Faith

Have you ever wanted to cry, laugh, run, get mad, kneel, raise your hands, or weep all in the same day… and all in the time period of oh- about ten minutes? I have.

What about having thoughts like these?
The Holy Spirit doesn’t seem to talk to me or use me as powerfully as He uses others. God can’t save those that I love, they just won’t respond. I can’t boldly pray for healing or ministering boldly- what if it doesn’t work? Basically fear, lies, and unbelief are all a part of what the enemy throws at us.

I can’t help but wonder if those who have gone before us experienced similar emotions.


Hebrews 11 (various verses)
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

…by faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.

By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time…By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

It does not look like any of these people who risked their lives in order to please God had any type of wavering faith. I don’t see a fear of ministering boldly, proclaiming that He is Lord to a bunch of people who would ridicule them, having a fear that God won’t answer. Honestly, I look at their faith and go, “Wow”

Why can’t I have faith like that? See, I think I have been struck with believing a lie that God really only works in miraculous ways for other people, or it only happened a long time ago… or faith like this just simply can’t happen today. This is not true. It’s a lie. It is what the enemy wants us all to believe in order to cripple His people! Those who live lukewarm lives and who don’t really care about seeking hard after Jesus are not a threat. Their faith only extends as far as is comfortable. Satan is more worried about the Rahabs of today, the Abrahams, the Josephs. Why wouldn’t the enemy feed numerous lies into our heads so that we scour in unbelief that God doesn’t really do what He says He’ll do today?
How much more do we need to be girded up and ready to come against those lies?

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand… take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. “ Eph. 6:13, 16

I desire to live a life that does not make sense to the world. People should wonder in their heads if the girl they see in front of them is simply crazy! I don’t want be normal or live comfortably… I want to live for Him- whole heartedly, no barriers, no hindrances coming between us, sold out, %100 convinced that He is Lord and I am his follower, pressing on to uncharted waters, no turning back! Let’s go!

Knowing full well that this glorifies God and makes the enemy cringe… I’ve got to be ready for the battle. If I desire wisdom like those who came before me had… then I better be in the word… if I want to hear the Lord… then I better be listening and communicating frequently… when I don’t feel that I can hear Him… then I need to wait longer… when I sense everything closing in around me… then I’ll boldly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords… He has been, He is, and He will continue to be so forever more!

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20