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Several Scripture passages resonated within my heart as I awoke early this morning.
I read the passages aloud slowly, savoring each word, letting the full meaning of the lines sink into my heart.
As I look back on the past six months, I am amazed that so much has happened already.
But then that really should not come as a surprise. Time does pass by so quickly. Each second tiptoes by, like the tiny drops of water that eventually cause a bucket to fill up and overflow.
If I am not careful, time will pass me by; I will not know where the minutes and the hours have gone.
That is why this morning, as I was reading the passages quoted above, my spirit was being refreshed and renewed.
He is the Lord of eternity, He is Lord over time. And it is His desire for me to gain His perspective on how He wants me to use the resources He has entrusted to me.
I clearly remember the Lord speaking to me during one devotional time a few years ago:
My daughter, your maturity is measured by the way you use your time, your money, and your words.
That was spoken at a time when I truly needed it, a season in my life when I was pleading with God to help me become a good steward, and a trustworthy servant.
I was asking God to help me rebuild my life, to help me as I entered into a season of restoration and regaining of lost territory.
And so when God spoke those words, I knew He meant business.
I became more careful with how I used my time, my money, and my words.
Through the years of putting those principles to practice, I did not always do everything right. But it was so liberating to know that God was looking at my heart...and I knew He was pleased by my obedient responses.
Everything in life is a test.
And it is through our heart's response to the events and circumstances of life that God measures our obedience. Our Father wants to see if we will remain true to Him when the rains come... if we will still depend on Him even when the sun is shining brightly.
God has sent into my life the test of adversity and the test of prosperity.
The valley and the mountaintop experiences - both are tests.
Nobody ever really plans to fail a test. We all want to go through it with flying colors.
But honestly speaking, and sometimes with a tinge of regret, I wish I had done much better on some of them.
And by His grace, God keeps giving new opportunities for us to take the tests again. It's just the way He wants us to learn. Obedience builds faith in our hearts.
And a deeper faith brings us closer to Him.
Today hope surges into my heart, and I am ready to face the second half of the year and learn new lessons.
I look to the coming days with a fresh resolve.
The circumstances and events in our lives give us opportunities to validate our faith, to shake it, to break it, to prove it.
I've learned that faith that remains unbroken or untested is practically useless.
If my faith is only a doctrine stored up in my mind, then it is of no help when what is needed is practical faith to get me through the tough times - the raging seas and blinding storms of life.
The past two weeks, God has been teaching me a lot about building my faith.
Faith is a foundation lesson that God wants us to learn over and over again.
With each faith lesson, the foundation goes deeper, and becomes stronger.
Before I bring this post to a close, let me share with you a recent encounter I had with audacious faith.
In John 6, Jesus is up on a Galileean mountainside with His disciples. Seeing a great crowd coming toward him, He asks Philip where they could buy bread for the people to eat.
Jesus asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip points out that even eight months' wages worth of bread would not be enough!
It's a typical response. Looking at the circumstances from the natural standpoint, he was right. It was too difficult, it would require too much...it can't be done.
But Philip misses the point.
Andrew's response sounds a bit better, compared to Philip's... but still his words emphasized the "smallness" of his faith: Here is a boy with "five small barley loaves and two small fish..."
And then he couldn't keep back from voicing out what to him was obvious - " but how far will they go among so many?"
From out of the multitude, a boy comes forward...brave enough to present his lunch.
What kind of faith is that? The word audacious comes to my mind..
One little boy with no name goes down in history as the one who had the audacity to believe.
Here are two definitions for audacity:
What Jesus does in response to this boy's faith gives me valuable faith lessons for my journey.
1. Faith's Environment
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down."
The entry of faith needs an environment for it to begin to operate. Faith cannot operate in an atmosphere of fear or panic.
"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." Paul writes from his prison cell.
Many voices cry out to us. It doesn't compute, it doesn't add up.
On the other hand, God is asking, Will you allow faith to work in the midst of your own doubts and misgivings?
Will you give faith the space, the environment of peace, that it needs?
I must choose the people that I allow to influence me, or speak into my life. The words and the attitudes of people I associate with can determine the kind of environment that surrounds my life.
As much as possible, I am learning to seek men and women of faith to be my traveling companions.
2. Faith's Attitude
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks...
Jesus received what was offered. He didn't belittle what was available, He didn't "insult" the smallness of what the boy gave.
