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Thoughts for a Woman's Heart |
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encouragement in things that matter |
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Faith Foundations
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The first verse of an old hymn affirms the faith of its writer. "My faith has found a resting place, not in a manmade creed; I trust the ever living One, that He for me will plead." Then the chorus triumphs the words, "I need no other evidence, I need no other plea; it is enough that Jesus died and rose again for me." Faith believes what it cannot prove, and yet paradoxically for the hymn writer, the "proof" that sustained his faith was something he really could not "prove." His proof was solidly anchored in the person of Jesus Christ. He saw in the past, Jesus’ sacrificial death in his behalf, and he saw in the present and the future a risen, living Savior interceding for him before the Father. Knowing the writings of Scripture, he accepted the truth of its words, and that was all he needed to create a foundation for his faith. The purity and simplicity of his faith is a challenge to our own, for we are called to a like purity and simplicity that rests solely on the words of our God. Graciously, faith is a gift given by the very One who calls us to faith. And graciously too, God creates foundations even apart from His written Word, that confirm and enlarge our faith. Sit around a campfire on a cool, but starlit night, and ponder the brilliance of the darkened sky. You see not only stars, but you see God. Bask in the sunshine on a sandy beach with the spray of pounding waves whispering the voice of God. Softly cradle a newborn in your arms and recognize the untold potential of a life and hear the heartbeat of God. Pick up a Christian magazine, and read of believers in Ecuador or Indonesia or Iraq who are living vibrant, expectant Christian lives, and catch a picture of the bigness of your God. Listen to your friend share God’s answer to her prayer, a personal response from a God you cannot prove, and you become a choir of two, in grateful appreciation of your God’s compassion and ever-present care. Better yet, just remember. Remember your own history. You’ve been writing a book – with God – did you forget? A history book that chronicles and details all that you and God have been through together. Provision. Healing. Forgiveness. Restored relationships. A changed perspective. More hours in a day than the clock allotted. A job well done. Strength. Joy. Peace when peace seemed impossible. Remember? And when you do remember, your faith is confirmed and enlarged. The foundations are strengthened. Faith needs no other evidence, and yet, graciously, God gives it. |
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— Bev |
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