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June 14, 2011
Faith that Moves God's Heart |
"To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless..." 2 Samuel 22:26 (NIV 2011)
"Are you scared?" my daughter asked. Nibbling on fingernails, she glanced at the harnesses hung on pegs, then to the mountain and finally to my face to assess my take on the situation.
Shading my eyes, I looked up the same mountain to the highest landing, barely visible between branches. Within a few minutes we'd be there, strapped into harnesses and hooked onto a thin wire. Her apprehension was clear.
"No, I'm not scared," I answered honestly. I trusted the harness and wires to keep me safe. I trusted the staff who'd done this with thousands of other people. Beyond explanation, I (the person who avoids wasting any adrenalin) had faith I'd be safe zipping through the canopy.
As I waited my turn to get trussed up, God whispered in my heart, "That's the kind of faith I'd like you to have all the time — only in Me."
That thought settled in my heart and begged me to explore it. My initial response was a tad bit defensive. Sometimes my faith is strong. Haven't I leapt into situations trusting You to make a way, I asked God. Before I could start reminding Him of specific instances, the Holy Spirit nudged me to go deeper. So I did.
In the most honest places in my heart, I had to admit that often — even those areas I almost bragged about — my trust was in God and my exit strategy.
I trusted God, but I also trusted the strength of my arm or my ability to negotiate a positive outcome. It was like I said, "I trust You but just let me get this harness strapped on and hooked to the wire."
I knew God was speaking about faith with no backup plan. Faith that really gets His attention — where there's no harness or wire. No experienced staff. No net. There's just God. I've tasted that faith, but not often enough.
God is calling me to a higher place of faith. It's a place where I believe God can and will provide for me. And therein lies the hard place. I've anchored my life in the belief that God can do anything, but somehow feel presumptuous believing He will for me.
That's doubt masquerading as false humility. And that, my friends, saddens God and limits His work in my life.
Scripture shows us God is moved by followers with faith. There's not enough space in this devotion to list the miracles God performed when people had faith. Nor is there space to list those times when doubt made a difference.
God's whisper challenged me to submit my unbelief to Him once again in my pursuit to become a woman of faith. My heart longs to be completely sold-out for Jesus, following Him without doubt. I want the same faith in God I had when I jumped off a platform 100 feet above the jungle floor and laughed with the sheer joy of soaring. Yes, that's the type of faith I want in God. All the time.
Dear Lord, I declare today that You are faithful and worthy of all my faith. You never lie, will never leave and never break Your promises. Help me to be a woman who follows You with complete trust. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
P31 Woman magazine
Visit Glynnis' blog for more on how to overcome doubt.
Worship: Nearing the Heart of God by Brian T. Anderson & Glynnis Whitwer
Pre-order your copy of A Confident Heart: How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Live in the Security of God's Promises by Renee Swope
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Application Steps:
Using a concordance, or www.Biblegateway.com, do a search in the New Testament for the word "faith." Make a list of what happened when people had faith.
Reflections:
Why is it easy to trust God in some areas of my life, but not others?
What areas do I wish my faith was stronger? What is the common denominator in those areas?
Power Verses:
Matthew 14:31, "Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?'" (NIV 2011)
James 1:5-7, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord." (NIV 2011)
© 2011 by Glynnis Whitwer. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Tuesday, 14 June 2011.
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