Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Strengthening Faith

For a while now I have known that to become "Deeply Rooted and Unshakeable" you have to go through things.  How else can your faith be strengthened?  So...when life happens I can let those things effect me in one of two ways.  Feel sorry for myself and become unsettled and tossed about or...dig deeper into the Lord so my faith can grow.

When I found out I was going to have back surgery I was a little less than thrilled but I knew it was what needed to be done.  There were many thoughts that passed through my mind about the whole process but the one that quickly took the forefront was...this is an opportunity to spend more time with the Lord.  My intention was to spend time reading His Word and maybe a book or two that I have.  So far that's not how it's been going.  I have read a few verses but mostly it's been lots of praise and worship music and just talking with Him...and that has been good!  Being able to focus on reading hasn't really happened for me but on Saturday I really felt I needed to read some scripture.  So I simply said...Jesus please give me a scripture to read that will help me right now...1 Peter came to mind immediately.  So I got my bible and begin to read.  When I read verses 6 - 7 I knew that's what He wanted me to see...

1 Peter 1:6-7

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Saturday just seemed to be a day that the Lord was using to let me know that my quest for "Deeply Rooted and Unshakeable" faith  was the road I need to be on.  I just happened to receive a surprise in the mail that same day...one of my favorite poems.  A wall hanging with the poem by Bonnie Mohr...

Our faith must be Deeply Rooted and Unshakeable.
I will rely on Your unfailing Love.  Your Roots hold me to Your steadfast Foundation, strengthening and overflowing me with thankfulness.  I will stand firm in Your Word and truth for it reaches to the Heavens. 

The Lord never ceases to amaze me how He uses different ways to speak to us.  Through His Word...special friends...music...and the life situations that we find ourselves in.  Each day since this journey started He has spoken to me in many ways.  As He leads...I will share.


till we see JESUS...face to face













2 comments:

Never Forsaken said...

Wow Chelle,
God never ceases to amaze me! Perfect verse, perfect poem and perfect timing!
The thing that stands out most to me from that verse, was the idea that we can become more then mere gold...Gold is good, but God wants us to be better than good.
None of us knows what lies ahead, nobody wants to hear that we need to have surgery or some other trial to go through...but we all will face something at sometime. Your post is a testimony to how God really does desire to work everything out for the good.
Through this surgery, He is healing you...body and spirit both. You will be stronger and better...(sounds like the beginning to the 6 million dollar man doesn't it, LOL!)
Just know that you have many people who love and cherish you because of who God made you to be!
(Just as you are)
Feel better, my friend!
Sending you ((gentle hugs)) from Michigan~ Love you~ Lisa

Sarah said...

This is beautiful. I understand the strengthening of faith as I have battled with severe depression. I wrote about the battle to keep my eyes on God here: http://hopeinautism.blogspot.com/2013/04/deep-calls-to-deep.html

Found you through Winsome Wednesdays! Hope you'll come over for a visit. :-)
Sarah