A beautiful Sunday! I spent time outdoors today, pruning my lavender and sage, neatening up my oregano and chive plants. Then, John and I had maple iced coffee in the sunshine. A perfect day. If only life could be this lovely all the time :)
A reader mentioned that many would understand the struggle to believe and that I needed to offer the hope I found on the other side...so this blog is dedicated to that end...And, I hope that others will offer their experiences of finding God in the midst of their crisis of belief.....afterall, that's how we encourage one another on the journey.
As I think more about belief. I want to pass on hope to those who have struggled with believing at times (and we all do). Whether it is taking the first step of believing unto salvation or the daily need to believe when facing the things life throws at us; believing that He is able is something we get better at as we meet the God who loves us in the midst of our circumstances and He shows himself faithful.
So, when I sat down and asked, “What’s next for my blog, Lord. I am listening—please show me in your word, the truths that settle the soul.” I came to the following conclusions:
He is a God of promises
He who promised is faithful – Hebrews 10:23
His precious and magnificent promises – 2 Peter 1:4
He is a God of Hope
My hope is in Him – Psalm 62:5
Hope we have as an anchor – Hebrews 6:19
Hopes all things – 1 Corinthians 13:7
He is a God of peace
He is our peace – Ephesians 2:14
Peace of God which surpasses all understanding – Philippians 4:7
And, He offers forgiveness, eternal life, abundant life and freedom to all those who acknowledge Him.
When I see Him for who He is, watch Him work in and around me, and see His kingdom becoming before my eyes, that’s how I know. He is good; therefore He wants what’s good for me. I can surrender, knowing that His plan will come to fruition as I trust in who He is.
I saw it in Mary…when she said, “May it be to me as you have said.”
I saw it in Peter when he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
And it is in me too, during the times of turmoil, His peace settles over my soul and speaks in the innermost place, “Be still and know that I am God.”
As I prepare in my heart for this Easter time, I want to remember all He has done on my behalf. He has won the victory over sin and death and given me His Holy Spirit to empower me to live wholly for Him. I have received a Living and Eternal Hope through Him…
Believing….yes, and it has settled my soul,
Jeanne
“God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.”
St. Augustine
Showing posts with label belief. Show all posts
Showing posts with label belief. Show all posts
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Do You Believe That He Is Able?
Jesus asks, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” in Matthew 9:28.
This question hit me between the eyes. Do I believe? Do I think God is ABLE? In my head, yes, but, I want to believe just as strongly with my heart. What’s the verse that says, immeasurably more than we can ask or think? More than we can imagine. That’s describes my God! But, my finite brain limits Him—I need to be freed from that. I need to know how small I am and how great He is.
Believing means that I need to remove the barriers I have erected, the ones that keep me protected and others at arms length. Barriers like mistrust, fear, discouragement, self-sufficiency, and self-protectiveness. These barriers create the perfect conditions for unbelief.
To believe, I let down my guard and put my complete trust in Him, without reservation. My hands are open, palms up in surrender. I am expectant because He promises to be faithful. Then, I begin to watch for His fingerprints on my life.
I have so much to learn and understand about believing in Him. I want to grow in my faith and trust in His all-powerfulness. I want to embrace each day, every opportunity, to look at things with fresh eyes, believing-eyes. He is able--I am the one who hinders Him most. Belief unlocks the ability to watch Him work in and around me in ways far greater than I can imagine.
What is it that you need to believe God for? What barriers cloud your ability to trust?
Expecting. Believing. Because He is able!!
Jeanne
This question hit me between the eyes. Do I believe? Do I think God is ABLE? In my head, yes, but, I want to believe just as strongly with my heart. What’s the verse that says, immeasurably more than we can ask or think? More than we can imagine. That’s describes my God! But, my finite brain limits Him—I need to be freed from that. I need to know how small I am and how great He is.
Believing means that I need to remove the barriers I have erected, the ones that keep me protected and others at arms length. Barriers like mistrust, fear, discouragement, self-sufficiency, and self-protectiveness. These barriers create the perfect conditions for unbelief.
To believe, I let down my guard and put my complete trust in Him, without reservation. My hands are open, palms up in surrender. I am expectant because He promises to be faithful. Then, I begin to watch for His fingerprints on my life.
I have so much to learn and understand about believing in Him. I want to grow in my faith and trust in His all-powerfulness. I want to embrace each day, every opportunity, to look at things with fresh eyes, believing-eyes. He is able--I am the one who hinders Him most. Belief unlocks the ability to watch Him work in and around me in ways far greater than I can imagine.
What is it that you need to believe God for? What barriers cloud your ability to trust?
Expecting. Believing. Because He is able!!
Jeanne
Sunday, January 09, 2011
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
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
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