Tag: faith

Sunday’s Scripture… Even if

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Today’s Scripture is from the book of Daniel…

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.  -Daniel 3:17-18

This passage is spoken by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in response to the king’s threats to toss them into the furnace.  They literally were facing the fire, lives on the line, and their faith remained unwaivering.  And what strikes me here is the phrase, “and even if He does not.”  They acknowledge that the God they serve is most certainly capable of rescuing them from their circumstances, but they also choose to accept that He may opt not to rescue them- and they’ll worship Him anyway.  I heard someone once refer to this as the “even-if” kind of faith… Trusting God’s plans even if it doesn’t look like what you expect or desire.

Y’all, I’m struggling with this kind of faith this week.  It’s been a hard two weeks in our family.  Two weeks ago today I wrote about my youngest having a small seizure, and that it was no big deal and to be expected.  That was easy to say when it was just one small one-minute seizure.  But Friday morning we woke up around 6:30 to find her in another seizure.  She happened to be in the bed with us, so her shaking woke us up- but we don’t know how long she had been seizing before we actually woke up.  We started timing it once we were aware of what was happening, and it lasted about four minutes and then stopped on its own so we did not have to administer her emergency medication… But it was scary.  We’ve now witnessed a few of these episodes with Harper, but they don’t get easier… It is a gut-wrenching, heart-breaking feeling to watch your spunky, full-of-life child be so vulnerable and helpless.

With these seizures we have also been seeing some other changes in Harper.  Her mood swings are intense- We have the typical terrible two’s, but it’s amplified by her lack of sleep, an incredible physical strength, and these new screaming spells that come on for no apparent reason and can last for a really long time (and no, they are not like toddler tantrums).  She’s been eating very little, naps about once a week, and is up and down through the night once she finally falls asleep.  Now that she has started having these seizures, she has been moved from the toddler bed in our room into our bed so that we can feel her when she starts seizing… Not an ideal sleeping situation, but it’s the best way we know how to get any rest at this point in the game.  We have a message in to her neurologist at Duke to update him on what we are seeing, and her next MRI is currently scheduled for September.

I have hesitated to tell people that we are dealing with this.  I’ve been so full of hope and we’ve seen such great strides forward for so long that it’s hard to admit things aren’t perfect.  I’m so grateful to God for bringing us this far that it feels wrong to say there’s a problem now.  I feel guilty for any kind of complaining about things being hard because they could be so much worse.  And I feel guilty for being afraid because my faith should be greater than that.  Plus, speaking it makes it more real, and I don’t want this to be a real thing for my daughter or our family.

But I am drained.  I am weary.  I am exhausted.  And it isn’t just physically.  This new way of living is mentally and emotionally wearing, and the worry is weighing heavy on this mommy’s heart.  I know all of the verses about not worrying, I know where my hope lies, I know Who ultimately is in control, I know my help and my strength comes from the Lord… My head knows the Bible answers, but my heart is struggling with the “even-if” faith.

We’ve seen miracles happen.  We’ve been granted an incredible blessing in Harper.  I don’t for a minute discredit all the that Lord has done for us… We are miles away from where we were two years ago.  And I know He has a plan.  But in these moments, I’m a little bit scared of what His plan may entail.  I know He can totally heal our girl- but I also know that His plans are not our plans and I have to be willing to trust Him and praise Him “even if He does not.”  Because regardless of what happens, He is still God and He is still good… even if.

he is still good

Fruit of the Spirit: Keep the faith

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

-Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

Faithfulness…

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
-Hebrews 11:1

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Faithfulness is defined as the quality of being faithful; fidelity; true and constant support or loyalty; steady in allegiance or affection. Oftentimes we use the word to describe the relationship between husband and wife, the loyalty of a pet to its master, or a commitment we have to friends or family members. We even go so far as to declare our faithful allegiance to sports teams, certain stores or restaurants, or brands of clothing or cars. We pride ourselves in our devout loyalty to the things of this world, to being so faithful in so many ways. Yet in Galatians 5:22, we read that faithfulness is a God-given gift, one of the fruits that evidences the Holy Spirit in our lives.

