Monday, October 7, 2019

Monday Morning Memo: By Faith

In a blog post last January, I shared these words:  “I realized after that day, that my word for this year needed to be “POWER” and I needed to claim the verse in I Samuel 12:16, ‘Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do!’.  I’m guessing that many times I don’t see His power at work because I am in the way.  I look at too many trials from my human point of view, instead of claiming His power.”

This year has definitely been a time of seeing God’s power at work.  He has shown me over and over again, that His plan is perfect…His timing is perfect…and His ability to make all things new has just blown me away.  I have learned to pray boldly…not timidly…asking God to do great and mighty things and He hasn’t disappointed.

So, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when He led me to begin Throne Thursdays, which I shared with you last week.  Since I have seen Him work in such mighty ways, I knew He wanted me to pray boldly for others so they may receive His mercy and find grace to help them when they need it most.  Many of you have taken me up on my offer…and I am humbled and feel very privileged to take your concerns to the throne of our all-powerful God.

I don’t think it was any coincidence then when my devotional reading took me to Hebrews 11 this past week.  What a powerful chapter in the Bible. It begins with:  “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.”  The chapter then tells us….

By faith… we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command…

By faith… Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did…     

By faith… Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying…

By faith… Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood…

By faith… Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him…He went without knowing where he was going…

By faith… Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and too old…

By faith… Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him.

By faith… the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they all drowned.

And the list goes on and on.  We read over and over again in the Bible about the miraculously things that happened and I think we often think those times of seeing God’s power at work only happened in the Bible days.  Sorry, I don’t buy that!  I’m afraid we don’t always see God’s mighty hand at work because we don’t have the faith that He can accomplish it.  We need to remember that by faith…God can do immeasurably more than we can even imagine!

You see, faith is a choice…not a feeling.  It means choosing to trust God even when life doesn’t make sense.  It means stepping out boldly even when we might not feel bold.  It means living by faith…even when we can’t see what’s up ahead.

If you aren’t praying boldly…asking God to work in mighty ways…you are missing out on so much.  I want to encourage you today to approach His throne and say, “By faith…I am going to completely trust you God, knowing that your plan and timing are perfect and your ability to make all things new will just blow me away.  By faith, God, work in me and through me, so that my life will impact eternity today!”  

“So let us come boldly to the throne 
of our gracious God. 
There we will receive his mercy, 
and we will find grace 
to help us when we need it most.”
Hebrews 4:16

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