Stepping Out In Faith

When was the last time you consciously, willfully stepped out in faith, trusting God regardless of the potential outcome?

A very real tension exists between what we would like the outcome of a situation to be, and what God wants for us. Faith is about trusting that God can see beyond our limited vantage point to the bigger picture. Jesus assures us that faith provides everything we need to cope in this world.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. You believe in, adhere to, trust in and rely on God, believe in, adhere to, trust in and rely on Me also.” (John 14:1)

It is important to make the distinction between trust in God and trust in the outcome. The Bible says; “The Lord is righteous in all His way and holy in all His works.” (Psalm 145:17)

While God’s works may truly be merciful, at times they can undo us emotionally. It can be devastating when we trust in the outcome, and forget or refuse to lean on God for His understanding and mercy. “Not Your will, God,” I’ll say, “but mine.”

We lost my mother very unexpectedly a almost five years ago and found that we had many things to take care of and tend to. All we had was God…He had not abandoned us.

I will be honest with you~it was hard to like God. After all, how come He took her from us so early? He could of spared us those dark hours. It was within His power to do so. I trusted in Him, and felt He had let me down.

In my time spent with the Lord the next year, God pointed out that He loved her so much that He sent someone into her life to love and nuture in good times and bad times. That someone was her children. He must of felt we were pretty special if He choose us, out of all the candidates, to be her children.

All our pain is not without purpose, if it meant we got to know and love her. Hurt faded into gratitude as blessings were discovered amongst the losses. God keeps His promises.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I willl listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

When we step out in trust on God’s understanding, despite our hopes for the outcome, we deepen our relationship with Him. “In pece I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.” (Psalm 4:8)

When the outcome is not what we would have chosen, we feel that God ignored or shunned our prayers. Reality is, God always hears and answers our prayers, but He is not limited by our blurred vision. “Great is our Lord and of great power; His understanding is inexhaustible and boundless.” (Psalm 147:17) God sees beyond the immediate. He knows what we need.

Pain, suffering and disappointment can come to us with such enormity that all other reality is engulfed, all other thoughts eclipsed.

Personal pain can potentially unseat the strongest of faiths. With the real threat of being tossed about like a ship on rough seas.

I have learned that God’s truths are like an anchor in the storm. I am secure in the knowledge tha “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 38-39)

Mike Mason writes, “One does not hold rational, articulate opinions when one is writing in pain.”

May we let the Good Shepherd, Shepherd us today and always.