Standing in Faith: How to Keep the Faith When Things Look Bad (Walk by Faith, Not by Sight Book 1)
If you want to walk by faith, you need to release your fear to God and accept the path He leads you down. This is easier said than done, of course. You may not be able to become completely fearless, but you can be courageous and learn to act according to God's will even when you are afraid of what lies ahead.
Focus on things that have eternal significance. It's easy to fixate on aspects of your earthly life—finances, possessions, and so one. These things disappear along with the mortal body, though, and have no lasting spiritual value. A big house or a fancy car are things the world might value, but they won't matter in God's kingdom. Earthly success is not inherently evil.
You can live a comfortable life in a nice home with a good job and still walk by faith. The problem isn't in having these things; the problem is prioritizing these symbols of earthly success over matters of the Spirit. Instead of focusing on the life before you, focus on unseen realities, like Jesus and Heaven. Center your life around these realities instead of the visible, temporary realities of your earthly life. Store up treasures in Heaven by doing the will of God, as instructed in Matthew 6: Obey the Bible and God's commands. Living your life according to your faith in God will require you to follow God's law above and before the ways of mankind.
God's law can be learned and understood through the study of His Word. Understand that there are times when the world will try to convince you that something forbidden by God's law is acceptable. Human inclination is follow the ways of the world, but to walk by faith, you need to follow the ways of God. You cannot control the actions of those around you, but as far as your own life is concerned, you must live according to what God has deemed is right and just. Prepare to look foolish. For those who walk by sight, the actions and beliefs of a person who walks by faith can seem foolish.
You'll need to learn to walk on in spite of any criticism you receive from those around you. God's ways are not humanity's ways. Your natural inclination will be to follow your own understanding and the current philosophy of human society, but doing so will not guide you down the path God wants you to follow. Expect to face trials along the way.
Every road has rough patches, and the one you're setting out on now is no exception. The trials you'll face are there to give your journey strength and meaning, though. You might stumble and give into the temptation to do what you know to be wrong, and dealing with the consequences of your actions can make things difficult for a while.
Even so, God will not abandon you. He can even use the evils of your hardship for your good if you let Him. On the other hand, a natural disaster or some other unforeseen, uncontrollable force might rip through your life. God can and will use that tragedy for the greater good, though, as long as you are open to it. Stop waiting for an epiphany.
There might be times when you feel the presence of God very vividly, but there will also be times when you feel a sense of distance between you and God. You need to keep walking by faith through these dark times without waiting for some epiphany or miracle to illuminate your path. It means to ask without any doubting. To doubt and waver in our prayer is often related to the arguments we are having in our hearts with God. Diakrinomenos describes one who is divided in his mind and who wavers between two opinions. One moment he voices the yes of faith; the next moment it is the no of disbelief.
Instead, prayer that moves God to respond must be marked by the constancy of unwavering faith. In practical terms, then, just how should we approach our trials in prayer? Our need is to ask our loving and caring heavenly Father: May I also suggest that, as a part of maturing us and helping us to grow, God uses our suffering to get us to deal with four dangers in the Christian life: This is what suffering is all about and what God is seeking to develop in each of us.
By concentration we are talking about the ongoing process of focusing on the Lord which again involves us in positively thinking about those five important concepts about God, His person, plan, principles, purposes, and promises. The question arises, how can we continue to count it all joy and cast our problems on the Lord so we can experience peace, courage, and His strength and purposes through our suffering?
Not only do we face the problem of maintaining our focus on the Lord, but we face the problem of thinking properly and biblically. We can focus on the Lord and cry out to him for help, but we can cry out in unbelief and from a failure to think in terms of the principles and promises of Scripture that need to be considered and applied to our situation. There Joshua cried out to the Lord in dismay, but in such a way that it reflected unbelief or doubt because he had failed to lay hold of the principles and promises of the Word that might apply to their situation, the defeat at Ai.
Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! Then what will You do for Your great name? As pointed out, the trials of life, including our times of defeat, are tools of growth or instruments God uses to correct, instruct, and change us. Such was the case here with Joshua and the nation of Israel. Starting with crossing the Jordan and the victory over Jericho, Israel had experienced one victory after another, but suddenly they faced defeat at Ai, a small city that appeared to be a pushover in contrast to the likes of Jericho. They went from the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat, which completely demoralized the people and the leadership, as can be seen in verses Remember, God had told him that success in the battles that lay ahead would depend on his adherence to the Law of God, i.
Joshua was certainly eager to take more territory and accomplish the task the Lord had given them. But undoubtedly, being a little self-confident and resting too much on the victories of the past, he failed to take time to get alone with the Lord to inquire of Him and seek His strength and direction. As such, Joshua acted unwisely.
Four deadly errors were the result: How often are we just like Joshua here in chapter 7. Because of a workaholic mentality or an activity-oriented bent or our desire to be successful, there is the tendency to rush off without taking time with the Lord to draw near to Him and His resources.
