how big is our faith?

Faith...

Believing what we can't see. The evidence of things hoped for. The substance of things not seen. Knowing that what He has promised is true. 

Faith...

Hearing from God and knowing His voice.

How big is our faith? Do we believe for others but not for ourselves? Do we deem others worthy of a miraculous healing touch from God but don't feel worthy ourselves?

Faith...

Commitment to God and His will. Total reliance upon the Lord. Confidence in Christ.

Abraham was a faithful servant. His faith is what prodded his pleading to God on behalf of the city of Sodom. Because of His faithful prayer life, God was willing to spare the city for only 10 righteous people. It only takes the faith of a few to obtain the mercy of God for a nation.

Abraham's faith is what enabled him to trust God completely when He called him to sacrifice his son. "Thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest" (Genesis 22:2). In his own strength and character, Abraham couldn't have done that. But because of the faithful relationship he had with God, he was able. He had faith in God's promise to him regarding the covenant He established with Isaac. He knew that even if he had to sacrifice his son, there would be a resurrection. He knew God would provide the lamb.  He trusted His God and His Word. 

Oh, to have the faith of Abraham. I so desire that kind of dependence on my Lord. To trust Him in all things and for all things. To depend solely upon Him for my direction in life. To place my loved ones in His hands since they belong to Him anyway. To know that He will provide the lambs needed in my life when I am called upon to obey, even  unto sacrifice. 

I want God to be my Jehovah-Jireh. My provider. I want to grow closer to Him each day and know Him like never before. More intimate. More personal. Deeper. Higher. I want to love Him more. I want to know Him...

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves 

to think any thing as of ourselves; but our 

sufficiency is of God"

(2 Corinthians 3:5)

I want to trust Him no matter what. No hesitation. No procrastination. No doubting. No excuses.

Just trust and obey. He is worthy. He is faithful. He is God.

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Mercie had a re-check today and the doctor confirmed that indeed she is healed. (my words, not his..) He also confirmed to Megan what he thought would be the outcome of the blood work. He was sure that Mercie was  very ill. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind whatsoever that my God healed my Mercie on last Sunday morning. I know that He has plans for her and that she will have a mighty calling on her life. I am just so thankful that He allowed me to be a part of this incredible testimony of hers. I will praise Him and testify of this miracle for the rest of my life. I learned a huge lesson about faith and I pray that I don't have to be retaught. 

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God, you are good. All the time. I love you with all that I am and I am yours.

do I believe in miracles? oh, yeah...her name is Mercie

Do I believe in healing and miracles? Oh, yes. In fact, I have a little miracle asleep in my bed at this very minute. A precious, amazing miracle in the form a 3 year old granddaughter named Mercie.

Last Saturday, as I was visiting my daughter and her 4 children, I noticed that Mercie's neck looked swollen. I began to look closer at it and couldn't believe how big the lymph nodes on either side of her neck were. Like, really big. When she turned her head sideways you could see them protruding. I don't have to tell you that at that very moment my heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach and I felt a cold chill go over me. Trying not to alarm Megan, I asked her if she had noticed it and she said that she was just now seeing it. I asked her some questions about how Mercie was feeling and told her that she definitely needed to go to the doctor first thing Monday morning. I left there that evening with a very ominous feeling and something in my spirit said, 'Beth, your world is about to be turned upside down'.  I spent that evening in a state of denial and tried very hard to put it out of my mind, but couldn't. I didn't sleep much that night at all. I spent the night praying for Mercie.

The next morning, Megan and her family came to our church for the start of our revival services. During the worship service, I was holding Mercie in my arms and praying for God's healing upon my precious little granddaughter. Our worship was being led by 'The Crusaders' and as they were singing  The Revelation Song, I was crying out to my God asking for His Healing Hand to rest upon Mercie at that very moment. As I held her and she had her head laying on my shoulder, I began to feel the most incredible surge of power flooding through me and into that baby. I could feel His mighty healing begin to take over her little body and the tears just began to cascade down my face. The feeling was so overpowering and so overwhelming I can barely describe it. But I knew at that very minute a miracle had taken place.

