Faith for Joy

Life brings seasons; seasons of hardship, seasons of questions, seasons of rest and much more. But how do we stand with joy in the seasons that leave us with more questions than answers?

We have the times when we think that we can't stand, the times when you just can't seem to believe the promises that we know God has made to us. And sometimes we have to watch those we love go through hard times that seem like they will never end.  It is in times like this that, if we're not careful we begin to lose hope, we allow ourselves to step away from our faith.

Hebrews 11:1 says that "Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do no t see." 

In these times of doubt we must put our faith in the promises that God has made us:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world cause by evil desires." -2 Peter 1:3-4

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." -Jeremiah 29:11-12

"And the same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus" -Philippians 4:19

"But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."         -Proverbs 1:33

"I am giving you a gift-peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give you is a gift the world cannot give.  So don't be troubled or afraid." -John 14:27

Time after time God gives us the words that we need to get through the rough times.  He makes promises to care for us, to hear us, to give us peace, hope, a future, a way into godliness.

Too often we rely solely on the people around us to help us deal with our hardships.  We want our friends, our family, our pastors, mentors, teachers to all have the answers and therefore we neglect to seek counsel from the One who does.  

God said "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."  God will not neglect his children, He is a "rewarder of him who diligently seeks Him". It is only in seeking His face with a heart full of faith that we can "do life".  When we stop having more faith in other people than we do in our Savior and when we stop trying to get the answers from those around us and access the answers from Him who is in us we can truly have the joy that God intended for us to have.  

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." -Hebrews 11:6

"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." -Psalm 16:11

Who do you say I am?

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?'
"They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'
"'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?'
"Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.'
"Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys for the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.'" -Matthew 16:13-19

"Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.  The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah'. . . And he brought him to Jesus.
"Jesus looked at him and said 'You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas' (which, when translated is Peter)." -John 1:40-42

We live in a world where we have to prove ourselves; we have to be smart enough, pretty enough, strong enough, caring enough, talented enough. . . the list goes on.  Let's be honest, who among us can actually be this person? Who can actually fit into that role that the world has so generously decided we should fill?
That's an easy question to answer.
No one.  If you're intelligent then you're a know-it-all; if you're beautiful, you're vain; if you're loving, you're fake; if you're talented, you're a show-off.  There is no way that anyone can be all that we're "supposed to be".

But there is good news!
God didn't ask us to be any of that. He asked that we would forget about all of that; lay down the pressures of the world and stop trying so hard to be that perfect Disney character.  These pressures are too much for us to handle, if we try to carry them they will crush us, but Jesus said "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light". -Matthew 11:29-30
We don't have to do anything to impress God. "Jesus looked at him and said 'You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas' (Peter)." -John 1:42.  Jesus took one look at Simon and knew him, He knew his faults, his strengths and his potential.  After one look, Jesus changed Simon's name. . .Peter-Rock. The Son of God saw everything that Peter had ever done, every ill thought, every desperate action and loved him the same, better yet, gave him a name that meant Rock.  Could Peter have seen everything that this meant? Did he understand that the church would be built on his foundation?  Did he see that Jesus was telling him that his life would never be the same?

Jesus asked his disciples "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"  He then asked a harder question; "Who do you say I am?"  Simon Peter responded by saying "You are the Christ, Son of the Living God."  
He got it!  He pushed past what the world said and he listened to the answer that rang in his heart.  And because of this Jesus was pleased.  
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys for the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
It wasn't until after he received the revelation of Jesus Christ from God, for himself that Jesus let Peter know who he was meant to be and what God was going to do through him.  Simon Peter always held the potential to be the "Rock", but it wasn't until after he stopped listening to the world and received the truth for himself that he could truly be free to be that Rock that Christ was calling him to be.

The Beginning

A few years ago, God laid it on my heart to begin writing some devotionals.  I considered doing it, I really did, but you must put actions to your thoughts in order to make them a reality-which I did not.
I was told that my idea had already been thought of and because of this no one would want to hear what the Lord was saying to me. But God.
A few weeks ago I was asked to help do a chapter of Acts for my Bible Study group.  I struggled with it for weeks, but eventually just began writing.  It was in sharing the words that God had given me to write that I remembered the task that God had laid upon me those few years ago. It is because of the encouragement of the wonderful people whom God has placed in my life that I have decided to stop listening to the nay-sayers and the thoughts of inadequacy and make an attempt at my best to please my Father.
I'm going to try to blog one devotion a week.  Please, join me while I embark on what I can only pray to be the journey of a life-time.