If Joshua had done this, surely, God would have informed him of the actions of Achan, the need of restoration, and just how they should approach Ai. To fail to take time for the Lord to seek His guidance and strength will cause us to be insensitive to our sin. This grieves and quenches the Spirit and leaves us defenseless against the enemy and against those that stand in the way of our progress and victory.
Finally, note that the last part of 7: This is perhaps more significant than the military defeat because it created misgivings and a lack of hope or confidence in the purpose and power of God. It caused them to begin to doubt the Lord and wonder if He had made a mistake, rather than examine their own lives and look for those spiritual issues that may have caused their defeat.
How typical of human nature and our sinfulness. We are so quick to become depressed , discouraged , and disoriented. We are often quick to look in every direction for a reason but to ourselves. He cares about our lives and is working to reveal Himself and teach us about ourselves and what we need to be doing as we walk the path of faith 1 Pet. The question is, are we listening? Falling on his face may have demonstrated some humility here since he was crying out to God, but mostly, this was an act of despair, the spirit of hopelessness and unbelief as his words in verse 7 aptly demonstrate.
So the Lord tells Joshua to get up or rise up out of this condition. Such a condition, though very human and characteristic of all of us from time to time, is not a state in which we can afford to stay. From this basic literal meaning there was often a figurative idea that qum gave rise to. While the Lord understands and sympathizes with our problems, fears, or whatever, He nevertheless never condones such a state nor excuses us from appropriating His grace and moving out in obedience.
His word to us is to get up off our face, get our eyes on Him and deal with the problems in our lives according to the principles and promises of Scripture. God says in essence, in view of who I am, My work for Israel, and My promises to you, Joshua, what possible reason could you have for such despair? This question becomes a call to get his eyes on the Lord! Then, I think this is secondarily a call for Joshua, and for us when this is applicable, to examine the nature of what we are doing and the root causes for our failures or trials when they occur.
What lessons might the Lord be seeking to teach me? Is this caused by something I did or failed to do? More on this later. Do we not see here an illustration of the truth of James 1: The Lord was speaking directly to Joshua.
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Today He speaks to us in the Word, and this illustrates the truth of how we find answers to the conditions in our lives when we spend time with God in the Word or know Scripture and seek to apply it to the variegated testings we encounter. Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. This may look like several different violations as you read the text in the NASB or KJV because of the connectives and used in these translations, but for the most part, each clause is a further explanation of the preceding.
The translation of the NIV is better here because it shows how each description further explains the problem. Note the following elements:. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction NIV. In this verse we see one of the consequences of unconfessed sin in our lives is weakness, inability to serve and live for the Lord.
For further study on this important truth see John In Christ we have the capacity to live victoriously for the Lord regardless of what we face, but the ability to do so depends on fellowship and walking in the light 1 John 1: Being created in the image of God, we are rational creatures with the ability to study, evaluate, and think through issues. As a result, we can naturally come up with solutions and actions to take for the various situations of life. We do not by-in-large act by instinct as does the animal kingdom.
But in addition or as a part of this exchange, we need to actively channel our thinking into the life-giving stream of Scripture. Though the apostle is writing this in answer to the accusations of his opponents cf. Paul and his partners in the work of Christ had been accused of walking according to the flesh, i. Ironically, it was the Corinthians and the false teachers who were operating with a fleshly viewpoint.
They were impressed with authoritarianism, with showy and miraculous activities. As today, they measured success and godliness by the wrong standards. In verses we see the answer or defense. Paul denied their accusations vs. Please note the piling up of military terms in verses , which strongly emphasizes that believers are soldiers of Christ in a life and death struggle, in spiritual combat and in a spiritual war.
This is evident by the words used: For a soldier to be able to fight, he must have weapons—a reference to the things believers are to use in carrying out their ministries and daily lives. Because of the nature of the battle against Satan and our own inherent weakness, Christian warfare must be carried on by faith in the Lord and in the powerful weapons given to us in Christ. Here it is plural and refers to the many human solutions and strategies in which men put their confidence and use as a substitute in place of the Lord and the salvation and strength that comes in Him.
Ironically, these same strongholds become like a prison house that hold them in bondage. By contrast compare Proverbs They are the reasoning of arrogance, the lofty ideas of man like the battlements of an army raised up to defeat an enemy. But how can we tear down these fortresses of human reasoning that men and these can include our own rationalizations raise up against the knowledge of God and all that He is to us? This is answered for us in the next clause.
Through the mighty weapons we have in Christ the Word, prayer, the filling of the Holy Spirit, etc. The present tense here points to the continual struggle we face, but also the continual responsibility. Surely, there is application here. Using the spiritual weapons at our disposal, particularly the Word of God and the filling of the Holy Spirit, we are to bring every kind of thought into subjection.
