Faith

Faith.
Being sure of what we hope for, and believing even when we do not see (Heb. 11:1)
Faith is the reason that great miracles come to pass, the substance of which great people are made, and the catalyst of incredible events and works of the Lord.
Without it, our lives become vain attempts at trying to please Him, and without the works that accompany it, it is dead (Heb. 11:6 and James 2:20).

God is revealing to me now just how imperative having faith is...and it is during a season in my life in which He has revealed to me AMAZING promises of things that are to come. He has told me to wait and trust Him for these events to happen, even while the circumstances around me seem to show my natural mind that these things will never come to pass.

However, He continues to pursue my heart, telling me that these things are most definitely on His agenda, and speaking to me through His word of the reasons for which I should hold on. He has also sent me a couple really awesome people to encourage me in my faith right when I really need it :) He is so good.

I have learned that the hardest part of carrying out our destinies and aspiring to our callings is simply the act of faith: believing that when God tells us He will do something, He WILL DO IT. Our God is One who watches over His word to perform it! (Is. 55:11)

A verse that I just found today that I already love is Heb. 11:11: "It is by FAITH that Abraham was made able to become a father, because he trusted God to do what He had promised."
God cannot use us if we do not have the faith, but if we DO, He is able to do above and beyond all we can ask or think (Eph. 2:10). It is because we BELIEVE that He is able to DO the things that He had promised. I strongly believe that when we doubt God, we greatly limit His ability to do His will in our lives. By doubting Him, we are telling Him that not only is He not capable of doing what He said He would, but that we are not capable of receiving the gifts He has for us in a way that would bring all the glory back to Him. As our goal in life is to bring praise back to Him, He blesses us to show us His faithfulness and teach us to trust Him. A faithful God is One who is worthy of all our praise! He not only works everything out for our good and gives us plans to prosper us and not to harm us, but He ALSO gives us a future and a hope! (Rom. 8:28 and Jer. 29:11) HE IS SO WORTHY!
I want this type of faith! To KNOW these things, and to TRUST God BECAUSE I know these things! To acquire these traits requires a lifetime of determination, and the practice of certain duties. First of all, it's important to know the Bible. This is because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). Thank God that He has given me my limited knowledge of His word, even though I have not been faithful to read it as often as I should! :/
Also, in addition to reading the Bible, it is very important to live a life of prayer and fasting: "I tell you the truth, if your faith is as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move. All things will be possible for you. That kind of spirit comes out only if you use prayer and fasting" (Mat. 17:20-21)
This is something we should all strive for in our everyday lives! As His Word is our DAILY bread, we should continually seek His heart and His will for our lives on a daily basis. This is especially pertinent during times of trial, as it is during these times that the enemy tries so desperately to make us give up. However, there is a reason for these trials: as a close friend once told me, if we ask God for trust, He will give us situations in which we have to trust Him. This is SO true, and is backed up by numerous scriptures: "God's power protects you through your faith until salvation is shown to you at the end of time. This makes you very happy, even though now for a short time different kinds of troubles may make you sad. These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure." (1 Pet. 5-7)
Also, my VERY FAVORITE SCRIPTURE IN THE WHOLE BIBLE:
"See what this sorrow—the sorrow God wanted you to have—has done to you:
It has made you very serious.
It made you want to restore yourselves.
It made you angry and afraid.
It made you want to see me.
It made you care.
It made you want to do the right thing.
I tell you: in every way you have regained your innocence." (2nd Cor. 7:11)

God always has a plan for every hardship He puts us through, and even in the face of heartbreak and evil, He wants to give us a FUTURE and a HOPE! THIS IS SO AWESOME!

So, the point of this blog is not only to encourage anyone else who reads it, but also to document this day in a statement of faith. The Lord has revealed to me His amazing plans for the next three years of my life, which sound almost too good (and too infeasible) to be true.
But I declare to you in faith on August 12, 2009: The Lord will bring to pass the things that He has told me He would. His promises are Yes and Amen. His Word does not return void! Those who trust Him will never be put to shame!
THANK YOU JESUS!!!