Daily Devotional: Lacking Faith

Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

– 1 Thessalonians 3:10 (NIV)

And in this, I functionally declare that it is sometimes hard to come to people, God's people in church, and see their faces, knowing how foolish I am and have been.  Often, I cower from within, possibly a symptom of a childhood shyness that should have fallen away long ago.  It is my hope that people do think of me, even so, praying that they see me again, with the intense hope that my faith be multiplied due to their diligence and love.

God almighty be thanked, for he brought Jesus low so that we might ascend the heights.  These "heights" are metaphorical only, as the heart of God is neither in the sky nor out in the expanse of space.  God exists in the hearts of men, so that we may expound upon his grace, and illuminate the dark spots of our world.  It is for us to share, so that we supply what is lacking in one another, that we may be made whole in our faith.

Even today, I wished failure upon myself, seeing my meager struggle as an obstacle, and not a blessing. So easy to forget, in times of distress, that God will supply all that I need.  So easy to fall prey to false pity, goaded by foolish pride, crying foul to all around you for your plight.  But the bed is made by you, and you must lie in it.  Accept your struggles as part of life and the result of what has happened in the world as it is, for we are all connected.  Yes, it is true: what you do will affect others, whether adversely or for gain.

I follow you, dear Jesus, for you saved me from myself.  I look to you in my time of trouble and need. so that I might not despair.  

God bless.

Equity

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” ~Luke 22:31-32


Here, Jesus is having a conversation with Simon Peter about Satan's proposal to do him harm within his life. Jesus says that he will pray for Simon so that he will not fail. This would normally set one at ease, but Jesus then says "and when you have turned back...". This means that he knows that Simon will fail, but in that failure, he must bring strength to his brothers so that they may not fail.

In our experiences, we are meant to learn. In learning we can give instruction to those who may encounter that which we have already witnessed. Jesus is asking Simon Peter to become a witness to others, so that God is glorified even in the failure.

Many people feel that they should make known all of their accomplishments to show how good God is, but it is in our weaknesses that God shows his strength. It is in our failures that God is given glory, for we can say that we are better than we were. We have gleaned the equity from the situation and can convey the beauty of the lesson to those who would come after us.

The Book of Law

Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall meditate in it day and night,
that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (NKJV)


So here it is. How to be prosperous and successful in good old black and white (or whatever color font you want to view it in, I suppose). This Book of Law is the Bible, and God asks that we meditate on the laws enclosed therein, so that we may receive the best of what he has in store for our lives. Sometimes we operate and live outside of the Laws and we experience hardships. To be honest, we may do good within our lives and still experience tough times. However, it is not guaranteed that we will not fall upon harsh trials; it is a fact of life.

If we meditate on these laws, we will find that our problems are lessened and our stresses alleviated. Since we are in the World, we cannot completely remove ourselves from what happens to others. We are affected by one another as we move about and we have families that we must interact with. Bad things will happen to good people.

To be fully prosperous, we all must come into agreement and follow the laws of the Bible. We are a diverse race and full of opinions and ideas, and we disagree more than agree. Imagine what we could do if we all moved on one accord? But the devil exists and continues to thwart our best intentions, sowing seeds of discord throughout time. We are still suffering for what Adam and Eve did, you know?

Since we can only hope to control our own actions, we must make our own way by doing what God expects, and then our actions can influence others. When others view the example that we set and notice how we prosper because of the laws we follow, we are giving glory to our Lord.

Create

I said I’d give myself a change to be happy, to fix my eyes on jubilant skies of blue and bear witness to the reflection in my eyes gazing on the unknown and new. So I cried a lifetime of cries that lasted an instant, tears heavy, rolling down my face like ball bearings. I’m waiting for a sign. Waiting for a time. Waiting for the “intelligent design”. Restructure. Re: Define.

I said I’d give myself that chance and so I will. I see the power that I wield. A power to create, to build worlds with words and sculpt dreams through brushstrokes. My skill is evident and must be nurtured, so I insist on writing to gain purpose. God insists that I write to glorify him, so I am to do both, praise Him in victory and defeat; hold Him close. Chronicle my days by writing the notes.

The true power is in the freedom to create. The brilliant light that language can generate by placing words and phrases in various ways, brings joy to my face. I cannot tell you how unhappy I have been as of late, but I can tell you that these words are my only escape. And I ask God for guidance, for answers I anticipate, and in seeking His glory I find my fate. I am bound. I am charged. I am destined to create.