—in something. I have to believe in things every day. I believe when I board a plane I will make it to my destination safely. I trust the pilot. I trust that the mechanics inspected the aircraft before takeoff. I believe that my car will start when I leave for work in the morning. I believe when I cross over a bridge it will not collapse. I trust these things without even thinking about them. So, the question is, do I believe God? Do I trust that He is able to accomplish everything He says He can do?

I find that it is sometimes easier to believe God for the big things. I believe I am going to heaven because Scripture says if I am trusting in Christ for my salvation, because of what He accomplished on the cross, His grace is all I need. I trust that I will have a job to go to. I believe that God is working in the lives of those I love....you get the idea. But, sometimes it is harder to believe for the smaller everyday things--the things that are in my face. Somehow I think those are my responsibility.

So I have begun to read verses about believing every day and will pass along what I learn. I hope you will come along with me…there is so much He wants to do in us and through us. But, like Mary and Zacharias, we have a choice; we need to start by believing.

Will you believe with me? He is able because nothing is impossible with Him.

Jeanne

Does Tomorrow Worry You?

The last few years I've become more aware of the fleetingness of life. My dad went to be with the Lord in July after four years of physical struggle. When he suffered his stroke during his open heart surgery, the lasting effects raised havoc every day. He needed every ounce of mental and physical energy for each step, every trip to the car, and every physical therapy visit. Every motion needed to walk, eat, get out of bed, use the facilities, or take a shower, required more energy than he possessed. 

Then God took him home.

Some may wonder, was it worth the effort? I'm not sure how my dad would answer but I can tell you that the last four years of his life were a gift to us. During that time we came to know a whole different side of him. We became acquainted with the parts of him that were buried under the weight of life's sorrow and hurt. We saw laughter that had been muffled, joy that hid under sorrow, gentleness and tears that had been stifled under a hard shell. Yes, we see those years as a gift.

So, I am more aware that there is no promise for tomorrow—other than God promises to be there with me. I don't know what I'll face—sickness, accident, death, sorrow, unemployment, financial worries...the possibilities are endless. Yet, in the midst of whatever I face God says, “I will be with you.”

As we begin the Advent season, the coming of Christ as a baby and as the Savior we will look at the words that Mary heard at the Angel's visit. In Luke chapter one, we read the story leading up to the birth of Christ. The angel Gabriel visits Mary, a teenage girl in the town of Nazareth and says, “The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)

Whatever we face today. Whatever we might fear for tomorrow, these words apply to us too.

Today and in whatever tomorrow brings....He is with you!

Till next time and as we prepare our hearts to make room for Him,

(For the next few weeks we will take a look at the Angel's words to Mary and how they apply to our lives today)

Jeanne