The idea here is every kind of thought and all of our thoughts are to be made subservient to the Lord so that the result is obedience. Perhaps its derivation is helpful. The foundation for obedient living and godly change is our thought life and our beliefs upon which we base our thinking and by which we derive our attitudes and plans of action or strategies.
When we do not bring our thought life into subjection to the true knowledge of God and what He is to us in Christ, we come up with our own ideas that neutralize or replace the truth of God as it is found for us in His inspired and authoritative Word. We are not only to think about these things, but we are to think these things. They are to be the content of our minds as those who know the Lord is near. Instead of bitterness, revenge, frustration, fear, and all that accompanies such a downward focus, we are to have our minds filled with all that should accompany a focus on the Lord and the truth of His Word.
But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors. Before we look at this passage, I would like to look briefly at two other key Scriptures which are important to Ecclesiastes 7: What does He work? The immanence of God means that He pervades and sustains the universe. It means He is actively and personally involved. Be sure to distinguish immanent from imminent.
When something is imminent, it is impending, or ready to take place. God is not in a state of indifference concerning our affairs. Rather, He is intimately involved and actively at work. We need to place this truth alongside all the affairs and trials of life and learn to recognize them as tools and instruments of God that He sovereignly uses to conform us to the image of His Son. Again, how much is God involved? God is totally involved with the good and the bad, with what hurts and with what is pleasing.
But what does God do? They have a purpose, a design. God is at work regardless of our spiritual condition even if He has to discipline a believer unto death. In verses 11 and 12 we have an emphasis on the value of biblical wisdom and its advantages in life.
Then, verses 13 and 14 give insight on how God works as the synchronizer of our lives and how this should affect us in our daily attitudes and actions. First, the command vs. It refers to the concept of Ephesians 1: Second, the question vs. It shows us what God can do and does. He bends the path of our lives. It has ups and downs, rough places and smooth places. We live in a fallen world filled with sinful people and life simply will not be an interstate highway.
As a personal, loving, and all-wise God, He is personally and actively involved. Man cannot straighten what God has bent. When God puts a curve in our road, we must follow the curve or run off the road or maybe into a mountain. When driving through the mountains on a switch back highway, say the beautiful drive from Durango to Uray, Colorado you cannot ignore the curves and decide to bulldoze your way through the mountain.
If you are going to enjoy the scenery and get to Uray, you have to follow the road laid out by the engineers. So too, when in the providence of God, God allows us to fall and break a bone, we cannot run the film back and cut that part out. We must live with the broken bone. Of course, a man on his way to Uray can turn around and go back to Durango, but then he will miss the beautiful scenery.
And you and I can, of course, turn around in some cases and run away from some trials, but then we will miss what God is doing in our lives. What an interesting way to show God is involved. He bends the road or circumstances of our lives. Third, the instruction vs. Next comes some special instruction telling us how we are to act and respond to the varied circumstances of life. Think about what is God may be telling you through the circumstances. Apply the doctrine of the fact that God is involved; our circumstances are not chance happenings.
Do we fall apart, blow up or do we stay calm? Do we trust the Lord or become depressed? What do we do? Do we expect life in a fallen world to be an interstate? Do we not understand why we are here? Our instructions are to think. We are to remember and know that God is at work. He makes both the day of prosperity and the day of adversity. He synchronizes both into our lives—often the same day—but He is also working it all together for good.
We tend to ask questions like, why me? Why my spouse or child or parent? We need not even try! This is not to keep us guessing, but trusting and ever leaning upon Him. While driving on a very long, straight, boring road we tend to get mesmerized and become indifferent to our job of driving. But driving on treacherous mountain roads is a different story. Likewise, God puts turns in our path to keep us from becoming self-confident and independent.
He wants to keep us alert, trusting in and relying on Him. We must learn to be sensitive to our circumstances and the information which comes to us in the world in terms of what God is doing in our lives and wants us to know and do. When we read of a highway tragedy or nearly have one ourselves, or we get stopped by a policeman, should this not make us more careful in our own driving? If we find ourselves out of shape and out of breath when going up the stairs, should we not reevaluate our diet, our routine, our exercise program?
If we lose something valuable or have it stolen, God may be seeking to get us to evaluate our priorities Col. It is impossible to handle suffering or trials apart from faith, apart from a deep trust in God and that means believing at least six things:. The ultimate issue is this: Are our goals and aims temporal or eternal? But the Psalmist also knew the truth of Jeremiah I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.
Jeremiah says in Lamentations 3: Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the Lord. I hastened and did not delay to keep Thy commandments. But how do we do that? Again we might think about 2 Corinthians How can we do this? May I suggest three things we need to do to bring our minds into captivity with a view to obedience. Much of the suffering we go through is either self-induced misery or is caused by others who hurt us or misunderstand us in some way.
