Faith
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Have you ever been at the end of a situation and you were confused about which direction to take? You don’t know whether to turn to the left or to the right. You’ve tried everything you know to do but the matter seems hopeless. You simply can’t seem to “see” your way out.
No matter what the circumstance, I’ve found that in seemingly hopeless situations, the only thing to do is to rely upon the promises of God. Although it may be difficult to understand that your faith is being tested while you’re in the heat of a situation, we must always remember that God is faithful. With God, all things are possible. He has promised to never leave or forsake us. Your crisis for the day does not change that promise, so don’t underestimate God or limit Him.
I personally find that whatever God has done for me in the past, when I’m faced with a new challenge, something somewhere questions whether he will do it again. Will he deliver me or will he leave me to the wolves? It’s akin to the Israelites in the wilderness. Despite all the miracles God had performed for them to bring them out of slavery, they seemed to have amnesia with each new crisis. They forgot that God had miraculously appointed a leader for them. They forgot that God miraculously forced Pharaoh to release them from slavery. They forgot that Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them to recapture them but God wouldn’t allow it. Instead, he miraculously parted the Red Sea and as soon as the last of them crossed to the other side, the sea swallowed up Pharaoh’s army. They forgot that on a daily basis God miraculously provided them manna to nurture them while they were in the wilderness and there was no source of provision in sight. They forgot that God would not allow any of their enemies to overtake and conquer them while they were in the desert. They, like many of us have a what have you done for me lately attitude. We question whether God will deliver us in our present circumstance with no regard to His record. The songwriter said “as thou hast been, thou forever will be.” Has he been your deliverer? He forever will be! Has he been your provider? He forever will be! Has be been the source of your peace? He forever will be!
It may be helpful if we release ourselves from trying to determine how every situation in our lives will work out or what will be the outcome. The Bible states that the steps of a good man are ordered by God. It also says if we acknowledge Him in all our ways He shall direct our paths. Allow me to further remind you that the Bible states that all things work together for God’s people. Not some things, but all things. This means if I loose my job, it’s going to ultimately work out for my good. Remember what happened to Tavis? Robert Johnson fired him from BET and look at him now. He would not have the success he has had he not been fired and forced to move on. If someone walks out of my life, it’s going to ultimately work out for my good however painful it may seem at the time. If I loose my home and have to move, it’s going to ultimately work out for my good however bleak it may seem.
It is critical in this day and time that we remain stead fast in our faith to avoid hi’s and lows in our spirituality. Sometimes I am so confirmed in God that I don’t care what comes my way, I stand strong and resolute that God and I can handle it. At other times, I am not so resolved. Nevertheless, the answer is always that God does not fail those whose trust is placed in Him. We must therefore strive to get to a place in our spiritual lives where we never allow doubt or fear to have a place in our aura or persona no matter how dark or bleak the situation appears. Whenever doubt tries to creep in, stand on the word. Quote scripture and repeat it over and over again so that even if you consciously are weak, it will take root in your spirit and sustain you until the challenge passes.
When our faith is tested, God is trying to take us to another level of experience and strength in our spirituality. Job, a man of many trials and tribulations said the following from a place of faith despite his circumstance: “[b]ut he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside.” Job 23:10-11. This means that, believe it or not, we can actually benefit from our trials and tribulations when we maintain our integrity in the challenge. James said “[m]y brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:2-8. In other words, if I patiently wait for God’s word to prevail in a situation instead of compromising my principles to make things come out the way I want, I will lack nothing. God has already promised that no “good thing” will I withhold from you. That means some of the people and things we may have desired, we didn’t get because it wasn’t a “good thing.” James also said “[b]lessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12. This is what we should all desire at the end of the day.
So, whose report will you believe? Will you believe a medical diagnosis that says your illness is not curable or you have to be on medication for the rest of your life? Will you believe a credit report that says you can’t have a new house or stay in the one you already have? Will you believe an employer who says you are not qualified to advance? Will you believe the opinion of another that you are unable to achieve your goals? Or, will you believe God?
The blessings of God make you rich and add no sorrow to your life. On the other hand, compromise can bring about many difficulties. Remember, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17.
The greater the test, the greater the mercy and faithfulness of God. I stand in agreement with the songwriter who said “morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.” God Bless You!
Written by Lecia L. Shorter
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