Is God Really Sufficient

Is God Really Sufficient? Is He Enough?

A span of no words to write can often be slightly disheartening for someone who is used to having an abundance of free-flowing words. “Slightly” would probably be an understatement in my case. I was on the verge of pleading my disheartening-dilemma to God. Instead, I bowed on humble knees asking God for the freedom to write - for His blessing. I asked him for the ability to write what He had for me to write. . . if He even allowed me to do so.
I decided that I might as well try to write and what better way than to do as I had done before when I would write: Find a good Christian book that would give me an eye-opener. Sometimes the eye-opener would come through my Bible reading, but often times it began in a book I was reading. So, why not do like I had always done? I went to the new collection of books I had recently obtained and chose one that I knew would be filled with truths and principles that would speak to my heart.
As I finished my morning devotion time I kept my reading short and just the bare minimum (shameful). I was excited to break into the book (not the Bible – a book) and see what might catch my attention.
With book, Bible, and laptop in tow I settled in ready to write. Opening my book I began reading. I honestly can’t tell you a single word I read on those two pages, because God nudged me as if to say, “So, my Word isn’t enough for you? Not sufficient enough for you? You have to add to it or go there first in order to end up in My Word?” Ouch.
Not to say that those books are wrong -- not at all. They have been used mightily in my life and God has shown me so much through the eyes and words of hearts and hands surrendered to His will and purpose. God has changed my life through the writings of others. I know that many of you could echo the same sentiment. The danger lies in setting aside God’s Word and picking up a book in its place. Used in its proper, God-purposed place, the books (as well as all the other avenues – i.e. conferences, CD’s, counselors . . .) can be used mightily by God in the lives of believers and even non-believers.
Is His Word enough? Is He enough? Do I have to have God plus _______? Do I have to have His Word in my hand in addition to _________? Or could someone take it all away and leave me only His Word and Him and it be enough – even more than enough – it be my all in all – sufficient . . .all-sufficient.
“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Not God and _______ or God with the help of ________. God alone created the heaven and the earth. I can barely paint my room by myself, but God created the whole world – heaven and earth. Not only that but He spoke it into existence. He is God alone and a very holy, righteous, mighty, and consuming God.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4). He is our foundation. One cannot sustain or last when not founded and established in a life-giving source. Apart from Him, we have and are nothing. Our sufficiency is in Him because He alone is sufficient. We are dependent on Him and without Him we have nothing that will suffice, last, satisfy, or give life. The Bible makes clear that not only did God create all things, but that He sustains all things as well: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, [now notice this last phrase] and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).
“For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring” (Acts 17:28). It is one thing to think about God keeping the planets rotating, or even the atoms of which our bodies are made, rotating; but this verse says that everything about our lives is kept in place by His sustaining power. “In Him we live, and move, and have our being.” God's sufficiency is great enough to extend to everything that we do. He keeps everything going within our lives, within our activities. God is not some distant being, far off in the universe. He is a God Who is intimately involved in every detail of our lives, in every breath that we take.
I, as a human, am only partly sufficient. If I don't get nourishment, if I don't get rest, if I don't get to recharge my “batteries,” I can't keep going. I am only sufficient to the extent that I have outside resources that refuel and replenish the strength that I have, but God is completely sufficient. He never needs to be refueled or recharged. He never needs help from any outside source whatsoever. John said it best when he recorded the words of Jesus Christ Himself, “For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26). God is self-sustaining and self-sufficient.
In many places in the Scripture He tells us that His sufficiency is aimed directly at you and me. He is sufficient to save us as we come to Him through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died to pay for the sins that we have committed. If we accept the fact that Christ's sacrifice paid for our sins, as we by faith turn to God with that, God is sufficient to save us. He is able to save those who come to Him through Christ. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him…” (Hebrews 7:25). God is able to keep the faith that we place in Him. Many times, I say, “I don't think I have the faith to go on. I know all of this is true, and I have trusted Christ as my Savior, but I just don't have the faith to believe what God has put before me. I just don't have the faith to claim the promises.” But then I fall on my knees in humility as I find the words in His blessed, living Word: “…I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (II Timothy 1:12).