In Psalm 15, David gives us a Biblical definition of a faithful man…

Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart
And has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
Who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
Who lends money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

 Blameless. Righteous. Speaks truth. Does his neighbor no wrong. Who keeps his oath even when it hurts. These are the virtues of one who is considered faithful in the eyes of God, and it is not by accident that David included the phrase, “even when it hurts.” God does not look for fair-weather faithfulness. He wants faithfulness in ALL circumstances, both good and bad. It’s all a part of His grand plan, and He commands that we trust and obey even especially in the difficult times.

The Bible is full of examples of men and women who displayed great faithfulness in victory and in trial. If you’ve never studied Hebrews 11, stop and take a look at it now. Here we find a roll call of the faithful. So much can be learned by reading this chapter, and then going back and reading the accounts of those mentioned. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Rahab… just a handful of the examples of ordinary people that trusted God and exhibited extraordinary faithfulness.  They weren’t some kind of supernatural people that had something we don’t have- they had flaws and mistakes and sinful natures and scars and pasts and baggage, just like you and me… but they surrendered it all to God, the good and the bad, and allowed Him to use them for His glory.

There are other role models for us to examine throughout God’s word, and I’m turning our focus to three in particular- Esther, Job, and Stephen… Three very different people at different times in different circumstances, but all trusting the same God to do big things.

The book of Esther is an incredible account of an ordinary woman of great faith that God used to do amazing things. An orphan girl, raised by her cousin, and placed into a marriage to a man who was known for tossing aside his wives when they were less than submissive to his plans.  Yet Esther was willing to trust God’s plan for His people and allowed herself to be used by Him, even when it meant risking her own life. Her faith in God enabled her to have the courage to be bold and follow His agenda, even when it led her out of her comfort zone. “…When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16)

The book of Job gives us a look at a man who was faithful to God even when it hurt. Job was a righteous man, a godly man, a faithful man… yet he had to endure extreme hardships, losing everything he had. He lost his children, his wealth, and his health, yet he refused to give up on God because he knew God was so much bigger than the problems he faced on this earth. He faced peer pressure and ridicule when he continued praising God in the storm, but he wasn’t swayed.  He had faith that God was still in control and that God had great things in store for him, even when life seemed hopeless. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21) “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him…” (Job 13:15)

Finally, in the New Testament we see Stephen, described as being “a man full of God’s grace and power.” (Acts 6:8) Stephen portrayed ultimate courage and strength in the Lord as he boldly stood before the Sanhedrin (see Acts 7) and professed the truth, knowing it would cost him his life. He had every opportunity to back down or stay silent in order to preserve his life, but his loyalty to God was so fierce and strong that he had to proclaim God’s word. Even in the face of death, Stephen declared God’s sovereignty, and prayed for those persecuting him as they stoned him to death. While that sounds like a grim ending, it was a joyous occasion as Stephen was welcomed into an eternity with God and his faith was made sight.

What can we take from these big examples of godly faithfulness? Stay the course. Don’t give up. Pledge your allegiance solely to Him. The mark of true faith is grateful obedience… grabbing God’s hand and following Him when He tells us to move, praising Him while we wait (and wait, and wait) in the everyday mundane, and trusting Him when the storms blow in and turn our worlds upside down. Friends, I know the struggle.  I’ve been in the pit, I’ve seen hopeless, I’ve been drowning in my own tears… but I’ve seen mercy and grace and love as He lifted me from the sludge.  “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet upon the rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God…” (Psalm 40:2-3).  There is no pit too deep, no valley too low, no sludge too thick that can keep Him away, so keep the faith.  Be bold, be strong, be courageous… in every season and circumstance.

“Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.”
-Deuteronomy 10:20-21

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
-Lamentations 3:22-24

“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
-Revelation 2:10