I need to learn this important faith principle. Sometimes it is easy for me to be swept away by the grand, and the powerful display of faith.
There are nights when I go to sleep saying at the back of my mind, "It is not enough, Lord. This is not the way I planned it..."
But Jesus took the five small loaves. Likewise, I need to learn to receive what life offers - with all the imperfections, the inadequacies, the not-good-enoughs of my circumstances...And looking over the never ending list of what needs to happen, and what needs to be done, be able to say, "It is good enough...I am willing to wait ."
The attitude of faith says, "Yes, I receive you. Yes, I accept you - in your brokenness, in your inadequacy, yes I welcome what you have to offer. We can work something out."
This is not complacency. It is learning to be content.
Such a humble attitude provides the ground for multiplication to take place.
Let me not despise the day of small beginnings.
3. Faith's Perspective
We live in the midst of a thankless generation, where complaining, and grumbling, and finding fault is often the norm.
How easy it is to forget to give thanks.
But Jesus gave thanks for the bread and the fish.
Although the answer to prayer was not yet given, Jesus was already preparing the ground by expressing His thanks, acknowledging in advance what God was about to do.
Faith enables us to see beyond the physical to the supernatural. We know that because of faith something is going to happen. And faith allows us to thank God in advance!
4. Faith's Provision
Then He distributed the bread and the fish to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
When the environment was prepared for faith to come in, the result was there for all to see.
The supernatural takes place before everyone's eyes.
Everyone had as much as he wanted.
5. Faith's Overflow
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."
So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
This is such an amazing principle of life. God does not waste anything in our life. The wounds, the tears, the sorrows...they all have a place in the shaping of our characters.
When we gather up the fragments of our life, we will be amazed at how much there is left over.
From not enough...to enough...to more than enough!
The truth is that when we sit down and take stock of what is available, we will have to admit that most of us are living in the more than enough.
This story opens my heart up to many realizations.
One little boy's audacious faith allows him to encounter the God of the More Than Enough.!
The boldness of his faith leads him to the God of grace, the One who is always giving us more than what we ask or imagine!
Because this boy was willing to open his hands and let go of his lunch, his life is forever changed, having seen before his eyes something that he never expected.
Even before we ask, God is ready with the answer. All He is looking for is the right environment for faith to grow.
As the month of June comes to an end, I want to make a fresh commitment to grow in faith.
Father, help me to sift through my priorities and daily choices, to let go of what weighs me down, or gets in the way of growth.
Help me to make wise use of the opportunities you send my way.
May I be careful to nurture the right environment for faith to operate. May I never allow myself to be sucked into an environment that shuts You out, giving You no room to do new things in my life.
Let me speak no language that honors lack or gives way to fear! May my mouth always declare your praise!
Help me to live with open hands, ever ready to receive what you know is best for me!
Doing the Math
Benigno Aquino III Sworn in as 15th President of the Philippines
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.
- Hebrews 11:1
Today is the last day of June, the mid-point of this year.the evidence of things not seen.
- Hebrews 11:1
Several Scripture passages resonated within my heart as I awoke early this morning.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
- Psalm 139:16
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
- Psalm 90:12
And you shall remember that the LORD your God
led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness,
to humble you and test you,
to know what was in your heart,
whether you would keep His commandments or not.
- Deuteronomy 8:2
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
- Psalm 139:16
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
- Psalm 90:12
And you shall remember that the LORD your God
led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness,
to humble you and test you,
to know what was in your heart,
whether you would keep His commandments or not.
- Deuteronomy 8:2
I read the passages aloud slowly, savoring each word, letting the full meaning of the lines sink into my heart.
As I look back on the past six months, I am amazed that so much has happened already.
But then that really should not come as a surprise. Time does pass by so quickly. Each second tiptoes by, like the tiny drops of water that eventually cause a bucket to fill up and overflow.
If I am not careful, time will pass me by; I will not know where the minutes and the hours have gone.
That is why this morning, as I was reading the passages quoted above, my spirit was being refreshed and renewed.
He is the Lord of eternity, He is Lord over time. And it is His desire for me to gain His perspective on how He wants me to use the resources He has entrusted to me.
I clearly remember the Lord speaking to me during one devotional time a few years ago:
My daughter, your maturity is measured by the way you use your time, your money, and your words.
That was spoken at a time when I truly needed it, a season in my life when I was pleading with God to help me become a good steward, and a trustworthy servant.
