“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He promised.”
Romans 4:20-21
Back in December, when praying about whether or not I would apply for the World Race, I kept hearing Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
At the time, I was seeking God as to what this meant for me directly. I mean, I knew what it was saying, but was God telling me to move forward and trust Him, or stay put and trust Him? I don’t know if you’ve ever wrestled with seeking God for direction, but sometimes all the questions begin to cloud your thoughts and suddenly up looks like down and you’ve no idea what to do.
In my moment of trying to find God amongst the confusion, I suddenly heard His voice. The waves of confusion parted and I heard the Holy Spirit saying, “Trust me and Go. I know you can’t afford it. I know the risks. Trust Me. I am placing you in such a place of impossibility that only I can get you through. Trust me and move.”
I obeyed and have sought Him out for direction ever since. Every step I have taken has been in faith that God has my back. I know what I heard Him saying, but I’ve been hesitant to share with people because deep down I wonder…what if I heard wrong?
What if God wasn’t speaking to me? What if I am taking unnecessary risks? What if God knows that I heard Him wrong so He’s going to let me fall on my face to teach me a lesson? What if….what if…what if.
The truth is that doubt normally sounds more logical than faith. Doubt is easy to follow because it seems like the safest route. Doubt gives me a reason to have no need of faith. However…
God never, ever told me to doubt.
God told me to trust Him and GO.
God told me that He would make my path straight.
God told me that He would guide me.
God told me He wouldn’t forsake me.
I’m sure Abraham found the fact that he’d be the father of many nations hard to believe. He was old, past his prime, and childless. His wife was also ripe in age and barren.
From an outside perspective, it was impossible for Abraham to be a father of many nations. There was no way it would be possible and the variables against him being a father were greater than a possibility that it would happen. Abraham could have said, “Sure God, that’s a nice dream, but we all know it won’t ever happen.” But he didn’t. As it says in Romans 4:20-21, Abraham was strengthened in faith. He was persuaded that God was able to accomplish all He had promised. He believed the promise as though he already had it.
You know what? I really want to have faith like Abraham. I want to be strengthened in faith and believe that $16,000 is easy for God to provide and that He will. I want to begin to pack up my stuff because I know that in September, I’m headed off to Moldova.
I want to stop looking at that horizontal blue line at the top of this page with defeat, and start proclaiming that my God is a God who makes impossible things possible.
So what thing might you be struggling with? What impossible are you facing today? I want to encourage you in the same way the Holy Spirit encourages me, with the word of God.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘with man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'” Mark 10:27
Let’s be people who are strengthened in faith. Let’s give glory to God. Let’s be fully persuaded that God can do what He promises.