Tag: faith

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Writing Under God’s Authority

Writing for God, we put on paper or online moments of our lives for all to read. When we have faith in his purpose for our words, like the centurion had faith in Jesus to heal with a word, God works wonders. He heals. He encourages. He clarifies.

He uses his authority for a purpose, and our words become more effective under his authority. As we publish, we can pray, “Lord, I am not worthy, but only say the word, and someone will experience your might through my writing.”

Matthew 8:8 (ESV)—But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

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Recognizing God’s Generosity

Badlands National Park landscape stretching for miles
God’s generosity extends further than we can imagine.
Matthew 8:10 (ESV)—When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.

“God is generous to give us this time,” I told my husband while he drove us along Interstate 90 through South Dakota during a spur-of-the-moment trip. He agreed and we continued to enjoy the scenery.

What sparked this thought?

A moment of clarity about faith as I thought about a devotional I was writing. God loves and wants to be there for us even when our faith is not immediate or when our belief wavers. Even more, he marvels when we recognize his authority in our lives.

This recognition of God’s authority brings his Kingdom to life for others as well as ourselves. Our declaration that “God is generous” reveals the blessings we have received and it may lead others to put on the same faith so they may receive their own blessings from God.

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Canceling on God

Job 42:2 (ESV)—“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Cue a sad face. Our household had been struck. With the virus. The excitement of our weekend getaway dissolved like salt in hot water, the salty brine a damper on our weekend, no more so than when I hit the Cancel Reservation button for the very first time. Sigh.

Have you ever tried to hit the Cancel button on God? Cue an inward cringe, because who hasn’t been there? Hitting this button obscures the truth that God is sovereign. The message confirming the cancellation says we’re free to question, complain, and challenge God, because why else does debt rule our lives, why did our friend abandon our relationship, why did our child die in a car accident?

The answer to these questions (and more): God is sovereign. He has the power to give and take abundance. Just ask Job.

Thankfully, God also rejects our cancellation request. He fixes our broken spirit, giving us eyes of faith and lips that confess and repent. He restores our souls.

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Anchoring Our Faith

Matthew 8:24–27 (ESV)—And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

A snorkeling excursion—my first—on my honeymoon took my husband and I off the coast of Barbados. The sunshine shimmered on the turquoise sea, goggles complete with snorkel tube perched on top of my head, and a life jacket wrapped around my upper body.

I edged toward the back of the boat, behind others from our tour. Deep breath in, I jumped. Salt water splashed my face; I spluttered and swayed my feet.

All the while, a hint of panic set in and I snatched my husband’s arm. “Hubby, I can’t touch the bottom.”

The guide, hearing my panicked whispers, swam to us and handed me the more substantial, bright-orange life preserver. I bear-hugged the flotation device until I felt calm.

Why was I so afraid in that moment? Perhaps because I sink like a rock in the water. Maybe because I’d never ventured into water so deep, always before having the anchor of sand beneath my feet. Or, just a thought, fear settled in like a shark sinking it teeth into its dinner.

Indeed, fear caused me to falter even though I wore a life jacket. My fear overwhelmed my sense of safety because I did not understand the enormous effect on my mind of my feet being anchored to the sandy floor.

Another anchor, fear, can drown us if we don’t have knowledge of the magnitude of God’s might. The disciples learned this lesson from their fear of drowning in a storm, even though Jesus lay on the boat with them, having performed miracles in sight of the disciples that very day.

In the midst of the gales rocking the boat and waves filling it like a bathtub, the disciples needed more understanding of Jesus when fear rocked up and sank in its teeth—and did Jesus provide a showstopper. He calmed the sea, and the disciples stood in awe. Their knowledge of God’s power grew and that moment likely stayed with them as they did God’s work and faced hardship in the future.

It is understanding of God’s might that anchors our faith and helps us to trust God with one-hundred-percent confidence. Wisdom gained from God’s Word helps us to fight and defeat fear and to hear God speak over the cacophony of the storm.

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Sifting Through the Muck

Roseate spoonbills and other wading birds sitting in a tree
Luke 22:31–32 (ESV)—“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Pink flashed west of the boardwalk over the pond at Big Talbot Island State Park. I saw not the beginnings of a sunset, but my first glimpse of a roseate spoonbill—and not only one but a flock, landing in the trees across the the pond.

These wading birds use their spoon-like bill to sift through the muck in shallow, coastal waters. They search for grub such as minnows, shrimp, and even plant roots—food to nourish their bodies.

Simon Peter also had some sifting to do. He, as well as the other disciples, had to sift through their sorrow of their Rabbi’s coming death, Jesus’ arrest, and Simon Peter’s betrayal of Jesus.

And sift they did…but not well. Instead of pray as Jesus did, they slept. Instead of acting peaceful, one disciple cut off the ear of a high priest, and when Simon Peter was asked about knowing Jesus, he denied, denied, denied.