I was asking God to help me rebuild my life, to help me as I entered into a season of restoration and regaining of lost territory.
And so when God spoke those words, I knew He meant business.
I became more careful with how I used my time, my money, and my words.
Through the years of putting those principles to practice, I did not always do everything right. But it was so liberating to know that God was looking at my heart...and I knew He was pleased by my obedient responses.
Everything in life is a test.
And it is through our heart's response to the events and circumstances of life that God measures our obedience. Our Father wants to see if we will remain true to Him when the rains come... if we will still depend on Him even when the sun is shining brightly.
God has sent into my life the test of adversity and the test of prosperity.
The valley and the mountaintop experiences - both are tests.
Nobody ever really plans to fail a test. We all want to go through it with flying colors.
But honestly speaking, and sometimes with a tinge of regret, I wish I had done much better on some of them.
And by His grace, God keeps giving new opportunities for us to take the tests again. It's just the way He wants us to learn. Obedience builds faith in our hearts.
And a deeper faith brings us closer to Him.
Today hope surges into my heart, and I am ready to face the second half of the year and learn new lessons.
I look to the coming days with a fresh resolve.
The circumstances and events in our lives give us opportunities to validate our faith, to shake it, to break it, to prove it.
I've learned that faith that remains unbroken or untested is practically useless.
If my faith is only a doctrine stored up in my mind, then it is of no help when what is needed is practical faith to get me through the tough times - the raging seas and blinding storms of life.
The past two weeks, God has been teaching me a lot about building my faith.
Faith is a foundation lesson that God wants us to learn over and over again.
With each faith lesson, the foundation goes deeper, and becomes stronger.
Before I bring this post to a close, let me share with you a recent encounter I had with audacious faith.
In John 6, Jesus is up on a Galileean mountainside with His disciples. Seeing a great crowd coming toward him, He asks Philip where they could buy bread for the people to eat.
Jesus asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip points out that even eight months' wages worth of bread would not be enough!
It's a typical response. Looking at the circumstances from the natural standpoint, he was right. It was too difficult, it would require too much...it can't be done.
But Philip misses the point.
Andrew's response sounds a bit better, compared to Philip's... but still his words emphasized the "smallness" of his faith: Here is a boy with "five small barley loaves and two small fish..."
And then he couldn't keep back from voicing out what to him was obvious - " but how far will they go among so many?"
From out of the multitude, a boy comes forward...brave enough to present his lunch.
What kind of faith is that? The word audacious comes to my mind..
One little boy with no name goes down in history as the one who had the audacity to believe.
Here are two definitions for audacity:
- Fearless daring; intrepidity.
- Bold or insolent heedlessness of restraints, as of those imposed by prudence, propriety, or convention.
What Jesus does in response to this boy's faith gives me valuable faith lessons for my journey.
1. Faith's Environment
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down."
The entry of faith needs an environment for it to begin to operate. Faith cannot operate in an atmosphere of fear or panic.
"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." Paul writes from his prison cell.
Many voices cry out to us. It doesn't compute, it doesn't add up.
On the other hand, God is asking, Will you allow faith to work in the midst of your own doubts and misgivings?
Will you give faith the space, the environment of peace, that it needs?
I must choose the people that I allow to influence me, or speak into my life. The words and the attitudes of people I associate with can determine the kind of environment that surrounds my life.
As much as possible, I am learning to seek men and women of faith to be my traveling companions.
2. Faith's Attitude
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks...
Jesus received what was offered. He didn't belittle what was available, He didn't "insult" the smallness of what the boy gave.
I need to learn this important faith principle. Sometimes it is easy for me to be swept away by the grand, and the powerful display of faith.
There are nights when I go to sleep saying at the back of my mind, "It is not enough, Lord. This is not the way I planned it..."
But Jesus took the five small loaves. Likewise, I need to learn to receive what life offers - with all the imperfections, the inadequacies, the not-good-enoughs of my circumstances...And looking over the never ending list of what needs to happen, and what needs to be done, be able to say, "It is good enough...I am willing to wait ."
The attitude of faith says, "Yes, I receive you. Yes, I accept you - in your brokenness, in your inadequacy, yes I welcome what you have to offer. We can work something out."
This is not complacency. It is learning to be content.
Such a humble attitude provides the ground for multiplication to take place.
Let me not despise the day of small beginnings.
3. Faith's Perspective
We live in the midst of a thankless generation, where complaining, and grumbling, and finding fault is often the norm.
