"Where is your faith?"

Do you ever have those times when it's blatantly obvious what God is teaching and/or reminding you?

That has been the story of my life for the last several weeks. God has been using several everyday (and seemingly mundane) events and activities in my life - conversations with friends and loved ones, passages I've "happened" to read during my devotions, etc. - to make it crystal clear that I have a lot of growing to do in a particular area of my walk with Him.

That area would be faith.

From a purely human perspective, it seems like nearly everything in my life hasn't "gone according to plan" (ie. "gone wrong") lately, and I have allowed that to cause worry and discouragement in my mind and heart. Sure, I know the (now almost cliche) Christian catch phrases and Bible verses we commonly use when we feel this way: "all things work together for good...," "It's in God's hands," "God knew this would happen before I was born," "God won't give you anything you can't handle," etc.

But do I truly, genuinely, without reserve, believe that?

After taking an honest look at how I have handled life's "curve balls" over the last several weeks, I have to say the answer is no.

God has allowed me to experience a storm of trying circumstances. His intention has been, not to drown me, but to strengthen my faith. Like Peter, I have chosen to look at the wind and the waves and forget the One who orchestrated their design. I have sunk into the sea of worry and anxiety more than once, but God has always pulled me up and helped me continue to walk on that tempestuous sea towards Him.

We may fret over how the bills are going to be paid when our bank balance is low, when we'll get that raise we've been waiting for, when we'll meet "the one," etc - that's normal. It's normal for us as humans to want to know what the future holds so we can be prepared. We don't like to be taken by surprise (well, some of us might...but I digress). We can't see what the future holds, but we know the One who holds the future. God won't allow anything to happen to us outside of His will. And that. my friend, is a truly comforting thought.


Father, 

I don't know how these seemingly impossible things are going to work out. I don't know where the money is going to come from to pay my bills. I don't know how or where I'm going to find work. I can't see how these things are right now working for good and going to work for good in the future, but I know You do. Thank You for taking care of my every need, even the ones that don't cross my mind. 

Please calm my anxious heart. Increase my faith.  Help me keep my eyes off the stormy sea of doubt, fear and worry and on You instead so I may walk on water in the faith and peace only You can give. 

"But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Matthew 14:30-31

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"Save Me"

{Psalm 69}

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David. 

1  Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.
2  I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
3  I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4  They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

5  O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.
6  Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.
7  Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.
8  I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.
9  For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
10  When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
11  I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.
12  They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.
13  But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

14  Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.
15  Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
16  Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
17  And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.
18  Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.

19  Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.
20  Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
21  They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22  Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. 
23  Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.
24  Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.
25  Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.
26  For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.
27  Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.
28  Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
29  But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

30  I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31  This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
32  The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.
33  For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.
34  Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.
35  For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.
36  The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

God sweetens outward pain with inward peace.

                                                                Thomas Watson

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Facing the Giants

"David" by Michelangelo

"Teenage Boy Kills Local Terror, Goliath." I imagine that would have been the headline article for the newspapers in Israel when David killed Goliath. (I realize newspapers didn't exist in David's day, just my overactive imagination at work here. ;) ) How remarkable that a teenage shepherd boy took down a nearly 10-foot tall military powerhouse that had the armies of Israel quaking in their sandals for well over a month (40 days)! I think it's safe to assume that no one other than David could have imagined how the encounter between the boy with a sling and the giant with the full trappings of war would conclude.  (You can find the full account of this remarkable story in I Samuel 17.)

While it's unlikely that any of us will ever confront a physical giant like Goliath, many (if not all) of us face spiritual giants that are just as formidable and deadly. There names are Fear, Doubt, Temptation, and Pride.

{Fear} This giant is aroused by danger, evil, pain, concern, or anxiety. It hinders us from facing difficult circumstances with faith. It prevents us from doing the right or "hard" thing because of the possibility of failure or rejection.

{Doubt} This giant holds us captive when we question or are uncertain about promises God has given us in His Word. Doubting means that we consider God's Word questionable or unreliable.

{Temptation} This giant rears its ugly head when we are slack in guarding our minds, bodies, and souls from the alluring siren calls of the world to engage in sinful activities or thought patterns that are contrary to the way we have been called to live.

{Pride} This giant comes on the scene when we have an unbiblical view of ourselves, high or low. We can become overly confident in our own abilities or consumed with our failures; both are expressions of pride.

How are we to fight against such formidable giants?

Fight Fear with Faith. Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:3-9; 1 Chronicles 28:20; Psalm 23:4; Psalm 27:1; Psalm 56:3-4; Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 54:4; Matthew 10:26; Matthew 10:28; Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 16:13; 2 Corinthians 4:7-11; Philippians 4:6-7; 2 Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 13:5-6; 1 Peter 5:7.

Fight Doubt with Truth. Psalm 15:1-2; Psalm 25:5; Psalm 43:3; Psalm 86:11; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 17:20; Luke 18:27; John 8:31-32; John 17:17; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 4:25; Philippians 4:13; Philippians 4:19; 1 John 1:8. 

Fight Temptation with Purity. Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 7:25-26; Matthew 5:27-29; Matthew 26:41; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:12-14; Galatians 5:16-25; Philippians 4:8; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 2 Timothy 2:22; Titus 2:12; Hebrews 2:18; James 1:12-14; James 4:7; 1 John 2:14-17. 

Fight Pride with Humility. Deuteronomy 12:4;  Obadiah 1:3; 2 Chronicles 26:16; Psalm 10:4; Psalm 138:6; Psalm 147:6; Proverbs 3:34; Proverbs 8:13; Proverbs 11:2; Proverbs 13:10; Proverbs 15:33; Proverbs 16:5; Proverbs 16:18-19; Proverbs 18:12; Proverbs 21:4; Proverbs 22:4; Proverbs 25:9; Proverbs 26:12; Proverbs 29:23; Isaiah 2:11; Isaiah 5:21; Isaiah 23:9; Daniel 5:20; Matthew 18:3-4; Luke 14:7-11; Luke 22:24-27; Mark 9:35; Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:1-11; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:2-6.

Ask the Lord to help you identify areas where these giants have taken hold in your life. As He brings those areas to light, it can be discouraging to see how easy it is for them to creep in and take us captive. Just remember: the same God who enabled David to defeat Goliath is the same God who will help you bring down the giants in your life, as well.

"David with the Head of Goliath" by Caravaggio 

Please comment below: What giants have you faced in your life? How has the Lord enabled you to defeat them? What verses have helped you and/or encouraged you in this process?

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