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Thursday, January 8, 2015

The Faithful Hand of God

I will be very open and honest here today with you.

A few months ago, I was reading some materials from Joyce Meyer ( a very gifted Bible teacher). I was holding a sheet of declarations to speak over your household. If you don't know what declarations are, they are simply statements that you are making, by faith - things you are declaring over your home, that you are believing for. It may be things you are believing for that, except for God, seem to have no chance of taking place. For instance, you may make a declaration about a child who has drifted away from things you have taught and instilled within them. You may stand in their room and declare over them (when they aren't present), the things you believe over them, such as, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." Or you may walk around your home and say about an impossible situation, "Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord."  That is just one example. You are stating and declaring God's word over a situation.

Anyway, I was holding this paper full of examples of declarations for my family. For a few days, I stood in my husband's home office, and said these things out loud with all the faith I had. Almost immediately after doing this, I had an appointment to take my youngest son to an ear specialist. He had been having severe drainage in one ear and antibiotics hadn't seemed to help him. I was shocked to the very core of my being when they did a CAT scan and saw a growth in his left ear. This growth was essentially taking out the hearing parts of that ear.

Was I full of faith? Did I go back in my husband's office and continue to make declarations of faith?

No.

My exact words were, "Man alive, I'm not doing that again."

I was just so shell shocked by this turn of events.

I really shouldn't have been.

I still kind of live in a world where if I do good, then good, lovely things will always happen to me. I really tend to believe that.

But what I was saying out loud was having an effect. It's just that my statements weren't going unchallenged. I was being met by a very real opponent.

I was talking with my husband last night. I was so discouraged. I have tried to stand in faith over several issues in our home, and yet, to the outward eye, there is no change. Dave was trying to explain some very basic, biblical principles to me, but he may as well have been discussing the theory for the atomic bomb. I kept thinking, "How does what he is saying relate to my problem?"  It really was good advice-advice I'm trying to put into place this morning. But, I didn't really want advice. I just wanted the problem to be fixed.

I walked around talking with God this morning. The disappointments, the discouragement, the agony of waiting and not really knowing if anything at all will change. There is also this deep disappointment in myself. Faith is kind of exhausting sometimes and I really feel like packing it in today.

I thought back to a time, several years ago, when I was standing in faith for something.

Now I am on the other side of that prayer.

What I was standing for really did happen.

So, I went back to that old verse that I have always loved.

Romans 4:20 says about Abraham that he "staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was also able to perform."

I can't tell you how many times I would go back to that verse (years ago, when I was about 19 yrs. old), say it over and over to myself and simply believe, even though my outward circumstances didn't seem to change very much.

And then, suddenly, they did change.

Now, all these years later, I look back and can see the faithful hand of God.

I know it is hard going it alone, when you look around and know that there isn't anyone who understands a whole lot about your situation. You may be in a hard situation, too, today.

Let us bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

I am guilty, too. At times, I have tried to share the deepest concerns of my heart, but met with an averting of the eyes, as if they can't connect a Christian with having problems or discussing them.. I should keep searching for a safe listener, rather than giving up. Or if someone else has a problem that seems too big for me to take in, I need to let them simply know that I am there for them, too. I may not know what to do for them, but I can listen and pray. Sometimes, that is all you can do. Sometimes, you can't fix their problem and they can't fix yours. But we can bear each other's burdens.

There really isn't a perfect Christian or a perfect person in this entire world. We all have problems. Some major and some smaller. Unfortunately, some will never show their problems at all. Some will. Some are hurting right now and have no idea what to do and feel they have no where to turn.

If I look around and see seemingly problem-less people, it sends a wrong message. On the other hand, this isn't written so you can unload everything about everyone to someone. Use discretion.

But if you are facing something that seems insurmountable, share it with someone, and then begin the hard part. The very hard part that I wish wasn't hard. But it is.

Believing for the impossible is hard work.

Standing in faith is hard work.

Getting up and going to bed and seeing no change is discouraging.

It isn't all butterflies and sunsets and pretty things. I wish it was!

But now I go back to that verse that I've always loved and begin there again today.

She staggered not at the promise of God, but she was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded, that what He had promised, He would also be able to  perform for her." A little paraphrased, but it helps me:)

I stand alongside you today if you too are in the middle of a battle that seems to have no end. Health issues are the worst, aren't they? There is no magic wand to wave them away. They are always right there staring you in the face.

But I stand with you, anyway. I believe that great things will happen in your situation this year.

For some reason, I was thinking about our trip to New York City this morning. I was remembering when my husband and I were walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a beautiful, sunny October day and I was so very happy. But as we were walking with a rather large group of people all around us, I looked out over the majestic buildings and beautiful scenery and suddenly felt God's heart for people of that city. I prayed to myself as we walked (actually I was talking out loud in a low voice, but I don't think anyone noticed) that God would meet every person there right where they were. It is such a vast place, but God was aware of every person living there.

I mention this just to say that God is interested in what you are going through. The world is so big, but He created the world. I don't have answers, but He does. I think He delights when, even in the depths of our turmoil, we simply try and grab hold of what He has said, and just believe. Even in the most shaky and small belief, He will take that and perform what we can't.

I send much love to each one of you today!


Linking up to: impartinggrace.com  strollthrulife.net thediaryofarealhousewife.com myjoyfilledlife.com





13 comments:

  1. Kathy, you said the things I needed to hear today. Thank you!

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  2. You have always been a safe place for me to share my heart. I hope that I am to you as well. Such a great read. Such an encouragement to my heart. Love you. We are so blessed to have you in our lives. Ginny

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  3. You've always been the sweetest friend. Thanks, Ginny!

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  4. Thank you for this post today. My heart needed this reminder. It brought me back to a statement that I heard in the past "My will to honor God must be greater than my fleeting feelings, HE is so much GREATER.

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  5. Kathy, this post was exactly what I needed, thank you for sharing your heart so openly.

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  6. What an heartfelt and encouraging post. So happy I was able to stop by this evening to visit with you as well as scroll through many of your posts!
    Kindly, Lorraine

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  7. Hey sweet Kathy--

    Just stopping by to say hello and to check in on you. The Lord brought you to mind today, so I popped in here to see how you're doing. I am praying that all is well. You are such a precious woman.

    Love,
    Richella

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    1. Hi, dear friend!
      We are all well here. I'm not a very consistent blogger, though:)
      Much love to you and your family! Thank you for thinking of me😍- Love, Kathy

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  8. Hi, i'm responding to your comment from my fri favs link up. I got the sam edelman boots at nordstrom last chance (their clearance store). I'm not sure if they have locations throughout the US or not.
    :) rebecca

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