How easy it is to forget to give thanks.
But Jesus gave thanks for the bread and the fish.
Although the answer to prayer was not yet given, Jesus was already preparing the ground by expressing His thanks, acknowledging in advance what God was about to do.
Faith enables us to see beyond the physical to the supernatural. We know that because of faith something is going to happen. And faith allows us to thank God in advance!
4. Faith's Provision
Then He distributed the bread and the fish to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
When the environment was prepared for faith to come in, the result was there for all to see.
The supernatural takes place before everyone's eyes.
Everyone had as much as he wanted.
5. Faith's Overflow
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."
So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
This is such an amazing principle of life. God does not waste anything in our life. The wounds, the tears, the sorrows...they all have a place in the shaping of our characters.
When we gather up the fragments of our life, we will be amazed at how much there is left over.
From not enough...to enough...to more than enough!
The truth is that when we sit down and take stock of what is available, we will have to admit that most of us are living in the more than enough.
This story opens my heart up to many realizations.
One little boy's audacious faith allows him to encounter the God of the More Than Enough.!
The boldness of his faith leads him to the God of grace, the One who is always giving us more than what we ask or imagine!
Because this boy was willing to open his hands and let go of his lunch, his life is forever changed, having seen before his eyes something that he never expected.
Even before we ask, God is ready with the answer. All He is looking for is the right environment for faith to grow.
As the month of June comes to an end, I want to make a fresh commitment to grow in faith.
Father, help me to sift through my priorities and daily choices, to let go of what weighs me down, or gets in the way of growth.
Help me to make wise use of the opportunities you send my way.
May I be careful to nurture the right environment for faith to operate. May I never allow myself to be sucked into an environment that shuts You out, giving You no room to do new things in my life.
Let me speak no language that honors lack or gives way to fear! May my mouth always declare your praise!
Help me to live with open hands, ever ready to receive what you know is best for me!
Doing the Math
Benigno Aquino III Sworn in as 15th President of the Philippines
18 comments:
I couldn't sleep and so I decided to read a few blogs. How thankful I am to read yours.
"God does not waste anything in our life. The wounds, the tears, the sorrows...they all have a place in the shaping of our characters."
Somehow, I needed to be reminded of that tonight. Thank you for sharing the lessons the Lord has taught you. I learn from you and am encouraged to dig more into the Scriptures.
I wrote a post earlier today on dealing with suffering:
http://www.heartchoices.com/2010/06/in-other-words-tuesday-suffering.html
What a blessing you are to me. I look forward to reading more of your thoughts.
Blessings and love,
Debbie
GOD always speaks to my heart when I come here. I am clinging to HIM with all my might. Thank you for your continued prayers, love, and encouragement.
Hugs,
andrea
What a wonderful post! I love the thought of audacious faith, and the thought of our God being the God of "more than enough"!
Lidj,
Summer began and I've been away and you have posted twice! I can't fully catch up today. I will be back soon.
One response to your words:
The circumstances and events in our lives give us opportunities to validate our faith, to shake it, to break it, to prove it.
Yes and Amen. I'm feeling this to be true in big ways lately. God is shaking my negative outlook on the little irritants a day holds. I so easily let them cloud out the diamond opportunities around me and then I not only miss them but don't care.
I'll be back to read and respond some more on this post and the Fresh Call, A Fresh Response.
Blessings,
Amy
I too was ministered to by this post. I'm going through a bit of a struggle right now with trusting God to provide and reading your words helped me gain some needed perspective.
Dear Lidj,
This is a post from your heart and therefor a blessing for the receivers.
Like Debbie, I couldn't sleep. I have prayed for healing and just now I thought I could wait a bit before taking painkillers. I have to give God a chance.
It was a blessing to read about God's overflow.I know I shall receive more than the help I have asked for.
FromElise/Felisol
Hey friend... I haven't been by for a visit in a long while. Life just seems to have taken over here at my house. My daughter's wedding was cancelled a little over a month ago. She moved back home heart-broken for the 2nd time in less than a year. It's been an intense time here.
Hope you are doing well.... Just wanted to pop in and say hello!
I needed your words that everything in life is a test. I'm facing one that came cloaked as an encouragement but had a dagger of judgment underneath. In tears, I came to read a true blog friend who reads each post for what the author originally intended and who gives grace to what she may not understand, allowing the Lord to bring up the areas of immaturity and sin in the blogger's life in His way and in His time.
