Leap Of Faith

It is no surprise that God is interested in developing our character. One of the attributes He especially likes to develop is trust, which means He often will ask us to do something without revealing the entirety of His plans. He will ask us to take a leap of faith without explaining the why or the how. If I could be slightly transparent for a moment, I struggle with this. You see, I like to be in the know. I am one of those women who ask a lot of questions because I truly want to understand why I am doing something. As much as I can be task-oriented and love checking things off my list, I am also interested in the reasoning behind my actions. This is a great trait to have in the workforce, but not necessarily with my walk with God.

“Often the desire to know is in direct opposite to the desire to trust.” – Living In Freedom Everyday

The Christian life is filled with tests of obedience. God will ask us to step out in faith, and we decide if we will obey or not. It always starts small, and then gradually grows bigger and bigger with successful completion of the prior test.

Obviously, trusting God would be much easier if we could clearly see what is on the other side of our obedience. But, that’s the caveat. God wants us to take the leap without knowing all the details.

Just recently, the Lord has asked my husband and I to embark on one of these leaps. Separately, the Lord has been instructing us with different pieces of this endeavor. To be honest, the request doesn’t necessarily make sense in the natural, but we are certain the Lord is instructing us to move forward.

Initially, I struggled with the request. I kept petitioning the Lord for more details, more information, and more specifics. I got nothing. I kept asking family to pray for direction. I felt paralyzed moving forward, but knew that I must. After a long time in prayer, I realized that God likes to keep us on a need-to-know basis, and that all the wisdom I need to make this leap was already inside of me.

Can you relate? Has God asked you to move forward in a situation, but because of lack of knowledge and details you have stalled? You want to be obedient, but fear that you misunderstood or will make a wrong move. You try to make sense of His instruction by picking it apart and dissecting it.

Ladies, God doesn't want that from us. He wants us to trust Him fully, and move forward in faith. He wants us to be totally reliant on Him. He wants us to feel vulnerable, but confident that He will show up. Don’t hesitate. If God is asking, take the leap! I promise you, He will be on the other side.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” – 2 Corinthians 5:7

I Thought . . . Wrong

Some of the most dangerous words in a Christian’s life are “I thought.”

I thought God would heal me at that healing service for everyone to see.

I thought God would restore my marriage by changing my husband's attitude.

I thought God would restore my finances by giving me this new job opportunity.

I thought that this was going to be the trial that God used to bring my child closer to Him.

We read about a man named Naaman in 2 Kings chapter 5 and his struggle with this very topic. Naaman was a well-respected commander in the army of the king of Aram. He was a great soldier, but was tragically stricken with leprosy. Naaman heard about this mighty prophet of God in Israel, Elisha, who could cure his disease.

Desperately in need of a miracle, Naaman traveled to the house of Elisha and received something different than he expected. Instead of Elisha putting on a spectacular display of healing, he didn’t even meet with Naaman. Elisha simply sent a messenger in his place with instructions for Naaman to go wash himself in the Jordan River sevens times. If he did this, Naaman’s flesh would be restored.

But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy”…So he turned and went off in a rage.

2 Kings 5:11-12

All too often, we allow our thoughts and ideas to interfere with God’s plans. We think we know what the best method is to answer our prayer request. Unfortunately, we can sometime miss God’s intervention simply because we expect it to look a certain way.

Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.  

2 Kings 5:13-14

If Naaman’s servant hadn’t encouraged him to obey these instructions, Naaman would have missed his miracle. How sad!

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.  

Proverbs 14:12

Ladies, I want you to reflect upon the situations in your life that you are praying over. Are you missing your breakthrough because you don’t like the way God is answering it? We need to stop fashioning God into how we think He should operate and trust that His ways are always best. God can accomplish His purposes through many methods. Stop limiting Him by your own thinking.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

Isaiah 55:8

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We hope that you will be able to join us for the "Taking Every Thought Captive" Conference on Saturday, September 19th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:oo p.m. We expect it to be a refreshing time for all women. Special Guest, Amy Carroll, from Proverbs 31 Ministries, will be speaking that day about her new book, "Breaking Up With Perfect." Tickets are $35. Go to eventbrite.com to get your ticket today.

For more information, go to http://www.womengetreal.org/event/taking-every-thought-captive-womens-conference/

Big Waves and Strong Undertows

Did you know that the Pacific Ocean is known for big waves and strong undertows? Well, I learned that first hand on vacation when I was twelve. My family and I were having a good time in the ocean when the tide quickly changed. The big waves turned into huge waves, and the undertow got increasingly stronger. I vividly remember looking out at the ocean only to see an enormous wall of water coming our way. Noticing the fear on my face and realizing he wasn’t close enough to help me, my father calmly instructed, “don’t panic, just dive through it before it breaks on you.”

