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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

All In A Name

Faith: Compete trust or confidence in someone or something (according to Google).

For those of you who do not know, Faith is my middle name. No, seriously it is. There are a few different reasons which I was dubbed with this name, but the main one being that my parents prayed that I would become a woman whose trust was fully in God. Needless to say, I am still learning. But the last few days, God has given me 2 big sips of living water to savor regarding Faith. If you don't mind, I would like to share them with you. *My apologies if you do mind...*
Sip#1

I keep asking God to grant me more faith, to teach me how to have faith, and to open my eyes to ways he has been faithful. As I was reading in Romans about Abraham, a man who is known for his faith. I had another moment where I felt like I was seeing a verse for the first time.

"No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. This is why his faith was "reckoned to him as righteousness" ~Romans 4:20-22
Sip#2
"A little while ago, you were on your knees saying, "Lord, I fear I have no faith: Let me know that I have faith." Was not this really, though perhaps unconsciously,  praying for trials? For how can you know that you have faith until your faith is exercised? God often sends us trials so that our graces may be discovered and that we may be assured of their existence."
In addition to that, I am praying also that God would increase my praise AND give me new songs to sing for Him. For He is worthy of all praise, admiration and glory!


Abraham's faith grew as he gave glory to God--he was able to trust God as he praised God. Then it hit me. The times when I am able to believe God wholeheartedly is when I am praising or worshiping Him. The more I praise Him, the more I am able to believe He will do what He says. Even the times where my heart is hurting so painfully that I can barely push the words "Praise God" out of my mouth, when I do, there is a chip in the burden settled on heart. Even though faith is choosing to believe, I am beginning to see that an increase of Praise is an increase of Faith



Sip #2 was actually a little harder to drink, yet it is a true and good word. It is from Charles Spurgeon's "Strengthen My Spirit" (pg. 119)You ready for this?


You should have heard me after I read this--I busted out laughing and saying "oh no! I just did that!". Of course no one wants bad things to happen; in fact, we usually go out of our way to avoid bad things. For me, I am so accident prone and so many things have happened to me the last year that my immediate response was "Oh no! Should I actually be praying for faith?! How about some Joy? or creative ways in Development of Quality time with family!? That sounds safe, right?"


Pretty pathetic, huh?

But then God reminded me of what I had read the day before--Praise increases Faith. Why would we want a wimpy faith, a faith that has not been tested and proven as TRUE? There MUST be a testing, so that there is a glorification of God. By choosing Faith, we choose trials. But, we are choosing GOD.
So. I've decided to continue to pray for faith. (Whew!) ;)


So, friends, Praise Him! Choose to have faith in Him who IS able. For Faith does not just describe him--He is called "Faithful and True" (Rev. 19:11). It is one of His names!

In Him who's Name is above ALL Names, 
~Anna 

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