inspiration – Faith Encounters

Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm. Isaiah 7:9b. NLT.

I read this portion of scripture a few days ago, and it struck me quite hard. The NKJV says “If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established…”. As I have been walking through life’s challenges this past week, I realized, God is working in our hearts to help is stand strong in Him, His Word and His Ways. It is time my friends, to refresh your trust in Who HE Is!

It seems life has been more challenging for more people lately. It is like one of those video games where you start out on a easy level where things are at a slower pace and you can keep up. Then as you move up more levels, the enemy is firing more often with even stronger fire balls at you. For me, I get overwhelmed and quit. Which is an easy thing to do, because it is a game. Life not so much. Many of my friends are facing extremely difficult decisions about how to do life, financially, emotionally and spiritually. They are struggling, but standing. I have been praying for them, a lot! My trust in Him and His ways is either firm, or it isn’t. The good news is that God understands our shaky ways, and He has a plan.

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, be strong do not fear! Behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you. Isaiah 35: 3-4. NKJV Do your knees need to be strengthened? Are they feeling a bit feeble? I want to encourage you to cling to the Lord. Whatever you are facing, He will help you. He will show up and in His time the battle will be over. At times, during my own struggles, I think what would Jesus do if He were here? He would stand and win. Then I remember, He is here, fighting for me and with me. I can rest in Him, even during the fight!

Maybe your battle is with yourself. It happens. My advice? Just surrender to Him and His will, tell Him your struggles and lean in to Him. Surround yourself with believers who can help strengthen those weaker areas. But it really is up to each of us, to either choose to trust Him and His ways or not. To allow the fruit of the Spirit to be cultivated in our hearts versus allowing the works of the flesh to reign. Ask for prayer and counseling. Listen to it and apply it. Take courage from the testimony of others. I have never found Him lacking, myself yes, Him, never. I encourage myself with Paul’s many trials that are listed in 2 Corinthians. I haven’t been beaten, stoned, shipwrecked or thrown into prison for my faith. If he can do it and stay strong in his faith, I can go through my trials and tests, and so can you.

Maybe it is time for you to refresh your trust in the Who you are trusting. Don’t wait another day. Make the time to spend quality time in His Presence. You will find your hands strengthened, your knees firmed up and with a new resolve that life is doable. It is easy to forget, in the middle of so many battles, that we have a Savior, but we do! Answers to your prayers may take time, but fellowship with Him can happen at any time. And during the fellowship of our sufferings we can come to know Him in a deeper manner. Enduring hard things is part of what life is about. It is so much easier doing those hard things together with Him, than alone.

We must take time to consider, “do we want to grow stronger in our faith and trust, or do we just want to complain about our struggles?” God’s help is always available, but there are times when people resist His help. That is part of the reason Isaiah wrote “unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you firm”, again, it is our choice. My friends, choose Him, it’s always worth it.

Father, I thank you for renewing and refreshing our trust in Who you are. I thank you that as we read Your Word, we can discover You and Your Ways and they are good. I ask you to strengthen those who are feeling weak and feeble today. Send Your Word of encouragement to them, In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

I have been thinking about this verse a lot lately. I think it is one we like to quote to encourage others–but maybe, due to pride not want to apply to ourselves. Pride aside, we must admit, we all have our weaknesses. I am so grateful that God understands that about us. He not only knows our weaknesses, but He expects to use them for His glory. He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:23. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:25. NLT.

Most of us spent a lifetime trying to hide our weaknesses. When they are exposed, we feel vulnerable and subject to criticism and/or rejection. I think we even try to hide them from ourselves! 2 Corinthians begins with Paul saying: This boasting will do not good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 Corinthians 12:1 NLT. He then spends a few verses sharing about his experiences (which sound amazing!) of seeing things that he can’t even express. But he doesn’t even elaborate on them, he jumps to: that experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. 2 Corinthians 12:5. NLT. But then Paul clues us in on the backstory.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away [a thorn in his flesh] Each time he said, ‘my grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9.

One of my weak areas is asking for help. I have a tendency to be the “strong, independent woman” on my own. I know I am not alone in this, in trying to figure out the balance between being a weak, needy woman and the “I don’t need anyone”. Balance, for me, often comes through prayer. When I take the time to lean in an onto the Lord, He either shows me how to get through it, or He helps me ask for help. My weakness then turns into a strength, because I included Him and His wisdom.

Have you ever received an “assignment” from the Lord? Maybe you have been reluctant to accept it, but then you surrender to it? The struggle might deal with your own insecurity (hmm, a weakness?), fear of failure or like Jonah, you didn’t like the “Ninevites!”. But once you said yes, we must still rely on Him and trust His plan for the outcome. If we begin understanding our weakness, we must not end in our supposed strength. Paul goes on to finish his thoughts: That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10. NLT.

I found a journal entry from 2011. It was written during the height of my caregiving season for my husband. I wrote this: The Lord God is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army]; He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet and makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility]. Habakkuk 3: 19 Amp. Oh, how I knew I needed Him to be my strength. I learned during that challenging season how to lean into Him and receive His strength. My friends, does the Lord have you in a season where your weaknesses seem to be exposed? Congratulations! This is a good thing. He is able to do more than ever through you and me, when we admit our weakness. Do not let pride stop you from asking for His help. And when it arrives, no matter what shape or form, take it. I went on to write: My weakness is your strength. You already know about Darryl and my weaknesses and you can use them to be strong in us. Yes, thank you, I’m free to love Darryl with his weakness because you love him and will be strong in them. That gives me permission to love myself in the midst of my weaknesses as well.

When we admit our weaknesses to ourselves, we take a step toward loving ourselves well. Once we admit them to Him, He may show you ways to grow up and out of them (like works of the flesh). Others, He may show you a way to live with them in a way that glorifies Him (like Moses, and his stammering lips). If we want the power of God to work in us and through us, we have to get this right. Plus it is so freeing not to be perfect!

Father, I thank you that we can be strong in the power of Your might. I ask you to help us in this crucial area. We need You, more than ever, in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Tag: inspiration

Faith and Fresh Trust

Faith and “Weakness”