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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

From theory to FAITH!

Recently, God answered a question that I have been asking for a long time. Why? Not why did He answer. The question was "Why?". The answer was not something that I had never heard before. It just became more real to me as I read it once again. It moved from theory to FAITH... from my head to my heart.

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Experiencing God Day By Day

by Henry Blackaby

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Testing Reveals Your Heart

"And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

God allows us to suffer difficulties and hardships for a purpose. God led the children of Israel to wander through the wilderness for forty years in order to humble them and test them. When they refused to obey Him and enter the Promised Land, the Israelites revealed that they did not really know Him. If they had, they would have had more faith. God spent the next forty years testing the hearts of His people to see if they were prepared for His next assignment.

Testing reveals what is in your heart and produces a robust faith (James 1:3, 12). God allowed His people to hunger so they could experience His provision and develop a deeper level of trust in Him. As the people walked with God they came to understand that their lives depended upon His Word. They learned that God’s Word was the most important thing they had. After depending on God for forty years while living in the desert, the people listened when God spoke, and they believed. When they finally entered the Promised Land and waged war against their enemies, the Israelites knew that God’s word meant life and death. They were prepared to listen to Him, and as a result He led them to an astounding victory.

Is God presently testing you in some area of your life? What has His testing revealed? Have you become bitter toward God because of where He has led you? Or have you come to trust Him more as a result of what you have gone through?

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So, here is the deal as I approach some significant dates and events in my life. In 36 days, I will turn 35. In 86 days, our adoption contract will end. Right now, I have no desire to pursue having a child - by treatments or with another agency - beyond then. While I know that God has taught me so much through these experiences, part of me realizes that a decade of my life has gone by, caught up in my plans. I want the next decade to be caught up in HIS! If God intends for us to be parents, He will accomplish anything that needs to happen without my assistance. What a concept! :o) I have spent long enough trying to make everything happen. I don't pretend to understand God's plans. In fact, there is no way that I possibly could. The simplicity of it is that I must acknowledge and trust Him to direct me. Nothing more. Nothing less. The beauty of it is that I don't have to worry. He can handle it all, and that, praise God, is true freedom!

I know that was kind of blunt at the end. Sorry for that. It's just that is what I had to say, and I said it. I thank you for listening and for praying for us all this time. God knows the plans He has for us, and I look forward to seeing those come to pass, whatever they might be.


Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

4 comments:

Beth in NC said...

I cannot imagine having the time you have through the adoption process. There are no words to describe a disappointment like that.

I will tell you, I was 38 when our daughter was born. I am 43 and I am still believing for a 2nd child. My timing has never been the same as God's timing.

God bless you Sister. I know one thing - He is faithful and loves you & your husband.

Thank you for keeping us in the loop.

Love and prayers,
Beth

Jon L. Estes said...

I think we have had this talk.

;-)

Good for you.

C.C. and Double T said...

Indeed, my brother, indeed! :o)

Thanks for the encouragement, Beth. :o)

Rachelle said...

Congrats on your weight loss. I'm working on that right now. Not fun.

It sounds like the adoption journey turned more into a faith journey, and you seem to be in a great place with your attitude/faith toward Christ. Excited to see what's next for you!

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