Tom Skinner, who was chaplain of the Washington Redskins said this,
“I spent a long time trying to come to grips with my doubts, when suddenly I realized, I had better come to grips with what I believe. I have since moved from the agony of questions that I can’t answer, to the reality of answers that I cannot escape. And it’s a great relief.”
This really connects with me as I am passionate about answering the hard questions, but there comes a point where you MUST exercise faith! You WON'T experience the benefits of our faith if you don't genuinely exercise it! Regardless of how you feel or what your circumstances appear to be, we must cast ourself in faith on the reality of God's unfailing love and character. Doubt happens, but thank goodness God gives us His WORD to rely on! I like what Tim Keller says in his book The Reason for God: "A person's faith can collapse almost overnight if she has failed over the years to listen patiently to her own doubts, which should only be discarded after long reflections." The enemy would have us stuff the doubts, be shamed by them, or ignore them but then we're at risk for collapse. It's important to examine our doubts, to be open and wrestle together as a community with the tough questions, that we will reap the benefits of faith. It may not always say what we want it to say, but it's amazing when we rely on it, the supernatural change in heart attitude that comes about thanks to the power of His word. This is NOT mind over matter. This is of God- something that we can consistently have is we just place our faith in Him, and it's the TRUTH that will set us free, and that's found in His word!
I heard the above quote on our local radio station and it is an amazing story of a man walking through suffering. This is a man who had extensive training and was a pastor with a terrible disease which took him to the point of not wanting to even pray, yet it was the TEXT that lifted Him up: the living powerful Word of God. It's alive, and it counsels us into truth and godly perspective.
Last night my mom and I were given a special gift: women, young and old, showed up to encourage and bless us both and send me out to Hong Kong. We were given cards from them all with blessings and verses on them, we were prayed over, and we left as different people, encouraged and blessed beyond what we could ever ask or imagine. And when it gets hard, mom or I can take that ring of cards and read the verses written on them to be infused with strength and endurance once again. What a beautiful picture of the body, emboldened with prayer and God's loving words to us through His loving people: stronger than steel! I pray His word is life for you today and if you do doubt that you will turn to His infallible word to life you up. Do not despair- He has provided a way for you today!
Here's the bread--the sustenance-- for the day:
1 Thessalonians 2:
13And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
If you've receive Him, bank on it, it's at work, changing and shaping you for His glory.