The point is trials very often call our attention to problems that need to be dealt with. As the Word mirrors and exposes us 2 Cor. I think it was C. It causes us to listen when nothing else will. Our responsibility is to seek to identify possible causes.
What Does it Mean to Walk by Faith?
This requires examination of possible causes through three penetrating questions:. Some illustrations for identifying possible causes for problems: Are my problems the product of unwise money management, overspending, seeking immediate gratification, the wrong use of credit? Does this reveal a critical spirit in me, an expectation everyone should be as I am, or a lack of patience? Am I too impressed with my opinions? Am I overbearing, possessive or pushy? Do I talk too much? Is God seeking to teach us patience, understanding, orderliness, consideration of others?
Just what can I learn? What Christ-like character is God seeking to develop in us? Do we get out of breath when we walk up short flight of stairs? It may be that God is telling us we need to watch our diet, lose a little weight, and start a regular routine of walking. We should stop and remind ourselves about our goals. There are three important distinctions we need to make in this regard:. Our primary goal is to know God, love, serve, and glorify Him. Our secondary goals are a to think and act like the Lord in Christ-like character, and b to minister to others.
This involves the means and methods God uses. God wants to make us like His Son, but what specifically does that entail? What does the Son look like? What specific character traits do the various situations of life call for as we face those varied tests in life? This means we need to consider the areas of maturity God wants to produce in our lives or in the life of another either in us or through us. We may see what God wants us to be, how He wants us to act under various circumstances, but how do we reach this goal?
What means and methods do I use to handle or resolve the problem? Time in the Word should be a priority. This involves daily time by ourselves and weekly times of assembling together for general spiritual health note first the principle of Luke We need to read, study, memorize, and meditate on key passages dealing with the problem Ps. Personal counsel with one who knows the Word is valuable time spent Ex.
This can include counsel found in sound books. Scripture warns us against unsound counsel Ps. We must acknowledge and confess wrong responses with a view to correcting them Prov. Spend time praying about the problem. In praying we need to ask for wisdom Jam. Note the context here in James deals with testing 1: Ultimately then, when we face the variegated pressures of life, part of our pain and suffering comes from the fact we are seeking to live independently of the Lord and looking to the wrong things for our happiness.
The great purpose for the upward focus, if we truly love the Lord and are committed to Him, is to learn to be more Christ-like and that means learning to live more and more dependently on the Lord and less dependently on the details of life Phil. Perhaps no one passage helps us in this matter of asking God for wisdom in the sphere of suffering or affliction like Psalm in which verses are devoted to these issues. The following is given as an aid in the study of this great Psalm especially as it relates to suffering. It accentuates the Hebrew alphabet in which the Old Testament was given.
This is even more emphatic because the Hebrew alphabet contained only consonants. In keeping with this focus, the Psalmist used ten different terms for the law or the Word of God and every verse except verses 90, , and mentions at least one of the terms see Ryrie Bible, p. The Psalm highlights the number eight.
Eight verses are found which use and highlight each of the 22 letters of the alphabet. This is suggested by the following:. Through the promises of the Word, the Psalmist anticipates and thanks God for the reviving of the Word cf. Affliction is mentioned seven times in verses 50, 67, 71, 75, 92, , and The Psalmist was in exile and under suffering. Some believe this was David, while others believe this was written by one of the exiles of the Babylonian captivity.
But regardless, the Psalm is highlighting the power of the Word to comfort us, transform us, and revive us when under suffering or affliction.
Except for verses , and , this Psalm is addressed to the Lord. It is one constant prayer by which the Psalmist praises God for the Word, acknowledges its blessing, and prays to know the Word, apply the Word, and to be revived by the Word vs. Three sections to focus on in terms of suffering or affliction are verses , , and Vital to this is a Christ centered focus that turns away from the substitutes offered by men in legalistic systems of dead works by which men seek to establish their own righteousness through their own religious works cf.
Gaebelein, General Editor, on Eccl. Boice and Frank E. Handing Off the Baton 2 Timothy 4: Walking the Romans Road. Facing Winter Seasons 2 Timothy 4: You are here Home. Faith Under Fire Related Media. Just a few passages will quickly illustrate the vital role faith or believing or trust should have: Egypt Egypt provides a type or picture of the world with all its human ideas, idolatries, mysticism, and antagonism to the salvation, deliverance, and the purposes of God for His people. Israel in the Wilderness Israel in the desert or wilderness is another type or picture and may portray: The Canaanites The Canaanites in the land are certainly analogous to our enemies who stand ready to oppose us in the Christian way of life.
The Concept of Focus We have two options with regard to our focus. Consequences of a Wrong Focus While a right focus leads to progress, endurance, and growth, the consequences of a wrong focus is a downward spiral. Concentration on the Problem Numbers Contempt In the response of the people seen in Numbers And the Savior said, Matthew 7: Contrivance Note the actions of the people in Numbers Refocusing on the Lord With this negative picture in mind, what are the biblical steps for an upward focus, the focus of faith in the grace and love of God?