God is able to keep the faith that we have placed in Him. When you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, God keeps that faith. Even if we are faithless, He abides faithful. Paul wrote this same truth in different words in this passage in II Timothy: “He is able to keep that faith that we have committed to Him.” If you have by faith accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, God has put that in a safety deposit box, and He keeps that faith even if you run out of faith. I love the illustration that of the fact that you may be holding on to God's hand, and that is wonderful, but also God is holding on to your hand. Even if you let your grip go, God does not let His grip go. He is sufficient to keep me – to keep you - in His family.
God is able to deliver His children from any test, trial, or difficulty that may come their way. He allows us to go into some of those difficulties and trials and tests, but He is able to deliver us from them. Sometimes He does not deliver us from them. The young men in the book of Daniel that were placed in the fiery furnace knew that God might choose not to deliver them. They didn't say, “He will deliver,” but they knew that He was able to deliver them. What a wonderful truth that is. God is sufficient to deliver us from any problem that we may have. The book of James, along with several other places in the Bible, tells us that God sometimes allows us to go on through those testings because He has things that we can learn from them that we could not learn any other way, but He is able to deliver. There is nothing so big or terrible that you can get into that God will be stymied and will have to scratch His head about what He is going to do to get you out of it. God is sufficient for every need. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God is sufficient to take that tough thing that you are going through right now, that disappointing thing, that sad thing, that exciting thing, that challenging thing that you think is beyond your ability, God is able to take that and work it together for good. And oh, how I love and cling to that.
When I turned all of that truth inward and lined it up against the truth and reality of what was blasting through my mind and heart, I realized that I had fooled myself into believing that God isn’t enough. Those are hard words to swallow. To even think for that matter, much less write them and see them and know they came from your flat-out, deepest reality - that His Word is not truly sufficient to deal with my problems. Of course God and His Word can deal with everyone else’s problems. But, it doesn’t speak to my issues, my problems, my sorrows, my trials, my hurts, my relationships, and my situations. I needed God’s Word plus the entire Christian bookstore, sermons, tapes, CD’s, conferences, and counselors. I needed God plus. . .
The truth that God wants for me to believe and claim is this: “The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1) “Nevertheless I am continually with thee: Thou has holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” (Psalm 73:23-26). “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9-10).
Realizing the lie(s) that I had been revolving around, I stepped back and could see through shame-filled eyes the all-sufficient God and His Word that was and is indeed enough for me. No, I will never fully understand or grasp His amazing, uncomprehendable-sufficiency. How He is perfectly complete within His own being. But I realized that by God’s grace He would become all-sufficient to me when I stepped down off of my pride adorned, self-driven, self-sufficient, going-no-where roller coaster and let God take me in His arms and satisfy and be that all-sufficient Lord He promised to be. It is so different from our human existence, and because it is hard to understand, I have tried to diminish it in any way that I can. I do not like to think about something that can't be put in a box, something that can't be categorized or demonstrated with some mathematical formula, book, or tangible, visible explanation. I had tried filling those voids that He left void on purpose – voids that were God-shaped and could only be filled by Him.
He brought me back to His Word and wrapped me warmly in those words spoken from His heart for me and to me. Words to convict, some to scorn, some to chasten, some to comfort, some to restore, some to lift up, some to break down, some to admonish, and some encourage. He instructs, guides, and heals through that blessed, living Word. The Word from the Heavenly Father is more than enough. It is more than enough for everyone else – it is enough for you and for me. And it is made to be more than enough and all-sufficient by the One Himself Who is all-sufficient and all in all ENOUGH.
“The law of the LORD is perfect [“whole”, “complete” or “perfect”], converting [restoring] the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes [precepts] of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:7-9).
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Psalm 23

