It is a struggle every single day. It is an active choice: one that requires me to do things. My body becomes weak when I don't exercise it. My faith remains strong only because I do exercise it. Sometimes I actually want to work for it and sometimes I just do it out of obedience. It is not easy. But then God never said it would be, He only said it would be worth it in the end and He would be with us along the way. I believe that. I believe in Him. Too much has been written, too many things have been revealed, too many Bibles have been purchased and studied for it to be false. But even if none of those things were true I have to look at my own experiences. When I am honest with myself, when I ask myself the hard questions I simply have to admit that I have more peace, more strength, more character, more compassion, and more sanity when I walk with Jesus.
I also have no fear of death or the afterlife. It's been used so often but I love to pose a particular question to non-believers. I do it to encourage people to think - not that they should respond to Jesus out of fear, but that they should truly consider their decision and the "risk" they are taking. The question is this: "You believe there is no God, no Heaven, no Hell and no afterlife...when you die you just die. If you are right then I lose nothing over having believed the way I do. I don't even experience disappointment - I just die, they put me in the ground and I decompose. Or maybe you do believe in a god, and Heaven and Hell but you just think you have to be a good person and be decent to people. If you are right I still lose nothing. I die and I go to Heaven. If what I believe is wrong I am still covered by every belief system in the universe except for maybe Satanism. But what if what I believe is TRUE? What happens then? I know where I'm going and how I'm getting there... do you?"
We do not struggle alone. What we are going through today is not new. Jesus has gone before us and suffered more than we will ever suffer. We also have brothers and sisters who live in horrible places under horrific circumstances. But Jesus said we must take up our cross and bear it every day. That says it's going to be work and it's going to be hard. But once again, He reminds us that He is with us, helping to bear the load.
I had to learn how to play the piano. I had to practice. When I took a week off and didn't practice I didn't perform as well and it wasn't as easy. I am learning to have faith. I have to practice. When I take a day off and don't pray or read my Bible or when I skip church or Bible study, I don't perform as well and faith is not as easy. Just as I fix my eyes on the sheet music and my fingers are guided by my daily practice, I must also fix my eyes on Jesus so that my faith will be quided by my daily time with Him in prayer and meditation on His word.
I hope you will follow through and read these verses.
James 5:13
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
Colossians 2:6-8
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
1 Peter 5:8-10
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
1 Timothy 6:11-12
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Peter 1:6-8
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
James 1: 2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
2 Timothy 2:12-13
if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
Hebrews 11
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
If you do not have faith in God and His word I pray salvation for you...and soon. We are not guaranteed long lives. I'd love to talk to you about it.
If you have faith I pray you do not lose heart.
If you have lost heart I pray for re-direction... Thankfully He gives us an infinity of second chances. Again, I'm here if you'd like to talk about it.
I love you, but more importantly God loves you and sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for you.
Steph
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