But even through the drama, Jesus said and showed the answer to sifting through the muck: prayer. Jesus prayed for the disciples that their “faith may not fail” (Luke 22:32). He also instructed the disciples to “pray that [they] might not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:40). Most important, Jesus prayed for God’s will despite his want for another answer.

Like Jesus, we need to pray for God’s will, but unlike Jesus we’re going to sin “and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 ESV). Our hope lies in Jesus’ prediction for Simon Peter that when he turns back to Jesus he’ll strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:32). Simon Peter’s failings would be turned around for good, so let us pray and take heart that we can turn back to God and that our failings can strengthen our own faith as well as others’.

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Don’t Disturb the Wildlife

Acts 16:25 (ESV)—About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Do not disturb the wildlife, the sign read. I walked along the paved trail into Glenwood Canyon. I crossed my fingers, hoping to see at least one bighorn sheep—from a distance, of course, and preferably perched high up on a canyon wall. I certainly didn’t want to sneak up on this creature, startling it into being aggressive.

That’s what happened when Paul commanded a spirit to come out of a slave girl whose “talent” was bringing in money to her owners. He stole the girl’s owners’ means of making money, and the owners acted with aggression. They lied, telling the city magistrates that Paul and Silas were teaching things “not lawful for. . . Romans to accept or practice.” The officials then threw Paul and Silas into jail.

In the Christian life, it’s inevitable: we’re going to sneak up on bighorn sheep. Our beliefs are going to cause believers and nonbelievers alike to challenge our faith and stir up a fight.

But even when another person wants to butt heads, our best response is a peaceful attitude that causes others to listen, like Paul’s and Silas’ praying and singing of hymns while in jail. It is peacefulness such as this that stirs up belief in Christ and gives us a chance to minister further.

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Devoted to Love

Romans 12:10 (ESV)—Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Travel. It can bring out the happy, carefree us; it can bring out the hands-on-hips, ready-for-a-showdown us.

And how do I know that?

Just yesterday, my hubby and I hopped into the car for a two-hour drive to watch the eclipse. About halfway there, we stopped at a gas station for snacks at my request, much to the chagrin of my hubby, who very much wanted to get to our destination. Still, he filled the tank while I went inside for a leisurely browse of the snacks. A bit too leisurely if I correctly read my hubby’s facial expression when he came inside to collect me. Even so, I argued a bit and continued my browsing, albeit with my gaze moving faster over the selection of goodies.

Immediately, in the car, God prodded me: Apologize. He said I should have swallowed my wants (not quite as tasty as my snacks), paid for the drinks in my hand, and left the store without looking further. He finished with, “Honor one another above yourselves.”

Yep, one of those memory verses I’d tucked away, a verse about love that applies to every relationship, not just spousal ones. This characteristic of Christ allows us to be humble, to sacrifice our selfishness for the wants of another. Humility helps us to push aside our worldly feelings and love with zeal, joy, and faith. And we can sacrifice these human faults to live as Christ did because we have the peace of knowing Christ overcame the world (John 16:33).

On this day, I sinned. But I chose to turn from the darkness and walk in the light (1 John 1:7), to apologize for my behavior of not honoring another above myself. My hubby forgave me—and for good measure, we sealed the deal with a kiss.

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The Bible: Our Saguaro Cactus

Saguaro cacti in Saguaro National Park 
Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NIV)— “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Several years ago, my husband and I road-tripped to Arizona for Thanksgiving with family. Along the way, we stopped at sites such as the White Sands National Monument (now a national park), Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, and Saguaro National Park. I had no idea the height of saguaro cacti until I stood next to one, gazing up in awe and slight disbelief. And once I did some research, I found this cactus to be a great example of the power of God’s Word.

The saguaro cactus is like a well of living water in the dry, arid desert. This cactus absorbs and stores rainwater for use over time. Woodpeckers, elf owls, and other birds build nests inside the cactus. Wildlife visit the cactus to partake of its pollen, nectar, and fruit. Others such as jackrabbits and mule deer eat its flesh when food and water are scarce.

The Bible is our saguaro cactus in the desert, a source of life, a well of living water. When we drink of the water, we can know the power of our living God. God’s Word prepares us for all situations in our lives from losing a job to starting a new one, from building a new friendship to losing an old one, from grieving someone’s death to celebrating a baby’s birth.

The Scriptures feed us courage in the face of fear: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, NIV).

The Scriptures strengthen our faith when we make a home for his Word in our minds: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17, NIV).

The Scriptures feed our fellowship with other believers: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV).

The Scriptures are our living water in the desert. The Holy Spirit feeds our minds with information we need to live according to God’s Word, and when we drink, we become stronger in mind, faith, and fellowship.

Saguaro cacti in Saguaro National Park