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23

Psalm 23 – it’s a passage so many of us know by heart. I myself have been guilty of skimming over it when I come across it in my Bible reading simply because I “know” it already; the other day when I came to this well-known Psalm during my nightly devotions was no different. I recited it in my head and went to move on to the next Psalm, but this time, something made me stop. For the first time I realized that yes, I know the words of this Psalm, but did I really KNOW the true meaning of this passage? I decided to study it more and was amazed at all that is hidden behind these six verses.

Verse one is such a simple verse – “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” But, is it really true in our lives? Our human instinct is to want everything. Yet, this one simple statement keeps David, the author of this Psalm, from having a selfish heart. The fact that God was his shepherd was good enough to make him not want anything else. In fact, to David, that was all he needed.  This then made me think… Is that true for me? Does God fully satisfy me? Is He all I need to live every day of my life now and in the future?

Since God is our shepherd, we are His sheep. Obvious statement, I know. But seriously, when you think about it, sheep are completely dependent on their shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. If God is our “Good Shepherd,” (“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:11) then we, being the sheep, should be obedient followers, wise enough to follow the One who is leading us in the right places and right ways. If we look to Him for provision, guidance, and protection as a real sheep looks to its shepherd, then God is supplying all of our needs. Thus, He is all we need so we have no reason to want anything else. Just as David says, letting our Good Shepherd guide us brings contentment – when God is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

Verse two goes on to say where one of the places God leads us is – through green pastures and beside still waters. God is the one who knows where the “green pastures and still waters” are that will restore us when He knows we need it the most. If we follow Him, He will lead us there. We can never find these places on our own because only with God comes true peace and rest. Knowing this helps us trust Him more because it reminds us that He knows what we can handle and knows when we need to be restored. "...But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13


The next verse also talks about God restoring us – “He restoreth my soul and leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” By making us rest in green pastures and beside still waters (vs.2), it restores and refreshes our soul, allowing us to refocus on God and not our trial or the craziness of life. He leads us on the paths He does for a reason. We may feel like we will never see that reason, but in this verse, He gives us one reason we can be sure of… "for His name’s sake" – for His glory. That alone should be enough to satisfy us. If for no other reason, He is leading us through every trial, storm and down every path for His glory.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me: Thy rod and staff they comfort me.” After David mentions that God is the one leading him, this next verse reminded me that just because God is leading us, it doesn't mean it will be sunshine and rainbows all the time. David was walking through the valley of the shadow of death! He was running for his life. Yet, God was still with him and comforted him. Only one person can walk with us through life's dark valley and bring us safely to the other side – our God, our Good Shepherd.

The next verse says, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” During the time period that David wrote this Psalm, the host (the person who "prepared the table") of a feast was expected to protect their guests at all costs. God offers the protection of a host even when enemies surround us - He will protect us at all costs.


This verse also reminds me that God doesn't just fill our cup with blessings, but our cup “runneth over.” So often do I get focused on what God is not allowing me to have at the moment when instead I should remember the things He has blessed me with. Elisabeth Elliot once said, “We accept and thank God for what is given, not allowing the not-given to spoil it.” God has blessed each of His children with more than they could ever ask for. We cannot be so focused on what we don’t have that we spoil the praise we should be giving God for what He has given us. This ties back to verse 1, God supplies everything we need so we have no reason to want more.

Finally, the last verse sums it all up… “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Knowing that God is always with us and guiding us while we are on this earth brings comfort. But also knowing that we as believers will someday dwell with God forever in heaven gives us motivation to keep pressing on. He, being our perfect Shepherd and host, promises to guide and protect us throughout our life and to bring us into heaven someday forever. This verse says that “goodness and mercy” will follow us all the days of our lives. Who is it that comes to your mind when you think of goodness and mercy? God! God will follow us all the days of our lives. No matter how difficult the road we are facing becomes, He will always be with us until someday we are with Him.

Whatever happens in life, if we trust God and follow Him, He will guide us. The road may not be easy, but through it He offers protection, comfort, and all of Himself to help us along the way. He will supply our need, He will restore and refresh us when we need it, He leads us where He does for His glory, He will never forsake us, He will protect us, He will continually bless us, and He will always be with us. The Lord is my Shepherd. Is He yours?

