The Faith of a child

The Faith of a Child

I have worked with children most of my adult life. I love kids and have learned so much about God working with them. God tells us,

"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Mark 10:15

Well, you'd think that I would have this concept down pat, since I see every day just what God is talking about. Kids think, "God said it so I'll do it" and not over-intellectualize every command of God. They don't worry about where their food is coming from or if they will have clothes. They simply trust. There is not the
"but what about..." that we adults allow to clutter or thinking and ruin our faith.

Until this summer we will be living on less money than normal due to UGA making its employees take one furlough day a month for 6 months to cut the budget. This has been totally stressing me out because we needed all our pay to make our budget work. I felt like I was already cutting, scrimping and be as frugel as I could before these cuts. I literally stressed and wigged for the entire month prior to the first pay cut. Then I dived into that months grocery shopping and what did I learn by the month's end? Well, duh! God came through and helped us more than we could have immagined! We had money left over!

Well, I did it again. I stressed because Thanksgiving and Christmas take more money than normal months. I was stressing because the heating bill rose this month. Then Sunday God spoke through Pastor Mel and I was convicted by my total lack of faith. Did I learn nothing from the kids I so love to work with? So I repented. Monday we had more unexpected expenses with illness. My entire family has had to get on antibiotics for walking pneumonia/bronchitis. I stressed again, but as I started to stress I felt convicted and repented. God gave me peace.

He is in control and knows my situation, and even knows how to provide for all we need. I know that and I have to believe that over what I see in my circumstances. God is much more real that what looks real in this life and He loves me and will provide everything we need. God is so good! how can I doubt? It saddens me to think I hurt God by my doubting.

Well, no more! I am determined to keep on trying to learn this lesson until I really do have the faith of a child!

Faith You Can Lean On

"I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you" (Romans 1:12 NCV).

We need each other. Fellowship is so important. Not the shallow stuff that most of us are comfortable with, talking in the foyer of the church, making making chit-chat. We need to be involved in one another's lives. I feel so blessed at Church of the Nations to have a network of people that I can lean on when my faith is weak. I need them, and occasionally I am also needed. If we stay to ourselves we become weaker because then we are like that little sheep that strays from the flock. The wolves can pick us off so much easier than when we travel in the safe center of the flock. It's a win-win situation because when I have a need there is always someone who can lift me up. Then I get to be blessed to help someone else when they are in need. Our Pastor has been encouraging us to seek real fellowship with one another and I am grateful because that is wise advice.

I tell you God is good. I was having a hard time Sunday with my faith. I know God's Word is true, and that God is always with me helping me when things seem too tough. But sometimes I feel so broken hearted and weighted down that it is hard to believe. now that I know I have Rheumatoid Arthritus it can be discouraging if I let it get to me. I feel so bad so often that I get discouraged. I still miss my dog Tramp, and we have had other problems to deal with so all of it added up was just too much for me. But God sent someone to me to pray for me and hug me. Somethimes that's all it takes.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

If you are not placing yourself in the position to get real with other Christians, to let them see your struggles and let them help you and be there to help them, you are missing out on so much and leaving yourself vunerable to attack. We are so much stronger when we stick together.

Thank you God for leading us to a church that Believes Your Word and providing so many wonderful people to minister to and be ministered. Thank you most of all for Your Strength that gets me through every trial I face. I need you God and I thank You for loving me and being so patient with me.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

Muscles of Faith

Joni and Friends Daily Devotional March 18, 2007

Dear Debbie,

Muscles of Faith

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness; brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." --2 Peter 1:5-8 Candy, a fellow quadriplegic, was my exercise partner in physical therapy. Every day the therapist positioned our wheelchairs in front of a wall of weights and pulleys for an hour of strenuous exercise. I remember sweating and straining while Candy merely played at lifting weights. Years later when I returned to the hospital for a check-up, I ran into Candy. I was shocked. Her arms were thin, and she looked weak and tired. As quadriplegics, we both had the same potential for gaining strength, but from lack of exercise, her muscles were atrophied and useless. There are many Christians who, like Candy, are playing around, believing that the Christian life will just "happen" to them without any real commitment or tough obedience. As a result, they have very little power in their lives and no stamina when the hard times hit. For this very reason, we must make every effort to remain strong in the Lord. Growth in a Christian doesn't just "happen"; we grow only when we exercise faith. Are you growing stronger in Christ? You can tell if you are by measuring your life up against 2 Peter 1:5-8. Do you possess knowledge and self-control in an increasing measure? Has godliness and brotherly kindness made your life effective and productive? Today may I be strong in You, Lord, and in Your mighty power. Strengthen my heart with Your grace so that I might add to my life goodness and knowledge, self-control and perseverance. Blessings, Joni and Friends Taken from Diamonds in the Dust. Copyright © 1993 by Joni Eareckson Tada. Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Let the Little Children Come

Mark 10:13-16 People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. (NIV)

I love kids. I have 2 of my own, whom I home school. I used to teach art, and before that I taught in preschools. In church I volunteer to work with children. I like kids and they (usually) like me. I learn so much from children because they believe what God says. Usually when you teach a child something from the Bible they just accept that God said it and it's true.

Take the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I was taught growing up that they were for Bible times, not for today. In 1990 I went to a church that taught me that they are indeed for today, but they put me in a room for hours, praying with me to force me to speak in tongues. Now I go to a well balanced church that teaches that it is for today and that we need the Holy Spirit, but I still don't speak in tongues. When the children were taught about the gifts of the Spirit, several of them spoke in tongues that very day. Why? Child-like faith.

No wonder Jesus said to bring the children to Him. He also said that "anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." They simply believe and want to do what God says to do. Sound too simple for you? Be like a little child and simply believe.