Well, I panicked! And, I didn’t dive through the wave like he said. I froze with fear and allowed the wave to pick me up and slam me face-first against the sand and shells. I was completely disoriented, not knowing which way was up or down. If that weren’t bad enough, the undertow quickly pulled me back, and I got caught in another vicious wave cycle.

With some help from my family, I was eventually able to fight the undertow and run back to the beach. I’d like to say I was cool and collected, but I was anything but that. I was covered in sand from head to toe and had scrapes all over my body. In fact, I had so much sand in my bathing suit that I could have made a sandcastle from it. Completely shaken up by the whole ordeal, I refused to even go near the water to rinse off.

Interestingly, even though I looked like I had just escaped a shark attack, my family looked unscathed. They went through the same waves I did, yet they weathered them effortlessly. Why? They didn’t panic. They listened to my father’s instructions and dove through the waves with confidence.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” – Isaiah 43:1-2

Ladies, the tides of life sometimes change on us and generate some pretty big waves. Our Heavenly Father tells us not to panic or fear. If we listen to His direction during these tumultuous moments, we too can come out unscathed. When we trust in our own strength or let fear paralyze us, we can easily be tossed around and pulled out to sea. Our trust needs to be in Him.

I don’t know what wave you are facing in your life, but I am confident that the Lord will guide you through it with His loving care. He is a compassionate father who wants to protect you from harm. Don’t get intimidated by the size of the wave. Remember, with God, there is no wave too big or undertow too strong!

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” – Psalm 91:14-15

Are We There Yet?

As I have confessed in previous blogs, I am a planner. So it was a complete shock to my husband and kids when I suggested blowing off perfectly good airline tickets to instead embark on a road trip. We were hours away from flying home from Florida when I suggested this spontaneous detour. My husband’s grandfather lives in Alabama, so it seemed like a perfect time to visit with him. From there, we would drive back home to Connecticut in our rental car. Although my kids thought their mother had temporarily lost it, they were genuinely excited that we were extending our vacation with an extra adventure. But, after several hours in the car, the all too familiar “are we there yet?” started to resound from the backseat. To be completely honest, it started to come from the front seat too.

The first leg of the trip wasn’t so bad. It was short. We were comfortable. However, after the first stop in Alabama, the trip started to drag on, and we began to get a little impatient.

Interestingly, I find myself on a little “road trip” of my own right now. I’ve been waiting on the Lord for almost a year for a specific situation in my life. I have complete confidence that the Lord will fulfill His promises to me, but I too am getting a little impatient. Lately, I find myself asking God, “are we there yet?” Today is one of those days.

With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. – 2 Peter 3:8-9

Although the Lord’s timetable is slower than I would like, I have come to recognize that the Christian life is made up of a lot of “road trips.” All too often, our sole focus is to get to the destination rather than growing during the journey. Not to sound cliché, but the journey is as valuable as the destination.

Yes, the journey may be filled with moments of pain, disappointment, and uncertainty, but God allows us to go through it with a purpose in mind. You see, during these moments of waiting, God is calling us to draw closer to Him like never before. It’s during these times that we learn to trust the Lord in a new, deeper way. We must trust Him even if the journey we are on doesn’t seem fair or beneficial.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. – Proverbs 3:5

If you are on one these trips, ask yourself these questions. Why did God put me on this path? What area of my life is He trying to stretch or grow? Who else can I bless along this journey? Do I trust Him completely even though I can’t see the final destination?

Ladies, it is important to make sure that we take our foot off the gas from time to time and stare out the window for a few minutes to truly see what God has in mind for us. Once you start to see His purpose, you may actually begin to enjoy the ride.

Through the Fire

Are you going through a difficult situation? Are you wondering where God is in the midst of this hardship? Perhaps, you are suffering with pain or sickness. Maybe, you’re barely able to make ends meet financially. Is your marriage hanging on by a thread? Has your child turned his back on God? You wonder,

God, do you even hear me or is it that you just don’t care about me? 

I realize that these trying times certainly can be discouraging. I understand. I have been there. But in these moments, we need to draw into God like never before.

We must continually remind ourselves that, with God, there is always purpose in every situation, even if we can’t see it. Do we dare live outside our understanding and trust Him unconditionally?

When my faith begins to waver, and my heart becomes overwhelmed, I cry out to the Lord, and He answers me with His Word. I am reminded that I am not alone in this battle. He is always with me.

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” – Isaiah 43:1-2

All I know is that God loves me dearly. He obviously has a purpose for the challenges I go through. Once you truly grasp Christ’s love for you and that He has a perfect plan for your life, you will have peace knowing He is in control.