 “In Heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear & safe is such confiding, for nothing changes here. The storm may rage without me, my heart may low be laid. But God is all around me; I cannot be afraid. Wherever He may guide me, no want shall turn me back. My Shepherd is beside me & nothing can I lack. His wisdom ever waketh, His sight is never dim. He knows the way He taketh & I will walk with Him. Where He leads me I will follow. He gives comfort in my sorrow; I rest in His care. Green pastures are before me, which yet I have not seen. Bright skies will soon be over me, where darkest clouds have been. My hope I cannot measure, my path to life is free. My Savior holds my treasure, & He will walk with me.” ~ In Heavenly Love Abiding



A Finish-Line Focus

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:12-14

While sitting at the track the other day waiting for a friend, I watched the academy PE class do a relay race. What started out to be just merely watching the cute kids run, turned into me silently cheering for this one little fella. The first race he almost won, but was overtaken and defeated by a girl from the other team. I noticed he kept looking back, and with each look back he lost pace, speed, and ground. When I realized they were doing a second race, I sat on the edge of my seat as the baton was passed to my little fella. Silently, then audibly, I kept saying, "Don't look back, don't look back, don't look back - just keep running, keep going forward. . ." and He did just that.

He ran as hard as he could and he kept his ground. He won because he didn't look back; he only dug in, looked forward, and ran towards the finish line with all he had. Not even a glance back to see what was trailing him. As he crossed the finish line, I wanted to run down to the field, grab that little guy and hug him, but instead I just sat there watching. After he crossed the finish line he immediately went over to the grass and collapsed. Poor kid was exhausted! But, his PE teacher came over and picked him up off the ground and gave him a high five followed by the words, "You did it! Awesome job! You ran hard and finished first!"

I sat there smiling over the little guy's victory. I chuckled at myself for getting so wrapped up in a simple elementary school PE activity. Yet, in my chuckle, I felt God tap my shoulder and nudge me as if to say, "You're running a race, too, kiddo." Ouch.

I sat there going through all the happenings of that little boy's victory. First, his failure; He kept looking back and it cost him what could have been a great victory in the first race. Then, he reflected only on the failure to find the things that caused the failure - to find what needed to be re-worked. Next, came the victory, as he kept his eyes focused on the finish line. He didn't look back, not  once, he kept his focus and ran with all his might.

Just as I felt the nudge from God, the "You're running a race too, kiddo," I realized that in this life, it is not so much about what happened in the past as it is about learning from the past in order to run a more efficient and focused race ahead of me. There will be times when I stumble, but I have to get back up on my feet, re-focus and run with all my might toward the finish line. If I look back, I will get discouraged, I will fear, I will loose my ground; it may even cause me to fall and become seriously injured, leaving me in need of healing before I can continue the race.

Ultimately, when we focus on the finish line, victory is achieved. The victory of hearing, "You did it!" "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Yes, the journey is just as important as the goal  which is what makes looking forward so important.

A fixed gaze forward (not backward), not looking over your shoulder to woundings, scars, bad memories, things that hurt you, disappointment, discouragement, heartache, failure, . . . a list that could go on forever. Rather, God knows each of those and He has called us to lay aside those weights which so easily beset us, and press toward the goal, to finish well, yes, but to have run well with your eyes on Him, experiencing the awesome power of a Heaven-fixed gaze.

… A simple day at the track waiting for a friend turned into a first-hand lesson from God. I have heard it over and over that we have to look to God in everything and not look back. It made sense, yes, but to see that this little fella failed because he kept looking back, then to see him realize why he failed, and to finally watch him run that race with a forward-focus . . . well, my heart broke over my own wrongly focused vision and cheered for the lesson that little one had just painted for me.

May I become like my little fella at the track. May I have a finish-line focus, a good-race mentality, run my best, not look back, and finish strong.

Lord, may I run this race (my life) in a way that is pleasing to you. May I run this race strong - each and every stride. May I look forward, never behind. Help me, Lord, to realize that the race matters just as much as the finish line. And, that only in you will I find the strength to press forward, and the grace to leave the past behind.

Come and See

“Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.” John 1:45-26

The conversation between Nathanael and Philip takes place shortly after Jesus finds Philip and tells him to “follow me”… We don’t know Philip’s response to Jesus, all we know is that he went and told Nathanael. I’m sure Philip was full of excitement that he had found the Messiah. Maybe he had been looking for Him for a long time. But instead of joining in on the excitement, Nathanael is instead surprised that it could possibly be Jesus, simply because He is from Nazareth.