So a wrong focus will also affect our capacity to love and show patience toward people How, then, do we handle this dilemma? Again, for an overview, note the following graphic: Confession One of the most important and foundational steps to the upward focus so essential to living by faith is confession and the kind of confession that goes to the root of our problems. The Introvert The Extrovert Fearful of decisions, never takes risks. Bold, decisive, the self-made man who may take risks.
Mild, quiet, never appears to get angry. Louder, more assertive, often shows his anger. Count it All Joy James 2: There was a breech in the relationship. I prayed for God to help restore and heal the relationship. He did not and led me to end it. Even though I did not want the relationship to end I obeyed because any relationship that I would put before my relationship with God would be doomed anyway. God reads hearts so I know he knows what is best for me no matter how I feel.
After the engagement ended God told me not to even contact my ex to be friends. I obeyed and moved on. I lost weight, got new hobbies and drew closer to God through study and prayer. Yet 8 months later my ex reenters the picture. Why would God let this man come back? The more I ignore him the more he contacts me. This makes no sense to me. I became angry at God about this. Why let this man back into my life when it was so hard to let him go and get over him?
God made that clear to me. So, what is God up to? So now the Lord has begun to put it in my heart and on my spirit that it is time to move from the city where live. I knew it was time and that I need a new start somewhere else. Well I began to pray and ask the Lord to show me where I should move. All sings and leadings are pointing to the city, 8 hours away, where my ex resides. I think once again this is Satan or my subconscious still trying to work up a way to be near my ex. So, I ignore all these promptings to check things out in that city.
The jobs are much higher paying there but so is the cost of living. So, I do that. I sometimes listen to random ministries online. I wonder where this ministry is located. So, I immediately stop listening. I go to the library and the librarian tells me about this great new true story mystery novel arriving soon. I place a hold for it. I read the jacket and set it aside for later. I get all cozy and crack open the book and start to read. Guess where the mystery is centered: My sister buys me chocolate as a gift. I open the package and the name of he chocolate company is named after THAT city.
I could go one like this for quite some time. You get the picture. Is God really telling me to pick up my life and move to a huge crime ridden city where my ex lives and if he is WHY? I liked that ministry but not enough to want to move there. I looked into cities on the opposite coast and started lifting them up in prayer to God. He breaks in my thoughts or someone does with THAT city. On another front, at the same time, I was unemployed for almost three years.
I wanted to work in the IT field and had no background to do so. God gets me into IT! There is no reason I should be in this job other than God put me here. I know that for a fact. I made a huge splash by quickly becoming the highest performer. I am not bragging. I was literally an accidental success. The only thing I will say is that God always reminded me at every new job to work unto all thing as though working unto the Lord. I wanted to do well and I wanted to honor God by not cheating my employer by working hard and trying to do a good job.
Well then I got attacked by people who started saying I was cheating. One of my coworkers posted a nasty message about me on a work related website and has recruited a bunch of her friends at work to constantly nit pick me. Now this same girl is having her family and friends call our work and ask for me and pretend to be customers. I start to help them and they call me names, hang up, etc. My supervisor is aware of it and tries to help but it continues. He spread it all over to the whole company and now people make fun of me.
Plus my ex lives there now. Please pray for me. It might dispel some doubts you have about God or it might not. Either way, I hope it helps. God never said no to your prayer to heal and restore your relationship — this is how He has chosen to do it. By allowing all that your relationship was to be destroyed, He was able to work on both of you in order to make that relationship what He wanted it to be. He may now be calling you to step back into it. The two of you can get to know each other all over again, with the right mindset this time.
God does that sort of thing all the time. I could offer many examples, but just consider His call to Jonah. Jonah really, really did not want to go to Nineva to preach repentance. God wanted him to do exactly that thing. The thing to take back to God in prayer at this point is whether or not He is calling you to build a new relationship with your ex after all. If He is pushing you as hard as you say He is, and potentially moving your ex as well, it is entirely reasonable that He is guiding and calling you. God has given us the Holy Spirit as a guide and a comforter.
In this way, you cannot be misled by deviant activity trying to pull you back into a possibly toxic relationship — I dont know the dynamic of yours. First and foremost, though, the decider would be whether or not your ex is a Christian…not by birth, but by rebirth, and whether he is a faithfull servant of God. If he is not, it is not of God. I know it has been hard. Most of us on here have a story. You are set for great things in what God is entrusting and building up in you. Even now, in your discouragement, you are an encouragement — already being used by Him. Stay strong, my sister.
