Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight. -Joshua 10:25
To be transparent, I must admit that I have always struggled with having hope and faith. When I want something, I am going to go get it. However, it always seems as though God says, “Not yet, just wait.”
Towards the end of 2015, I had a bit of an epiphany. Through my trials, I realized that perhaps God is not teaching me the virtue of patience, but the importance of faith. Perhaps it is less about me, and more about GOD.
It took me years to figure out why, but I think I have finally found the answer, and it lies within control. I am a neurotic control freak. I want to be in control. I want to control my life, I want to control the outcome of every situation. I want everything to be just perfect.
NEWSFLASH: I AM NOT IN CONTROL. YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL. GOD IS IN CONTROL.
It sounds so cliche, but it is the truth. When I struggle with control, I constantly remind myself that I am essentially placing myself on God’s level. I am not God, (and thank God above I am not, because I have it all wrong.)
BUT, if I have hope in Jesus, then I can be okay with “no, this is not how your life is going to turn out,” or “not yet.” I can be content with the waiting, joyous in the not-knowing, and even happy in the times of adversity, because I have faith.
I have faith that God knows my heart better than I know my own, and that He is faithful himself and true to His word.
I have faith that God is looking out for my best interest, (and let’s get this straight. My best interest does not equate my happiness) and ultimately that he will not fail me.
God’s past faithfulness is the best prerequisite for the our present and future trust in Him.
Faith is more than the act of believing when we cannot see, but trusting when we cannot feel. And it can be so hard. I cannot tell you the countless times this year that I have physically cried out to Jesus with tears streaming down my face begging to just feel His presence, and I heard nothing at all. Yet, I clenched onto the little bit of hope I had left and slowly but surly I heard His soft, gentle, whispers. The Holy Spirit drew nearer to me, and I didn’t feel so far from God anymore. Maybe, without those times of silence, our hope, our patience, and our faith would not grow.
I believe hope and faith go hand-in-hand. Without hope, faith can be seemingly impossible. Yet, without faith in Jesus, what even is hope? We need faith to have hope in Jesus, and our hope in Jesus fuels our faith.
God’s job is to be faithful; my job is to be obedient. Sometimes that obedience requires a little bit of patience, letting go, and a whole lot of hope and faith.
Continuing the Journey,
Lindsey
lindseyelizabethblog.wordpress.com 