In that time, Jews hated the idea of their Messiah coming from Nazareth and that is exactly where Mary, the mother of Jesus, was from. (Luke 1:26) People from Judea looked down on the Galileans, so none of them wanted, or even expected, Jesus to come from those people. What captured my attention in this passage though, was the different conversations that take place - first starting between Nathanael and Philip…

The question Nathanael asks Philip is similar to one I have found myself asking God many times in my life when in a trial or facing a difficult time… “What good can come of this?” When thinking about it, I realize that this really is a faithless statement. Yet God in His amazing grace never gets impatient with our faithlessness. Instead, He answers just as Philip did… “Come and see.”

When storms of trials come into our lives, it is easy for us to become completely unsure of what God is really doing and why He is doing it. Sadly, it is not in our human nature to just trust God. Instead we easily doubt what He can do. But no matter how difficult our trial becomes, we cannot become faithless like Nathanael in this passage.

Further into John chapter 1, Nathanael listens to Philip and goes to meet Jesus. Yet Nathanael doesn’t believe that it is Him until Jesus literally proves Himself to Nathanael… “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.” (Vs. 47-50)

Is it really possible to be so focused on the fact that no good can come of a situation that we completely miss seeing God in it? It must be, because it happens here to Nathanael. Maybe he had been told by so many people throughout his life that Jesus could not possibly come from Nazareth that he forgot that with God, all things are possible. Because of this, he came very close to missing Jesus all together.

From this, I realize that in the Christian life, we must not only have faith to “Come” – to follow after Christ. But we also have to have faith to “See” – to see His power, love, mercy, and grace… to see that He can make good out of an impossible situation. Yes, everyone around us might look at the trial or trouble we’re going through and say that it is impossible. But we must not forget that with God all things are, will, have been, and forever will be possible.

In this passage, Philip knew Jesus existed. That’s why he even began this conversation with Nathanael in the first place. That’s why he was able to answer “Come and see.” He knew what the result would be - he knew what Nathanael would find. He knew that good could really come from Nazareth – even though Nathanael didn’t. In the same way, God knows the end to all our trials and when we ask Him if good can come of what we are going through, His answer is just likes Philip’s… “Come and see.” Not just come, not just see; but come AND see. To do that takes faith. But when we do, we won’t only eventually find the end to our trial, but we will see how God will work it out for good - all for His glory. We will see that “…all things work together for good…” (Romans 8:28). We will see that “...God meant it unto good.” (Genesis 50:20)  And when His plan is revealed, we will be glad with exceeding, abundant, absolute, and complete joy.

One of my favorite parts of this passage is the very last phrase in verse 50 when Jesus says after proving Himself to Nathanael, “…thou shalt see greater things than these.” When we come through our trial and see God and His amazing grace, power and all He is capable of doing and that good can really come from impossible, it is one of the most amazing things we will ever see in the Christian life on earth. Because it’s something we waited for, suffered for, and prayed for sometimes for a very long time. Yet, even as amazing as that is, Jesus says we will see “greater things than these”… Something even greater than His glory being revealed – that’s what God can do. He doesn’t just make something good from impossible, He makes something great. All we have to do is stop questioning His true power, have faith, and listen to His calling, “Come and see.”

Mary - Part Two

After Mary had been visited by Gabriel and told of her pregnancy as well as Elizabeth's, she went and stayed with Elizabeth for quite some time. In every way it was a visit that had a joyous and earthly meaning, with a heavenly stamp of protection, nurturing, and care on its form. The reunion of these two women was one full of joy and silent understanding. But also one of rejoicing. Mary was not a mangled mess of emotions, but instead, she was praising God and magnifying His name and wondrous works. Mary was carrying the Savior of the World in her womb and Elizabeth was carrying John the Baptist, His forerunner, in her womb. Both a miracle performed by Jehovah Himself.