GOD would never ever make you be with someone that your heart does not love. Just stick close to god.. HE is making you into an overcomer!!! I felt the need to reply to you because your story reminded me so much of me. Without trying to be harsh or critical, the only thing I can say to you is have Faith.. He wants us to surrender to him. My point of pain and frustration was so deep that it took me to a level I had never been before. He will bring us to the brink of feeling like there is nothing left in order for us to give up our independence and to rely completely in him.
God may be simply using him as a tool to lead you to your destination of greater joy. I have learned to accept anything that comes my way. Pain, suffering, back stabbing, criticism, all of it, are simply tests of our faith. His way and no other way. Many prayers for you.. I try to turn to our Lord before making decisions and reciting and remembering Proverbs 3: However if this passage does not touch your heart then I recommend turning to the Word of God to find your answer. As followers of Jesus Christ the road is not easy.
Let God guide you and forgive which is very hard to do sometime. I had to let my ex go but only by the grace of God are my 3 children with me along with our house. Several means of safely getting on dry land were offered to him but he said No to them all and stated he was waiting on God to save him.
This is truly just a thought. Remember, search your heart as you study Proverbs 3: Relax and listen to Him. Hi Cristal, I just wanted to remind you of something God said in the Bible. He talked about those who follow Him will go through persecution, you should feel honored. Paul was beheaded for obeying God. John saw visions while exiled just because he was listening to his Savior. God actually calls us to step out of our comfort zone. Who knows what kind of blessings are waiting for you. He will direct your path, just follow it.
God is still GOD even in the dry places. I went from working a full time job and a part-time job, attending college, and playing sports, to being unemployed, dropping out of school unofficially for the second time, being injured in a automobile accident and not being able to endure the stress of working, being disenfranchised of my rights both at school and work, all while no one seemed to care except me.
Being action oriented i sought avenues for redemption but most importantly i sought god. In standing for righteousness, i lost everything GOD blessed me with and everything i worked hard for during the past five years of my life. Im tired, frustrated, weak, seeking god every day. But if i could encourage anyone here including myself. GOD has not forgotten and he speaks through me as i type this message.
Before all of this occurred, i had an encounter with GOD through another person and GOD showed me in a vision and gave me a promise. Broken and still waiting. Still seeking him and still waiting. I just pray that i dont lose hope and that neither of you all will either. God Bless you all.!!! Hey Kim Just said a prayer for you. Remain faithful and know that like Paul, your sufferings are not in vain. The first year I had to work full time and take a few courses each semester. Although, I tend to eat my problems away every since middle school. I just eat my pain away since I have nothing to do, nor look forward to.
I go to class everyday, come home to eat and sit in front of the tv- losing motivation to do work and procrastinating and doing things at the last minute. I feel so lost, even I pray 2x or More a day since god have had a good connection since I was very young , read Joyce Meyers books and such.
Though nothing seems to work. I can also only work so much, or my financial aid will be taken away. However, God is good I managed to keep a 3. All is really bad now, and I cry everyday so very hard. Church these days are pushing out the kids in my generation, although I do believe in God, Jesus and Christ and never will let go.
Overall, I just never imagined my mother and our lives being like this. I feel so depressed and alone. I even thought to end my life. Life has been incredibly hard for me and my mother. Hi Brittany, Glory to God for your authentic testimony. I understand your situation I had been through many valleys. I can hear the conflict of the desires of your flesh versus the desires of your spirit man.
That you give into your fleshly desires. The devil took everything away from Job and his own wife told him to curse God and even his friends told him to give up because it seemed hopeless. Walk away from overeating to comfort yourself, walk away from just wanting to be leave the house this is where God has placed you right now at this point. I know that its hard trust me, I know the flesh is very strong. Brittany i am going to lift you in prayer…stay encouraged. First off, know that God loves you, so very dearly!
You are precious to Him! I know that right now you feel like life is ending, that the world is crashing around you, and that there is no hope in this world to be found, but know that beyond what you can see, God has a glorious plan for you. We found only one doctor who could help us. My mom was so sick, it was a good day when she had energy to brush her hair. Because of this all of the housework and cooking fell onto my older sister 20 at the time and myself. When I was 13 we got evicted from our home that I had lived in my whole life, till then. We had never been wealthy, and my father made poor financial decisions most of the time.
Yet through all of my life and during these struggles, God let me know that He is always there, and Brittney, He is there for you! We ended up borrowing a 15ft long camping trailer from someone at a church we used to go to. Looking for cheep rent, we moved to a missionary campus for Bible translators and lived in the RV park there. The verse that God showed me so very often through this was Romans 5: Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
The best way I can explain this is like while we were moving. It was just me and my dad loading things onto the truck while my sister and mom packed boxes. Late nights, little sleep, tons of stress and worry, and lots of physical labor—suffering.
God is preparing you for great things
But even though my back hurt and I was tired I learned that I could keep going regardless of that; God gave me strength and endurance. The moving added to my character because I am now really good at moving.
