Got Faith?
Sometimes life just can bruise and batter you. Things get hard and life can just get tough and messy.
The last few weeks have been a little like this in the parenting department for me. Nothing on a major scale, but as Solomon tells us in Song of Songs, "it's the little foxes that spoil the vine".
Little things can get into the cracks of your day and before you know it, it's a big fat mess.
Most mothers {and fathers} would agree that parenting is hard work. Some days are easier than others, but shew-wee, it's exhausting. No matter the age of your children.
After the past couple of weeks I was feeling less than great about my mothering ability. Very down and out, and second-guessing my ability to be a good mother to these little ones.
Tears running down my face, I journaled to the Lord about my sorrow. I spilled my heart to Him and told Him my desire for His immediate intervention.
"Lord, I don't want to mess this up! Please help me! Give me wisdom, discernment, patience...I need it all! Oh, and I need it right now!"
I searched and searched in His Word for comforting scriptures. I came across many, but the scripture that He used to get me through that day was this one...
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1
This is how it spoke to my mother heart that day, "Jill, believe Me. Put your Hope in Me. Be certain of Me, although you don't know what today or tomorrow brings. Put your faith in Me, not your abilities."
I was stressed and anxious about my children and their well-being. Past, present and future. Was I screwing them up? Was I getting it right? Was I doing enough? Was I doing too much? Lord, help me with the thoughts!
I felt such a burden to "get it right" with them that day, and it was weighing so heavy on me. A burden that I wasn't meant to carry.
Jesus tells us to:"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest". Matthew 11:28
Read that verse one more time.
When I combine that verse with "being sure of what I hope for, and certain of what I do not see"....
I exhale.
I exhale again.
And again.
I will not be a perfect parent. Ever.
But, I do have the hope that what I don't see, I can believe.
I believe that He will never leave me or forsake me. {Hebrews 13:5}
I believe that He will give me strength on hard days. {Isaiah 41:10}
I believe that when I ask Him for wisdom, He will provide it. {James 1:5}
I believe that no matter how much I try to control things and people, that He is the One in complete control. {Psalm 46:1-11}
So, I surrender.
Again.
As I type, I cannot help but to think of two precious women I had the pleasure of meeting this weekend.
Their lives have been turned upside down.
My heart could barely find the words to pray....
But, the Lord reminded me.
He reminded me of what He had just taught me that very same morning....
Although their situations seem bleak and hopeless.....
Our Hope is alive and well.
We can be certain of this.
The visible may seem hopeless....
However, God tells us this....again.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1
I could tell these women with complete sincerity and belief that they could trust The Lord Almighty. I may not know much, but this I do know.
To seal the deal with your heart, I want to add a few more scriptures from that very same chapter of Hebrews. I was stunned when I read them. {Hebrews 11:1-17}
"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet see, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became the heir of the righteousness of Christ."
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know were he was going..."
"By faith, Abraham, even though he was past age, was enabled to become a father...." {He was 100!!!}
"By faith, Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice..."
"By faith the people passed through the Red Sea...when the Egyptians drowned."
Our memory verse for this week...you guessed it:
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1
I'm making it personal.... "By faith, I will raise my children with full dependence and Trust in the Lord to help me every step of the way."
Will you fill in the blank, make this personal, and believe what God has in store for you?
"By faith, I will_____________________."
filling in more blanks,
jill
**Follow along with us in our reading plan. You can find it here.
The last few weeks have been a little like this in the parenting department for me. Nothing on a major scale, but as Solomon tells us in Song of Songs, "it's the little foxes that spoil the vine".
Little things can get into the cracks of your day and before you know it, it's a big fat mess.
Most mothers {and fathers} would agree that parenting is hard work. Some days are easier than others, but shew-wee, it's exhausting. No matter the age of your children.
After the past couple of weeks I was feeling less than great about my mothering ability. Very down and out, and second-guessing my ability to be a good mother to these little ones.
Tears running down my face, I journaled to the Lord about my sorrow. I spilled my heart to Him and told Him my desire for His immediate intervention.
"Lord, I don't want to mess this up! Please help me! Give me wisdom, discernment, patience...I need it all! Oh, and I need it right now!"
I searched and searched in His Word for comforting scriptures. I came across many, but the scripture that He used to get me through that day was this one...
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1
This is how it spoke to my mother heart that day, "Jill, believe Me. Put your Hope in Me. Be certain of Me, although you don't know what today or tomorrow brings. Put your faith in Me, not your abilities."
I was stressed and anxious about my children and their well-being. Past, present and future. Was I screwing them up? Was I getting it right? Was I doing enough? Was I doing too much? Lord, help me with the thoughts!
I felt such a burden to "get it right" with them that day, and it was weighing so heavy on me. A burden that I wasn't meant to carry.
Jesus tells us to:"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest". Matthew 11:28
Read that verse one more time.
When I combine that verse with "being sure of what I hope for, and certain of what I do not see"....
I exhale.
I exhale again.
And again.
I will not be a perfect parent. Ever.
But, I do have the hope that what I don't see, I can believe.
I believe that He will never leave me or forsake me. {Hebrews 13:5}
I believe that He will give me strength on hard days. {Isaiah 41:10}
I believe that when I ask Him for wisdom, He will provide it. {James 1:5}
I believe that no matter how much I try to control things and people, that He is the One in complete control. {Psalm 46:1-11}
So, I surrender.
Again.
As I type, I cannot help but to think of two precious women I had the pleasure of meeting this weekend.
Their lives have been turned upside down.
My heart could barely find the words to pray....
But, the Lord reminded me.
He reminded me of what He had just taught me that very same morning....
Although their situations seem bleak and hopeless.....
Our Hope is alive and well.
We can be certain of this.
The visible may seem hopeless....
However, God tells us this....again.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1
I could tell these women with complete sincerity and belief that they could trust The Lord Almighty. I may not know much, but this I do know.
To seal the deal with your heart, I want to add a few more scriptures from that very same chapter of Hebrews. I was stunned when I read them. {Hebrews 11:1-17}
"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet see, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became the heir of the righteousness of Christ."
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know were he was going..."
"By faith, Abraham, even though he was past age, was enabled to become a father...." {He was 100!!!}
"By faith, Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice..."
"By faith the people passed through the Red Sea...when the Egyptians drowned."
Our memory verse for this week...you guessed it:
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1
I'm making it personal.... "By faith, I will raise my children with full dependence and Trust in the Lord to help me every step of the way."
Will you fill in the blank, make this personal, and believe what God has in store for you?
"By faith, I will_____________________."
filling in more blanks,
jill
**Follow along with us in our reading plan. You can find it here.