I needed your clear description of audacious faith. God is asking me to step out in faith, despite my fears of being misunderstood and judged, to be used by Him for His glory. I need that thankful heart attitude to realize what little I have to offer is what He desires to use. I'm opening my hands to be ready to receive even criticism and misplaced judgment by one of his sheep, realizing it was passed through His hands first. I want to pass this test with humility and trust. Thank you, Lidj. God has used your humble and ready heart to help mine go there in an hour of need.
Amy
Yes you are so right. Time moves on a little bit at a time and every moment should be used wisely. Unfortunately many of us do things we regret later.
I think with age we become wiser about thinking more before we speak or act.... In all honesty I have many past regrets.
Faith for me is believing it happens without me stepping in and trying to take over from God.
Letting go and letting Him.
Believing that All things do work together for good. After a 30 yr abusive marriage I know, my faith would not be as strong if it had been different. God bless your sharing. Much love..
boy I reaaly need to read this and I'm hanging onto that scripture at the beginning of the post.
Another beautiful post, Lidj, and one that I have learned so much from and will hold in my heart. I loved what you wrote about using our time, our money, and our words wisely. This is something that really touches me because I have been trying to make many changes in my life regarding those very things.
I read once that it takes so much less energy to make someone happy, to make someone smile with our words than it does to cut them down with our words. And that when we degrade someone with our words we degrade our own soul, and I've thought of all the times I've degraded my own soul in such a way.
I also loved what you wrote about Faith overflowing, and it reminded me of what a gift Faith is.
I have a family member who is having such a hard time with Faith. He wants to believe in God, he wants to believe that there is more than just this life, but he puts up so many roadblocks. And your first quote from Hebrews makes me think of him and makes me so grateful for the gift of Faith. And I'm going to pass that quote on to him along with this one by Ralph Waldo Emerson that I read on another blog:
"All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen".
God Bless you, Lidj.
Love to you,
Eileen
I've failed a few tests myself lately. I KNOW the enemy of my soul would love for me to wallow in regret and discouragement. "In 61 years, is this the best you can do????" (etc.) Praise the Eternal One with Whom a thousand years is as a day! His mercies are new every morning.
So much in your post speaks to my heart this morning--it's hard to isolate a phrase or two. Suffice it to know that all over the world, God is at work...awakening, empowering, and sustaining His people!
Thank you so much for your prayers..I can feel them. My Frank and I are doing much better health wise. Thank God for good doctors, medicine and the faithful prayers of friends.My Grands will be visiting us next week.Thankfully their mom will be with them as Frank and I only have enough energy to spoil them.:-) It is the tough times that our faith grows as we see Jesus in our circumstances. Your blog is a blessing to me and I will keep visiting till August when I plan to resume my blog. Dee
Thank you, Lidj, for this timely post! I, too, was just reflecting how fast this year has gone! And how I prayed I wouldn't waste a day! Have I? Lord knows... May He be honoured through each day, each offering, each minute we have to give Him. For He has given us this life!
You are a blessing! Love, Linda
I was so delighted & encouraged by your comment and your decision to not be a mere lurker ;) on my blog. I'm especially glad you did because it led me to discover your blog. This is what I needed tonight- oh, to live with open hands ready to receive! Thank you for fresh insight and a heart bent on honoring our Lord.
Oh Lidj! Your posts are always so layered with so much spiritual nutrient. You are a hostess who gives your guests a feast! One course after another!
- "the raging seas and blinding storms of life"
- "maturity is measured by the way you use your time, your money, and your words"
- And then your break down of the faith lesson -
Looking back on this last year, I see so many challenges, the tests, but I learned much - and much about what I need to do - and learning how to just stand - standing on faith - but I don't think I did it as well as the little boy with the loaves. I don't think I'm supposed to walk in faith and wail at the same time! I did a lot of that this year.
Your posts always speak to my heart, like a sign post pointing the way. Thank you:)
Thank you for you r comforting message Lidj
I'm not sure how I got so behind on blog reading...but I did and am only now reading this one.
Yet God's timing is perfect. And this is exactly the reminder that my husband and I need today and tomorrow.
God is opening doors for us to buy a business so my husband can own his own. It's exciting...yet terrifying outside of God, for this business is about the size of those five loaves and two fishes...not enough to feed our family.
Yet your words spoke encouragement and reminders into my heart of everything God's already shown us and done inside of us.
Thank you.
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