This brings me joy because I help people move a lot now and I know how to help them. Which also ties in with 2 Corinthians 1: God will take you through things that are hard so He can refine you. God is like a gardener, and us like His trees. He will cut away the weak limbs to help make you healthy and stronger, able to soar above the things that stopped you before in life so that you can overcome them, help others, get closer to God, better trust Him, end up in a blessed place and because of these further glorify Him.
Like when we moved to the missionary campus, I started going to a youth group for the missionary kids there. That day we read Romans 1: Could God forgive me though I fail Him? Could He really not condemn me? I opened up to the group about what I was going through and was met with compassion and love.
Through the months of battling over this God continued to show me how beloved we His children are. One night in particular I was feeling upset about the hardships I had gone through. But it was hard not being able to go to my mom during the evictions because she was too ill to take more stress. Through it I was worried about everything: I felt like I had to be a grown up.
I stopped caring, because if I cared I would just get hurt again, and I was already so hurt. So this night the pain was revisiting me I felt like God wanted me to read my Bible. I open it and come across the death of Lazarus. I would read the whole story if I were you, it really helped me: I know what pain you feel! I see your tears my child! But let us go to him. I had just gone through it, I knew exactly how she felt!
Not only could I say that I understood her, but I also had been given all these scriptures of truth that could help her out of it. This gave me the upmost joy! That was why I went through this, I was to be a mouthpiece of His love to her. Also from what God showed me I now have hope for the next hardship, because I know that God will turn it into something good. When God takes you through something hard, trust Him. It is really for a better and greater reason.
To bridge that gap between us. He knows how you feel, trapped in darkness, the world against you, drowning without light. But know that light will soon flood your life! The goodness of God will come before you and you will see His plan soon. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. But even better, compare hardship to the rest of our lives, which is forever and eternal since we know Christ as our Savior. In this world you will have trouble. I have overcome the world. Because we moved to the missionary campus, my dad got a job with them and they pay more than his last job did.
We are now in an apartment. My mom was able to answer those and he is now a Christian! While traveling with my dad for his new job, I met a boy who God told me to witness to. He was homeless and his mom was sick. I was able to help him through his hardships, share the Gospel with him and even give him a Bible. Finally, you do not have to go through this alone. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Also, during my own troubles I also considered taking my own life. Know that you are completely and totally unique. No one can fill your shoes, no one can replace you. Trust that God has your life, and your steps planned. Know that I am praying for you my dear sister in Christ, and will ask those I know to pray for you as well. You will get through this!
What Does it Look Like to Walk By Faith and Not By Sight?
All that I have shared about hardships in this message, I have learned through my own hardships, and now I am able to, I pray, help you. Let me act as living proof of the good work God does through hardship if you trust and obey Him. If you are having a hard time trusting Him or having a hard time with anything you need, know that you can go to God for whatever you need, and He will be willing to help you according to His righteousness!
I pray that you come out on the other side of these troubles with much reason to rejoice. I pray that you grow closer to God and stronger in your faith because of this. I pray that peace, joy, and love abound in your heart and mind, and wherever you go. Just like in Philippians 4: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Remember that you are loved by God! Much love and prayers. I know right where you are with the nothing- to- look- forward- I- dread- life kinda thing.
I also know the no- guys- want- me kinda thing. One thing that really helped me is helping others. When we take the focus off ourselves and our own problems, we realize just how much God has truly blessed us with. Living a life of humility is truly the best way to reflect the best opinion of God to others. Let God know how your feeling. He wants to here it from you. Let God be your best friend.
Faith Under Fire | www.newyorkethnicfood.com
I hope this helps, and God loves you girl. No but I do believe he is doing a work in me — to accomplish what, I do not know. What I do know is that this season has been painful, confusing, growing…. The past year just a nightmare and to open the new year thinking it was over and it was just starting. In me and my wife was having a very rough patch in our lives.
It was to the point where I almost sought after child custody, but instead decided to go a different route and work things out. Shortly after our debacle my mother was re-diagnosed with cancer and no greater fear than hearing that brought the most pain knowing that she might not be here to make it. Later in the year I find out I am having a son and the news was awesome, but just like clockwork another tragedy struck and that was that my mother was admitted to the hospital due to cancer attacking her brain and her skull protruding. I left my job to go down and visit with her as what I thought to be her power of attorney only to be denied by my mother and rejected by her.
I left the hospital even more disgruntled and in pain. I traveled back to my home in Colorado to just be even more welcomed by more tragedy. The company I managed store closed and I was laid off and now with little to no money, job searches coming up great but not providing an immediate solution being their commission based solely and time winding down; with no way to pay rent, lease is up next month, car note bill is coming and my son is due next month. I just pray and continue to pray that God somehow will make a way out of no way.
