Monday, November 26, 2007

Faith

I read the following quotes from a devotional I get from Back to the Bible. I needed this reminder today.

"Faith is not always a champion which marches alone. Sometimes faith is accompanied by fear. Faith is not the absence of questioning; it is the presence of action in the midst of those questions. Faith does not provide all the answers; it provides a basis for confidence in the midst of unreasonable circumstances.

"If we are to live a life of faith, we must get our eyes off the stone before the tomb and on the God who does the impossible. The women knew the stone would keep them from their Lord, and yet they purchased their spices, readied themselves early in the morning, and made their way in the darkness toward the garden tomb. Faith is not being free from questions; faith is being firm in commitment to the power of God. How will you demonstrate your faith today? "

Woodrow Kroll
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2 comments:

D. Gudger said...

Margie - your serial posts speak to the very place God is holding me. A place of uncertainty, pain, fear, illness and the hope of healing. The words to that song are so hard to take. They ring dischordant to the way we American Christians believe life should be. What? You mean I need to be willing to allow God to walk me through trials and suffering beyond my imagination? To the brink of death? Willingly? Uh, I didn't sign up for that...

This quote by Kroll was encouraging. That fear and faith can coexist. Sometimes I think I've failed in my faith - especially with this bout of depression - b/c I fear the symptoms, the side-effects, the stress on my family. Fear doesn't cancel out faith.

I'm studying Luke in my Community Bible Study. The passage about Jesus taking the disciples to the other side of the lake plays loop-like in my mind. Jesus told them they'd see the other side. He fell asleep. The storm came. These weathered fisherman thought they were gonna die! Jesus scolded them. Where was their faith? He TOLD them they were going to the other side. He told me He's taking me to the other side. No matter how scary or life-threatening the storm rages, He will make sure I arrive. Hand in hand. With Him.

Thanks for sharing so openly on your blog. That's what blogging is all about. I think it's time I open up on mine about my current faith journey.

November 28, 2007 at 10:06 AM
Marjorie Vawter said...

Darcie, that's exactly why I posted that quote! The enemy wants to rob us of whatever progress we are making in our spiritual journeys. And because we have two natures, both fear and faith coexist. Like you, my desire is for faith to come out the victor as God has promised. Yes, He's taking us to the other side. The journey isn't smooth. But thank God, He never leaves us alone!

Last week while we were "home" in Illinois for Thanksgiving, I met with a dear friend of mine. One of my strongest memories of her is singing this song as a solo at church. And where the Lord has taken her since then is a story full of grief, trial, and pain. But she said again last week that her spiritual growth and her walk with the Lord wouldn't be what it is today without all that.

Praying for you, my friend! God is taking you to the other side :). He is soooo good!

November 28, 2007 at 10:17 AM

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