“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” – Ephesians 2:8
“through faith” – What is faith? Why faith? Where? When? I see this faith thing sprinkled throughout the grace thing. I need this faith thing too! So I ask my best friend about it since he wrote the book. The bible is his words, so if I want to hear God talk, then I read the word. I have learned that getting into the word of God while praying gives me the other side of my conversation with him. And there is a direct correlation between the word and faith:
Romans 10:17 NKJV “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
I suppose more faith is good, because in Matthew 17:20 faith makes all things possible. While grace is given to support and help me through, it is faith that will get things done!
“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20 NIV
So what is faith? And how do I get this mustard seed amount? Did you read my last few posts? I need some impossible things done in my life!
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 NIV
It is my confidence in the power of God, through Christ Jesus, to keep his word, to fulfill his promises, and hear (and answer) my prayers. In some deep reflection, do I really believe all this stuff? When push comes to shove (and it has in my life) Yes! Yes, I do really believe it. And how do I believe it? Because I am experiencing it. I hope you as a reader, begin to see my experience. I find it hard to really put the depth of it into words.
So, how did I develop this confidence?
I observed that the mighty God did certain things in the past and the Bible says he is the “same yesterday and today and forever”. So if he did it before he can do it again. I also found scripture verses that speak into my many problems and pray them. If God’s word says it, then my prayers will be answered with a great big – it is done!
There was a death in the family – Is there even a promise in the Bible that can fix this? Jesus brought Lazareth back from the dead, but I knew he was not going to bring back my loved one. Where is my promise? Where is my amen? And where is my faith in my God being good?
I looked up “Mourning” in the Bible and most frequently the word is used to be grieved by our sins and wrong doing – loss of a loved one is different.
In John 11 verse 35 – I can see exactly how Jesus handles death, grief, and morning: “Jesus wept.”
When I cry because of a loss, God (Jesus and the Holy Spirit being one) cry with me. Jesus cried even though he knew and already foretold that he was going to raise Lazareth from the dead! His compassion for my pain is just that great that he literally shares in it with tears.
My bad work situation, character assassination
“This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15
This isn’t mine to fight; I need to stay positive and keep my nose to the grindstone and do good work – God will take care of it.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
God is working things out for my good – it may take some time, he is battling a spiritual war as well as arguing with people who exercise their free will to stand in his way. But his plan will prevail – he will find a way to work it out for my good, because it says so.
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31
This verse is only great when my eyes of understanding were open and I understood His calling (or role in my life), His riches of the glory, and
“what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.” Ephesians 1:19
Thank you Lord for being a mighty God – I do not want to follow a weak god who isn’t able – I need a real God, a living God, A MIGHTY GOD!!!
Financial instability
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Phillippians 4:19
My employer does not provide for me (I have had multiple in my life and they are not stable), I don’t provide for me (I excel at doing good work and arriving at work daily – but I stink at negotiating my salary and raises and I am so terribly underpaid for my work), and being single there is no one else who provides for me, except God! And I thank him for all of it.
My broken relationship
This is a tricky one to explain and probably needs a blog of its own. God provided me with so many verses specific to my broken heart and my lost love. But let me tell you were I began:
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
And as for my ex, I pray Ephesians 3:18-19 –
“18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
And then, God will have to do the rest.
The rest of my trials
Psalm 34:4-8 NIV “4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
So my faith can grow with ease knowing the my mighty God and friend is working things in my life according to his word, which is written and shows these things have been done before and can be done again. He is faithful to me so I have faith in him. Some day I will make a post showing his providence and mercy – the blessings – the answers to these prayers so that you and I can rejoice together.
If you feel like praying for me please pray:
That God will continue to comfort me while I grieve the loss of a loved one.
That my reputation shall be a testimony of God’s grace.
That my work shall be a blessing and my finances be blessed so I can use it to bless others and further God’s works.
That God will move in and through my ex, that the chains of bondage to sins and the plans of the enemy of God shall be broken, and that he be drawn back to God and restored to a relationship with Christ.
At some point maybe I can figure out how to add a ticker-box to this and keep a going list of prayers and show the ones answered.
Thank you for reading, new friends. Go in faith, grace and peace.
Romans 1:7 “grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ“
If Not For Grace 