The visit to Elizabeth was one that was used twofold in the life of Mary. Elizabeth's understanding, comfort, friendship, and rejoicing were much needed for Mary who had been shunned and ousted due to dishonor and ridicule that surrounded her. Scripture doesn't say, but Mary could very well have been rejected and abandoned by her family – the ones who should have loved, protected, and supported her. This could have been a very alone time and discouraging time for her, but God never leaves us alone. He is always with us and He was with Mary. Elizabeth was one who understood what was taking place and was a true source of comfort and nourishment for Mary during this time.

Elizabeth's home also served as a safe haven for Mary. In that day and time, the dishonor of one's actions or sins was not just on an individual basis, but affected the entire group - the family. It was cataclysmic and had a ripple affect. Because of this dishonor, especially having a child out of wedlock, it was not uncommon for one to be stoned or harm brought upon them for the act. But, God had each turn and fold in the fabric of Mary’s life worked out, thus He had her nestled safely under His wing of protection for three months in the house of Elizabeth. 

Even under that protection and the covering of His wing and the comfort and companionship of Elizabeth, I'm sure Mary was aware of what was out there - the rejection, the possibly hatred towards her, the harm and danger, and the dishonor falling on her name. I’m sure her days with Elizabeth were filled with joy, but in the quietness and aloneness of the night, I’m sure that unwanted tears escaped down her cheeks as tried to assure herself that God was in control and that the He would work it all out in the end. That her silent and alone battle was one that would bring glory to His name, and would not fall flat.

Mary could have questioned God as to why He was doing this, why she was being dishonored. Why bad things were coming of His will for her life. But, from what we see, she didn’t. She served God, she was faithful … she trusted in Him and His plan. She kept her gaze upward and had faith that God would show His glory through it all.

May we be like Mary in that when the times get hard we don’t walk away, instead we look to God and keep pressing forward. Knowing that He never leaves us alone and He is ever watching over us and nurturing us. He has a plan and purpose for each and everything in our life. Through Mary’s abandonment she was given the opportunity to lean solely on God. He was her main man through it all. Even when she had Elizabeth and later Joseph, she still had to keep her focus on God. May we remember that our gaze is to remain upward – through good and bad – trusting only Him to get us through while we rest safely under the cover and protection of His wings. He holds it all in our hands…including our hand. We are never alone. Trust Him. Have faith. The good, bad, and ugly are all primary colors on the color wheel called “All Things”. Through the use of that color wheel we find a beautiful picture that came to be because “…all things work together for good to them that love God…”

To have the faith and trust of Mary – that each thing was part of God’s plan. Strive for that kind of faith and trust…strive to be a Mary.

Mary - Part One

So often I forget that she was real. She was human. She had emotions. She had feelings. She was a living being that walked this earth just like you and me. She had a mom and dad. She was once a little girl, and probably was still quite young when her life was changed forever. She grew weary, she got tired, she would get sick, and she would feel fear, pain, hurt, heartache, and joy. She wept. She carried the burdens of life. She knelt on her knees and prayed to God, having faith in Him that His promise would come to pass. She hid His word in her heart. She battled sin; she battled life. Yet, the character that is depicted within the pages of the New Testament shines light on a woman who, despite being every bit human, facing all the temptations and struggles that you and I face, she was one full of faith, obedience, love, joy, assertiveness, humbleness, and was devoted. She was noted as the one who "...found favour with God." (Luke 1:30) and was given the amazing responsibility and blessing from God - to birth Jesus Christ. This could be written without ever mentioning her name because of the legacy and the story that she is cast a key role in. Her mother wrapped her in a blanket and her father named her Mary all those years ago, not knowing that their little girl would grow up to be the one God chose to bring His promise to pass.

I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to be visited by an angel, but that was exactly what happened to Mary. And in that moment’s happenings, her life was changed forever. Was Gabriel’s presence enough to catch her attention? Did he gently nudge her? Did he call her name?  However he may have captured her attention, she was not afraid of him, but more so amused by his presence. I wonder if in the midst of their conversing if she realized that it was the beginning of the fulfilling of the promise that the world had been waiting for - the promise that she had clung to since she understood its capacity and meaning? There must have been a silence that swept over heaven and earth as the glory realm held their breath in that life-changing moment as Gabriel finally began to unfold the task God had appointed to her. The task that He knew she would accept. She was faithful. He chose her for that reason. She had found favor in His sight.