I have been looking for work and actively going out with little to no gas and so far time is against me. Been on so many interviews and applied to more than I have and still do feel at times left out, unwanted and I look around and see others prosper — some in the worse way. I felt that God was leading me to let some things go and I did and I stopped doing somethings and it seems like my situation got worse….
I pray, pray, pray, study his word, etc. These past few years have been some of the toughest times in my life. Drug addict parents and no support system, the only thing that kept me going and motivated was my siblings and GOD took that away from me when I had sooo much faith!!!! Did God give up on me because I turned my back on him when my brother was tooken out of my life, is he not understanding of my pain and struggle On a daily?
How do you keep faith when life has been dramatic from birth. How do I forgive others for taking my family, or parents for letting go of there own children? Never questioned my faith before like I do now. How much do you have to go through till God gives you a break! Tashonda losing a love one can be very hard and be very sad and during the process of grieving you have a lot of emotions you must relinquish. Nothing wrong with that because God already knows this. But God is not one that will just do bad things to us He is a loving God and He loved us so much that he gave us his only son.
But God knew all these things would take place in your life including you your parents work the job you will have an even the life of your brother but he also knows that greatness is in you you just have to fulfill your purpose sometimes there is pain during the process of us being made whom he will have us to be. God just used them to get you here. Do the enemy make you fill like you made a mistake And the reason why I say this is because i was working on a job that I like for two years because it was paying my truck note and my pastor came to me and offered me to be his assistant at the church because I was only making 20 hours a week at Toysrus in a way i know God has great things for me so keep me in your prayers on the right decision.
He has allowed whats good in me to flourish for a reason. Im getting the sense that the lord is preparing me for his purpose. I have had good and bad during this season but mainly restless not knowing if i am doing the right thing. I just keep waiting…. So take some time by yourself and just let go and talk to God like you would a friend and at the end of it tell Him that you give all your situations your in to Him and lay it down.
You have to let His Will be done and not yours. The last few years of my life has been hell. The worse of the worse could have took place. Because my emotion are so deep and caring for others, they took advantage of me financially, sexually, and emotionally. I started to believe it was nothing but pure love. But it was lies, manipulation, deceitful, evil, cruel, jealousy, etc….. I did some research on his behavior and realized that he was a sociopath, psychopath, narcissistic scumbag.
Well both guys had the same tendencies to use other people. This last guy tried to destroy my marriage. I feel like I woke up out of this nightmare and came to my senses. One thing happened after another, good things…. I was slowly but surely getting him out of my life.
The final straw was putting a restraining order on him Sometimes, this horrible act still haunts me, I have feelings of guilt and regret. So I am asking for prayers, please pray for me. After this happen to me I got baptized and surrendered my whole life to Christ. I pray everyday for reconcileition for my husband and I. Similar things happen to men too, it happened to me! The thing that concerns me is the woman I believe God has shown me has a similar issue, a grown child strongly influencing her and using her! God bless you and prayers for you!
I thank God for your testimony irene…. In , god gave me the strength to end a miserable relationship that I was in. It lasted for almost a year. Mark that I started to grow lonely. Then after about 9 mos. I met this guy on line…. I allowd him to use me up sooo bad that I ended up falling into serious debt. I almost lost everything….
This was my first experience with verbal abuse…Then once I was able to break away from that, this guy at my job had been watching me for several months and he finally approached me. We dated for about 4 months. He was so good to me then all of the sudden, he started acting strange.
I broke down crying at work in the bathroom. I began to ask the Lord to make me over!!! I asked him to use me for his glory. I want to be able to help other women who have been hurt like me. I want to be able to teach young women how to protect their precious jewels….
For Several years I have gone through financial hardships. I am always in bad dept from the bank and friends and work place. My wife is always sickly. I earn my salary and it is gone in repaying the dept have and even still carry forward more bad dept. Recently I got a new job yet it is stressing that sometimes I feel I made a mistake. But one thing I have learn t is to to continue trusting in God for he is my fortress and my refuge. I know God is preparing me for greater things. My God give me the strength to move on and overcome. I know that God is at work in my life.
I have been through so much pain, but I want to please Him in all I do. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. May God Bless you abundantly! Hey britt , just an update, from my opinion that signs came flashing down on me recent days and as ur a believer i shall share with my knowledge of thoughts i believe are my rights to help for the Glory of God. I finaly came to a conclusion on what those signs realy meant. All am certain of for now is to stay strong and prepare for anything. God will send you these clues just listin and be patient. Then spread it out when its time.
Year of the whirlwind. I have been let down by God, and my heart and faith is shattered. I really really hope someone can give some encouragement or even proof testimony of how Trusting God was even good. Since when did he care? Jonathan, I understand how you must be feeling.
God put me thru seasons that I had not planned on going thru because I had lived my life through my devotion to my marriage, church, children, profession and community. I thought because I lived this way and Jesus was in my heart that bad things would not affect my life..