Early Monday morning, I called to check on Mercie and Megan said that her neck was the same. She called and made Mercie a doctors appointment for that morning and I met her in town so I could be with her. The doctor was very concerned at the size of her lymph nodes and couldn't find anything to rationalize it. No fever. No swelling anywhere else. No ear infection. No throat infection. Nothing. He sent her to the hospital for some blood work and my mind went into overdrive and I almost let the devil get a victory there.

As I was keeping the other kids at the park, Megan took Mercie to the hospital. The Lord and I were having an intense conversation while I was trying to entertain my other grandchildren. I was telling Him that I knew He healed her, so why hadn't the swelling gone down? He was telling me that it was about faith, not about visible results. It was about believing without seeing. Did I trust him or not?

After several hours of waiting on results, the blood work came back normal. The doctor prescribed a strong antibiotic and said he wanted to see her back the next Monday. 

Tuesday morning brought no changes. But still I was wrestling with what I knew to be truth and what I could see with my eyes. Revival services that night were awesome and such a powerful Word was spoken. I kept clinging to what I knew to be true but still struggling with no change in the swelling.

Wednesday morning came and I spent several hours in my study pouring my heart out to my precious Lord and digging into the Word for some revelation. I needed a word from Him. I needed some affirmation of what I knew to be true. I finally got in my car and headed out to Megan's house. On the way, the Lord was telling me that I needed to accept Mercie's healing regardless of what any outward appearance showed. Regardless of any other indications, I needed to trust Him. I began to praise Him for healing her. I began to pour out blessings and thanksgiving to Him. I was driving and crying and praising all at once! Just as I was finally at the point where I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my God had healed my granddaughter, I pulled up in Megan's driveway. I looked at my phone to check the time and somehow still had face book pulled up from earlier. One of my friends had posted this picture and when I saw it, I just lost it. 

The 3 words that are highlighted are Blessings, Healing, Mercies. This was not a coincidence. This was orchestrated by God at just the right time. It was affirmation of what I knew to be true and it was my sweet Savior saying,  'She is healed. Rest in my promise, Beth'. 

I had the most overwhelming and astounding sense of His presence at that very moment. It was all I could do not to shout it from the top of my lungs. I may never know what God healed my little Mercie from, but I do know that He healed her. Completely. He has a mighty calling on her life and I will do whatever I can to ensure that she is a girl after God's heart from here on out. 

"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh;

is there anything too hard for me?"

(Jeremiah 32:27)

Indeed, there is nothing too hard for my God. And each time I hold my little Mercie-girl close, I will gaze into her little eyes and see my Father's image shining forth from within. And I will raise my eyes toward heaven and declare, 'that's HIM!'

i don't know what happened...

A few months ago, Mercie was the first child awake at my daughter's house and was in the living room with her mother playing quietly. Megan heard Silas waking up in his room and went to get him out of bed and change his diaper. She said a few minutes later she walked back into the living room and there sat Mercie on the rug. She was surrounded by a puddle of water, had an empty bottle beside her and the lid in her hand. Megan stood there and looked at her and Mercie looked up and said in a sweet voice, "I don't know what happened."

Well, of course Mercie knew what had happened, but she did what we as Christians sometimes do. Deny the truth. The Lord spoke to me through this and reminded me of my own lame excuses that I sometimes offer up to God.

Do we find ourselves sitting in a puddle at times and say to God, "I don't know what happened."? Have we ever gotten into a mess of our own doing but looked up to our Lord and proclaimed that we didn't know how we got there?

Truth of the matter is we can sometimes slide down that slippery slope so fast that we may be surprised where we landed, but in reality we know just what happened. We know just how we wound up sitting in that puddle.

Sin happened. Disobedience happened.

Talkin' the talk and not walkin' the walk happened.

The road to destruction is broad.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

It's easy to walk that wide road of complacency and sin. We just keep walking and following the crowd - busy in our own little worlds and then one day we look up and realize we aren't where we intended to go.

