Faith + Fear = Normal

Here are some thoughts from my journal that I wanted to share with you.

Abraham's life is full of faith, yet it is also full of fear.

He trusted the Lord enough to leave his family and head to a foreign land. He traveled over 1000 miles, never to return. Family visits were not an option for him. He left with the confidence that he would never see his relatives, including his own parents, again. He trusted the Lord enough to offer up his promised son, Isaac. This son was supposed to be the key to Abraham's numerous descendants. This was the son that had caused Abraham and Sarah to wait over twenty-five years from the time of the Lord's promise to the time of Isaac's birth. Abraham trusted God. Abraham had faith enough to be willing to offer his son to the Lord (the Lord spared Isaac's life in a wonderful turn of events).

YET...

....he (Abraham) was fearful and failed to trust the Lord to protect him and his wife as they entered new lands, so he lied and said that Sarah was only his sister. Multiple times. Abraham was afraid. He failed to trust in the Lord. Abraham also doubted the Lord's promise of numerous descendants and slept with his wife's maidservant when Sarah suggested that was the key to the fulfillment of the Lord's promise, rather than actually waiting on the Lord. He was afraid that the Lord would not fulfill His promise.

Through all of the doubts, Abraham is known as a man of faith. He even makes it into Hebrews 11, the "faith chapter." However, he did not make it in because he was perfect or because he was never afraid.

This is such a reminder that God does not only look at our faults and our failures. He sees our heart. What is the yearning of our heart? Is it to live life as we see fit or is it to strive for obedience to the Lord, amidst our doubts, insecurities, and imperfections?

I, for one, am so thankful that God sees not only my actions, but also my heart. He does not focus on the fact that I may have failed Him one thousand times before. He sees that I desire Him. He sees that I desire to honor Him, to seek Him, and to obey Him. That is what matters to the Lord. The fear factor is not the end all, be all. God sees my heart.

He sees yours as well. Do you feel like you have failed too many times? Take heart. Even the most well known biblical characters are full of regrets, fears, and failures. Yet God used them! :)

He'll use you and me as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Worth the Wait

It's been a while since my last post....over a year in fact. I thought it was time for an update on my life now. If you've read any old posts of mine, I've talked about my struggle with waiting on the Lord. It has not always been an easy journey. Sometimes I could understand what the Lord was asking me to do. Other times I did not see His plan at work or understand and I was tired of waiting (in regards to dating in particular).

Well, all of my waiting was entirely WORTH THE WAIT. Every single moment of it. The Lord has blessed me with the most incredible man in my life. My husband, Jeremy. We have been married six and a half months now and every day I feel incredibly blessed. I am constantly blown away by the Lord. By the MAN He has given me. I did not have to settle for a boy who does not know how to treat me. I found a man who loves the Lord, loves me, and my family. He respects me. He is kind. He is patient. He is loyal. He is a servant (he cooks and cleans and is so helpful around the house). He encourages me. He sticks by my side through all of my moods. He takes care of me when I am sick. I am blessed and I am blown away by the Lord's faithfulness. He is never failing. He is always at work. He gives me far more than I could ever hope for or imagine. He truly does fight for me.

 He'll do the same for you as well. He is not slow in keeping His promises. He never forgets. When it feels like He has forgotten, hold on. He is there. I watched a movie last night that had a great line in it: "When you're going through something really hard, the teacher is always quiet during the test." It does not mean that God is not with you. He is there, but sometimes we have to push through. Sometimes we have to wait it out. The reward is so much sweeter when we do. We need to be ready. We may not understand why the timing is not our own. But know this, the Lord knows. He truly does. He has a far better imagination and plan than we could even dream up. So trust in Him. If you feel He is far away or He is failing you, ask Him to remind you of His hand at work in your life. He will do it. He is faithful. His plan is ALWAYS worth the wait.

"God can do anything, you know

- far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request

in your wildest dreams! 

He does it not by pushing us around

but by working within us,

His Spirit deeply and gently within us."

Ephesians 3:20 (Message)

 

 

 

 

 

 *Photos compliments of Molly Harmon Photography*