Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Because He's God!

"Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God
whose ways you may not understand at the time."
~Oswald Chambers~

Can I get an AMEN? Deliberate - a synonym for PURPOSEFUL! That word deliberate is filled with purpose and my all time favorite word...intentional! I must be intentional in my faith, not just saying 'I have faith', but actually stepping out and trusting the Lord.

In my Sunday school class a few months back, we were discussing some deep issues about suffering and pain and loss, and my answer to all of that was this...Because God is God! He can do whatever He pleases. That is an answer many do not like to hear. It's hard to swallow that God is Love, yet children suffer through illness and death; that God is peace, and we battle in war over land; that God is Hope, and people die every day that don't know Him personally. The Lord says, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him..." Hebrews 11:6a, NASB The fact that having faith pleases the Lord blows my mind. People say it's not that simple...I have learned only recently that it is THAT simple. I have been reading Fresh Faith by Jim Cymbala and I was confronted by the lack of my faith. I agreed with people that having faith was simply "easier said than done." I don't agree with that any longer.

I have shared many times about the past year and I also have shared a story about a friend of mine who lost her baby earlier this year. Her statement to many was this... "If the Lord allowed all this to happen if for nothing else than for us to draw closer to Him, then wasn't it worth it?" In my book? Absolutely. I think a great deal of time is spent asking the Why? questions instead of having the faith to trust the Lord. I trust that when something happens that isn't in my plan (ha! my plan...as if I ever had a plan!), okay, let's say, in the realm of my thinking...and it seems to derail me, I know must cling to what I know...the scriptures :

Jeremiah 29:11b "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, but to give you hope and a future." NIV

2 Corinthians 13:11 "be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you." NASB

I Chronicles 28:20 "Then David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished." NASB

My purposeful faith is not based on the circumstance that the Lord brings into my life, it's based on trusting that the Lord is who He says He is in His Word. Be found faith filled today...

In Christ-

Karen

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8 comments:

Miriam Pauline said...

Amen! Well said!

Anonymous said...

Thank you ever so much. From one pastor's wife to another, I've been in some yucky personal family situations, and this post really really helped me. Thank you also for the reminder of Jim Cymbala's book. I read it a year or two ago, I think its time to read it again!! thank you, and God bless.

Anonymous said...

I've added comments to some of your other posts too. After reading your blog, I'll be back. God bless, and have a great day.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with you on that :). Yes, I may not understand or even like what God is doing in my life, but I know He has His reasons - and that I can trust Him to lead me to the promised land...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this week's quote :)

Anonymous said...

Very well written . . . and full of so much truth. Your verses were so appropriate. Thank you for sharing.

Nic said...

God is God - that one little statement reminds me of one of my favorite Stephen Curtis Chapman songs (and I enjoy many of his).

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God


Karen, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this week's IOW. I always enjoy reading your perspective on the quotes.

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