The narrow way - the one that leadeth unto life - is hard to find. It takes a far different path and we have to purposefully follow it. It may not be easy and it may not always be the road we desire to be on, but when we align ourselves with the Word of God and surrender to His will for our life, we don't walk alone.

God walks that path with us. He gently leads and guides us down paths of righteousness. He lifts us up and carries us over troubled waters. He makes a way for us in the valley and over the mountains. He is always there.

If we adhere to the Word of God and we are obedient to His commands, we are less likely to find ourselves sitting in a puddle unaware of how we got there.

Let's stay in step with our Lord and allow Him to show us the way. Keeping our focus on Him. Keeping our eyes on the path He is making for us. Watching out for the puddles that threaten to pull us in. If we keep holding His hand and walking by His side, our response to "I don't know what happened" will be replaced by "God happened".

"Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day" (Psalm 25:4-5)

family filled thankful thursday

I am thankful for Greg and the ability to join him for our own Thankful Thursday post.

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** I am thankful for all my grandchildren and am very thankful that they all love each other.  They may not always get along, but they do love each other! ha!

(Mercie R. and Bryton H. reading together on Sunday)

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** I am thankful that my daughter Ashlie and her husband, Cody, celebrated 4 years of marriage yesterday. They went out to eat and I got to keep Sawyer while Cody's mom kept Bryton. Ashlie won't leave the boys much so it was fun to get to keep him without her being here!

We played animals.

He played the piano and I'm sure he was praising the Lord.

Came home from church and took a good bath and played until the water was cold.

I got to wrap him up in a baby towel, slather him with lotion and get him dressed in his jammies. There is nothing quite as sweet as a good smelling baby in his jammies.

Ahhh.. no words for this. Just pure bliss. Pure love. Pure joy.....

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** I am thankful for God's word. I have so many verses highlighted in my bible and a stack of index cards on my desk filled with scriptures. I also LOVE my new index card binder! It is so cool!

(did you get one Yolanda????)

I love God's word!

"That they might set their hope in God, and not forget

the works of God, but keep His commandments."

(Psalm 78:7)

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 **I am thankful for my husband. I love being a preacher's wife. I love being married to my pastor. I am so glad that he is an amazing father to our 3 girls and super Papa to our 6 grandbabies.

We've been together 25 1/2 years. We must be doing something right!

** I am thankful that God continues to bestow such undeserved mercy and grace on me and my family. He is the biggest joy of my life. The greatest treasure I could ever find. Thank you Lord for sending Your precious Son to this earth to die on the cross at Calvary, so I could have forgivenses for my sins and thank you for giving me eternal life.

an awesome thankful thursday

If you haven't joined GREG before for Thankful Thursday, take a minute and join him this week. It is a wonderful to way to share our thanks for the goodness of God in our diaiy lives. Thanks, Greg!

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1. I am so thankful for honeydew melon. Oh, yes I am! It is sweet and delicious and I am thankful that God created it so I can enjoy it!

"And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:12)

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2. I am thankful for the gift of music.  God saw fit to give me the ability to play the flute and I am so thankful that even now, at 48 years of age, I can still play for Him during our praise and worship service and bring Him glory through song. Thank you, Lord for bestowing the gift of music upon me.

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3. I am thankful for this little guy named Silas. God has blessed my precious grandson and he is doing so great!  At 7 weeks of age he is  healthy and happy and  is weighing in at 10 lbs 8 oz. He has been such a blessing to us all. Thank you, Lord for the life of little Silas.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above...." (James 1:17)

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4. I am thankful that Mercie is so in love with her little brother. She loves to hold Silas and thinks that she can really take care of him. She loves her little rainboots as well and wanted to wear them for the picture! Thank you, Lord for big sister Mercie.

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5. I am thankful for God's Word. There is so much powerful stuff hidden deep in the Word of God and we can never get to the end of it. There is always more to learn. More to know. More to seek and devour. I love His Word! Oh, thank you, Lord for your Word!

"Nobody ever outgrows scripture. The book widens and deepens

with our years"  (C.H. Spurgeon)