"I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength." (NCV)
But don't you wonder sometimes how true that really is? I know I do. There are times when I wonder if I will be able to move cars or something. There are other times when life has just hit me in the face and I desperately want this to be so, but don't feel it so much. Don't we all get to this point at times? In the moment, when I can see nothing but my own problems I can forget how true this has been in my own past. In the moment the mounting problems can overwhelm my perspective and I see nothing to hope for.
I have come to find that you can never experience the true meaning of faith in God without these kinds of moments. Jesus told us,
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3, NIV)And how true this is, when I can experience the grace of God, a little taste of heaven when I am at the end of my rope. I remember when my wife was pregnant with our last daughter and we were facing the uncertainty of her complications with the pregnancy. The doctor didn't know too much, and had to constantly reevaluate our situation. My stress mounted as I had to take on increasing responsibility with the older two kids, most of the housework and errands, trying to help my wife feel included and safe, and on and on... It got to the point where each time we went to see the doc we got worse news and worse news.
And yet we had the temerity to give our daughter the middle name of Joy.
What we found first of all, is that we need to respond with God before we feel like it. Joy did not come to us, and then we had faith. No, we had to have faith in God and that he would take care of my wife and daughter and then He gave us his joy. I couldn't wait to feel if Jesus was giving me the strength to go on. Little kids don't allow you the time to sit around and wait! There were countless times where I had to move, and trust that God was giving me the strength I needed. I found that God doesn't give us strength so that we can just sit around feeling strong, he gives us strength for a purpose.
Now, I haven't been able to fly over tall buildings yet (though neither have I gone down town to test it either), but I have tested God and found that He does indeed give me the strength I need in the times I have needed it.
What about you? How does your trust in God rate? Why not take a step today, before you feel like it, and see if God will strengthen you?