As much as we all dislike them, trials are an essential part of every Christian life. Spiritual growth and faith develop most in the seasons of difficulty. Jesus may allow us to go through the fire to make us stronger. And even though you sometimes can’t feel His presence, remember God promises:

 “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." - Hebrews 13:5

Preparing For the Storm

New England weather is quite erratic. One morning you have the heat on and that same afternoon you need to turn on your air conditioning. So it is no surprise to us when a November snowstorm heads our way. When those newscasters start mentioning snow, we New Englanders know exactly what to do. Get gas for our snow blowers and generators, de-icer for the walkway, and of course, bread and milk, just in case we are stuck in our house for days, which incidentally never happens. Proper preparations are necessary for weathering any storm. Most of the time, like this recent storm, we get by quite easily. But every so often, we get clobbered with a doozy of storm, and we are very thankful that we took care of all the necessary preparations. It doesn’t matter if it’s an ice storm, blizzard or hurricane; those who are ready pass through them all with confidence and peace.

In the same way, the Christian life requires preparation. You can never know for sure when a storm will show up on your radar screen. Much like the weather in New England, life is unpredictable. I can assure each of you that storms will come and go. The question to ask yourself is how can you prepare properly for the ups and downs that life presents?

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”  - Matthew 7:24

The best way to prepare is to ensure that our foundation is on the rock. That is, our foundation is on Jesus. Ladies, we need to spend time in prayer and in the word of God every day. The Bible is full of testimonies of God’s faithfulness toward those who love Him. Time after time, we see God’s mighty hand deliver His people from all sorts of trying circumstances. He delivered Daniel from the lion’s den; He healed the woman with the issue of blood; and He rescued Paul from the shipwreck.

We need to learn how to meditate on His word so that we are steadfast and unshaken when a storm hits. His word tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 “do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Our hearts and minds need to be in alignment with God. This can’t be done while the storm is brewing. We need to spend time preparing before the storm arrives.

I received a phone call last week that could have shaken me. Instead, my heart was prepared and full of God’s promises, which combatted the effects of that news. I was able to see past that moment, and into the future, confident of what God has ahead of me. For you see, when you are aware of the fact that God is in control of your life and loves you, there is nothing that can shake you. The storms will not beat you down.

“ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” – Matthew 7:25-27

Do You Trust Me?

I don’t know about the rest of you, but one of my favorite Disney movie moments is when Aladdin extends his hand to Jasmine and asks, “Do you trust me?” In fact, this moment happens twice in the movie. The first time, the palace guards are chasing the two of them on the rooftop, and there is no way out. Aladdin offers her an unseen method of escape. The second time occurs when Aladdin offers to take Jasmine out of the palace and bring her on an extraordinary adventure by way of a magic carpet. This iconic movie moment has made a lasting impression on me. You see, when I am going through a trial in my life, or when I’m simply feeling fearful, I sometimes feel like I am being closed in on all sides, and there is no natural way out. It is in those moments when I hear the Lord whisper in my ear, “Do you trust me?” Or when God asks me to step outside my comfort zone and take a leap of faith, and I feel I’m not qualified or worthy to do what He’s asked me to do, He again whispers in my ear, “Do you trust me?”

For you see, a woman who makes God Lord of her life, and submits to Him completely, can experience peace in the midst of the most trying or fearful situations. David is a perfect example of this. He faced an unconquerable giant, was pursued by King Saul, and was placed in many other life threatening predicaments. Throughout all these trials, David remained a man of peace, one without fear. In Psalm 56 verses 3 and 4 we see why. When he experienced these trials, he declared to the Lord,

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.

It didn’t matter what David encountered; he was confident the Lord was in control. It didn’t matter that a young, unqualified boy was anointed King of Israel without any training or support from his family. He knew that – qualified or not – God would equip him to do the work he was called to do. David was steadfast, trusting in the promises of God.

Feelings of fear, anxiety, and worry are so prevalent today. And it is understandably so. The times we are are living in are downright scary. Read the cover of the newspaper or just watch a few minutes of the news. Deadly viruses, terrorist plots, financial decline. Or get a phone call from the doctor that says they need to do a biopsy because your initial test shows some suspicious findings.

What do you do? What can you do? You have two choices. You can react in fear and entertain the “what ifs” basing every decision on the worse case scenario. Or, you can have peace knowing that the living God, the creator of the universe, the omniscient, omnipresent, all-powerful one, loves you and has your life under control. Scriptures say in Jeremiah 17:7-8,

But blessed is the man, who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He 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.

So the next time you want to default to pure panic mode, listen to the still, small voice of God asking, “Do you trust me?” If your answer is yes, then God is able to take you on an adventure that makes a magic carpet ride seem boring.