Faith

I've been reading, hearing, and thinking a lot about faith. Hebrews 11 is known as the faith chapter. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". Faith has substance. Faith IS substance. It is something real and concrete. It is the evidence of what we hope for. Faith is the reality of our hope. And everybody has a measure of faith. Believers and non-believers alike.

There's a story in the Old Testament that takes place after Abram and his nephew, Lot, go their separate ways. God tells Abram to "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever...." God was, in essence, telling Abram, "If you can see it, I will give it to you and your offspring to have as an inheritance." God hadn't yet given it to Abram, but Abram knew that God's word and his promises were true. Abram may not have had possession of that promise right at that particular time and place, but he knew he was going to have possession of it because God told him he was going to have possession of it.

The same is true with our faith walk. God's Word makes promises and declarations to us that are true. When we see those promises and declarations that God makes or when God shows us things -- reveals things to us -- we can latch on to those things and believe God for those things because God is not a liar. He is faithful and true to His Word. His promises are "yes" and "amen". They are born out of His great love for us and out of what Christ did for us on the cross. He gives them to us out of a love relationship with us.

I feel like a little child who wants more...More of my Father, more faith, more of what the Word says...but, I also want to grow and be able to give away.

Scary Little Prayer Declaration

Our church is hosting an IheartHaiti dance on February 14th to benefit a particular children's home in Haiti that was destroyed, leaving 10 orphaned children and their caregivers with nothing but their faith in God and the prayers of God's people. What else do you really need?

Anyway, I decided to seek pledges from fellow employees at the nursing home where I work. So far, only two people have handed me either cash or a check. My scary little prayer is this: That God will provide so that I can match, dollar-for-dollar, all the contributions that my fellow co-workers make for the IheartHaiti benefit dance. So far, this will be easy to do. However, I feel as though God placed this idea on my heart, and that He will cause enough people to donate that it won't be easy for me to match their contributions. I will have to step out in faith and trust Him to both provide the contributions and the money to match them.

Waiting

I haven't blogged for awhile...Not totally sure what to blog or, more correctly, how to put into words yet the things I sense God is starting to do. God has made some divine appointments for me. He is leading me down paths that are new to me and I am not sure what the end result will be. He has told me, "Don't be afraid to go where I lead you." I don't know where He will lead me, but if He is leading me and I am following in His footsteps, then I confidently place my trust in Him.

He is also revealing bits and pieces of Himself to me. Not just about Him, but WHO He is. Things He likes, mannerisms. These are the things about Jesus that I really want to know. Things that are private and precious between the two of us.

Another thing that I've been picking up on are that we have more than just our five physical senses. We have, also, the way we sense (experience) things with our soul (or mind and emotions), and we also have a set of spiritual senses. I've been praying that God develops a keen set of spiritual senses in me. Really, God gave me all 3 sets of senses and I would love it if He developed all 3 sets of 5 senses in order for me to pick up on more of Him. I want to glorify Him with ALL that I have.

In the meantime, I am waiting...Waiting to see what happens...Waiting to see where He will lead me.