Are You Putting Faith in the Wrong Promise?

Faith in the wrong thing is like living in a fairy tale. The sad thing about it is, that you often find yourself never wanting to come out and face reality.

Donnetta Cole
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer

I confess. I've done it. More than once I've done it. I believed. I believed with all of my heart that God would spare me of a painful situation. I was sure things would be as I envisioned, as I believed. The problem was, I believed the wrong promise.

Why is it that as Christians, as humans, we seem to think tough things shouldn't come our way? Why do we think we should be protected, shielded, untouched? Where did this belief come from? How is it that we latch on to this as the promise to cling to?

There are many verses that lead us to see otherwise. "In this world you will have troubles" (Jn. 16:33). "When you pass through the waters... When you pass through the rivers... When you walk through the fire" (Is. 43:2). "We are hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down" (II Cor. 4: 8-9).

I don't notice a maybe, perhaps, if, or possibly in these verses. No, instead, I see words like will, are and when. I've had it wrong so many times. I've wanted the promise to be that "it" would not, could not, happen. I was believing the wrong promise.

But even if the dreaded "it" happens, we have promises we can rely on. "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (II Cor 4:17)

In his book It's Not About Me, Max Lucado says the following of Paul's words to the Corinthians:

The words 'weight of glory' conjure up images of the ancient pan scale. Remember, two pans, one on either side of the needle. The weight of a purchase would be determined by placing weights on one side and the purchase on the other.

God does the same with your struggles. On one side he stacks all your burdens. Stack them up, and watch one side of the pan scale plummet.

Now witness God's response. Does he remove them? Eliminate the burdens? No, rather than take them, he offsets them. He places an eternal weight of glory on the other side. Endless joy. Measureless peace. An eternity of him. Watch what happens as he sets eternity on your scale.

Everything changes! The burdens lift. The heavy becomes light when weighed against eternity.

If you look back at each of those verses, he offsets each of those situations with Himself. "You will have peace. Take heart! I have overcome the world"(Jn 16:33). "I will be with you. The rivers will not sweep over you. You will not be burned" (Is. 43:2). "We are not crushed, not in despair, not abandoned, not destroyed" (II Cor. 4: 8-9). These are just a sampling of the promises found throughout Scripture.

We are not promised a life of ease and comfort. We are not promised escape, rescue, tearless, pain-free living. We are guaranteed quite the opposite. BUT, we are promised, beyond the shadow of a doubt, God's presence, peace, joy... His very self through it all. We are promised the heavy will become light when weighed against eternity.

So often I find myself believing the wrong promise. But as Natalie Grant stated so well in her song Held: "The promise was... when everything fell... we'd be held".

That is the promise. It is one worth clinging to. That is the promise to clasp for dear life. The promise that when everything feels as if it is crashing around you, that you will not survive, that it so very dark and more than you can take... you will be held. Held in the very palm of the Heavenly Father's hand. Now that is a promise worth believing!

Friend, what promise are you believing today? Are you believing the wrong promise? Or are you believing, in the midst of it all, that you are being Held? Are you believing that regardless of what is yet to come, you will be Held?

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Donnetta Cole has learned that if life's "mountain" doesn't move, then God helps us to climb it. She is a wife, mother of 2 and works part time as a registered nurse. She also serves in various ministries of her church from working with the youth, ministering to young moms, leading the music and being a girl's soccer coach for the Upward Soccer league through the church. Sharing Christ through friendship and relationships is a highlight for her. You can visit Donnetta's blog, "My Quiet Corner," at www.momrn2.blogspot.com
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Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Read more!

Trusting God when you can’t trace him

So many times you are in a situation and you are looking to find help to get through it and you hear “just trust God” , and your reply “how can I when ….” I know the feeling.

Do you remember when God lead the children of Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night? “21The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people”. Exodus 13:21-22 (Amplified Bible)

Well I believe you would agree that they were used as signs to let them know that God was with them. This method was also used for God to let them know when it was time to stay still or time to move.

Obviously the use of their senses played a significant role in them learning how to trust God because they responded according to what they saw.

Let’s look at the word trust:
1. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.
2. Something committed into the care of another; charge.

If you have ever worked a day in your life you definitely have some experience in this. You trusted your employer to pay you at the end of the week so you gave him your time and work. How about trusting in the promise of your parents who said they would give you a specific gift for your birthday or Christmas.

Yes it is easy to trust or rely on God when you see the evidence of a pillar of cloud or fire in your presence. The challenge comes when there is no evidence of him. How do you hold on and keep trusting God when there is no sign of his presence. Nothing to see, nothing to touch, nothing to feel. There’s no trace.

Trace:
1. To follow the course or trail of.
2. A visible mark, such as a footprint, made or left by the passage of a person, animal, or thing.
3.Evidence or an indication of the former presence or existence of something; a vestige.


I’m sure you would have had experiences where it feels like God is nowhere around. So do you stop, give in throw in the towel and pack up on God and life?

Let’s see what God is doing during these times:

1. Sensitizing your ear to hear his voice. - Is 55:3a
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live;

2. Strengthening your faith - Rom. 4:20-21
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform

3. Developing your patience - James 1:3
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4. Preparing you for his glory - Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.



Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen. Read more!