I get between 3-5 devotionals in my email everyday, each for a different reason. The goal is to try to read them in the morning, when I first wake up, or when I first get to work so that I can have that good foundation for the day. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. One of the devotionals that I receive is from Proverbs 31 Ministries, and it’s a devotional especially for women. I LOVE this devotional, and the ministry, because I feel like the women who write the devotionals are authentic about their worship and their relationship with God.

Today’s devotional was about having faith in the things that God has called you to do. This spoke to my situation, as I know that God is in the process of taking me to a higher level; however, I’ve been constantly questioning and being unsure of what’s to come. Here’s what the devotional said that really spoke to me:

This past year God called me to “step out” in a variety of ways in my life. His callings took me into unfamiliar territory. I, too, had a choice to make. I either had to stay where I was, or cross the Sea. To stay where I was meant that I wouldn’t fulfill the “hope of my calling,” or enter my “promised land”. This is where God’s blessings would flow fully and abundantly to me and through me as I allowed Him to be Lord of my life. There’s much reward in obedience. I knew that crossing the sea was the way to go. I knew it was best for me, and yet I stood on the shore saying, “Do I cross or not cross?”

Put yourself in the place of the Israelites. Picture yourself standing by the Red Sea. The Egyptians are hot on your trail. Moses raises the staff and the waters part. You’re standing on the shore looking at that. You have to run down a hill to the bottom of the sea. Can you imagine how high the walls of water would be on each side of you? What about the noise of the wind holding the water back? You’d be thinking, “If I run into this, will the waters stay back until I get across? Can I make it before the waters come crashing back in?” “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land.”

Even when God is offering deliverance or a good path, it still takes faith to accept it!

The good news is our God is so faithful to us. He doesn’t stand on the other side of the sea shouting, “Hurry up and run!” He gently and lovingly stands by our side, takes our hand, and says: “Beloved, don’t be afraid. I will not leave you nor forsake you, I have summoned you by name, you are mine. When you walk through the waters I will be with you, they will not sweep over you, for I am the Lord your God and I love you…together, let’s cross the sea” (adapted from Isaiah 43)…

Whatever sea of circumstances you might have, may you, by faith, cross the sea as though on dry land.

So, I have been encouraged as I venture to this higher level in being reminded that God is faithful, caring, loving, and able to do EXACTLY what He said.

Wishing you God’s best!

“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
~Romans 4:20-21

I’ve been thinking a lot about faith and what I believe in regards to my relationship with God. Reading Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz really opened my eyes to the many ways that our belief in God can be expressed. If you haven’t read it, I strongly recommend it.

A few weeks ago my pastor preached from Daniel, using the well-known story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. While I know this story, it really resonated with me that Sunday; and since then, I’ve been telling myself that I want to have faith like the 3 Hebrew boys. Here is (to me) the best part of the story:

…and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

How awesome is that, to not only refuse to worship these idols, but to say in the face of danger that EVEN IF God does not rescue me, I STILL won’t worship you? Man…I am striving to say that to my circumstances. Yes, I do believe that God will bring me out, but EVEN IF HE DOES NOT, I still won’t waver in my faith and worship to him. That is so amazing…

Even as I say all of this, I wonder why it’s so hard for Christians to admit that there are times where we struggle with our faith. The other night while having dinner with some of the other ministerial staff members, I was talking about the students who were killed in Columbine after telling the shooters they believed in Jesus. I said that if they came to me in the same situation, I would LOVE to think that I would admit that I am most definitely a believer; however, I can’t HONESTLY say that I would, especially with a gun in my face, knowing that you’ve just killed a few people moments before.

After I said that, they all looked at me like I was crazy and it was SILENT. I was irked because I felt like I had broken a cardinal commandment of “Thou shalt not admiteth thy struggles with faith”. If you can’t be honest with those in the body of Christ, who can you really be honest with?

And with that…I’m signing off. Wishing you God’s love, peace, and blessings!

additional thoughts on how we express what we believe…