The world must have screeched to a dead halt for Mary. She probably fought to stabilize herself as he told her that she had been chosen by God to carry His Son - the Chosen One, the Redeemer, the Salvation of the World - in HER WOMB. She had found favor in God's eyes, the Lord was with her, and she was blessed among women. With trembling hands and confusion building its stronghold in her airway, I’m sure she tried to steady her breathing as she listened to the details the Gabriel relayed to her - the name of the child, the Father of the child, the purpose of the child. I’m sure it took all the strength in her to keep her feet planted firmly on the ground. Maybe Gabriel held her in place. I can’t imagine how I would have accepted such an assignment. It was impossible. There was no way it could happen. How could it be so? I’m sure Mary’s confusion and lack of understanding was not contained to her heart, but showed on her expression as Gabriel continued with his message that had been ordained from above. Mary being human, being a sinner in need of a savior, being every bit vulnerable to temptation and failure, could have refused and said there was no way she was going to do this. She knew the dishonor that would befall not just her, but her entire family. She would be rejected, despised, and ousted. She was espoused to Joseph - she could very well lose him because of this. But she was faithful, she was obedient, and she wanted to serve God and follow Him. As Gabriel was finishing his message he slipped in a piece of information - Elizabeth’s God ordained pregnancy. One might find that insignificant and unneeded, but God used that piece in a vital way later on.

I wonder if Mary and Gabriel walked along as they were talking, or if all took place in the quietness of a room, or maybe it was in the shadow and covering of the night? It doesn’t say, but as their conversation came to a close, Gabriel must’ve seen the confusion, the fear, the grasping for understanding that was pulsing through Mary, because he offers these parting words of comfort before leaving her, “With God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37) It brought no understanding, but pointed her faith and trust to God. I am sure with a voice trembling due to lack of understanding, but a voice made audible and possible because of faith and trust in her God, she was able to murmur her words of obedience and acceptance of the task appointed to her, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." (Luke 1:38).

Oh to be like Mary! To be one that God has watched so tenderly and sees the character, the devotion, the faithfulness, the trust, and the willingness that no matter what He asks of us, we simply say “…be it unto me according to thy word.” One that God knows He can assign a task to and it will be accepted and done for His glory and our good.

The Leap of Faith

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Growing up, I was always afraid of heights. After much convincing, I would sometimes try different things like rollercoaster’s or climbing a tree but there was one thing I could never talk myself into doing… jumping off the highest diving board at our local water park. Several times I would climb the huge ladder all the way to the top and slowly make my way to the edge of the board but as soon as I looked down and saw how far away the water was, I would freeze. Every bone in my body would hold me back from jumping off. It was a fear of the unknown. It was something I had to do alone; no one could help me and I simply wasn’t brave enough to face that fear and take the leap of faith.

In the same way, as Christians, we often have a similar experience in our walk with Christ to the one of facing the high diving board. We have no problem “climbing the ladder” in our relationship with Christ – growing closer to Him and reaping His blessings.  But when the comfort of the handles on the ladder are gone and we get to the edge of the diving board and see what it is God is really asking of us, every bone in our body – our human nature - holds us back from jumping off. We have complete and utter fear of the unknown when we realize we really have no idea what will happen if we take the leap of faith to get to the place God wants us to be in our lives.

 Jumping off and taking the leap of faith seems impossible at first. We may think we are alone and can’t possibly be brave enough to do it. We remember how much more comfortable we were on the ground and may be tempted to turn back. But we can’t because we’ve already climbed the ladder - we’ve already grown closer to the Lord and received blessings from Him. We have to take the leap. Unlike a real diving board experience though, we will not be jumping off from the safety of the board alone. There is someone who will be jumping off with us and will also be there when we land in the water below… the Lord Himself. But how do we possibly take the leap of faith?

Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” To take the leap of faith, all we have to do is trust in the Lord with all our hearts. It sounds easy, but it really is one of the hardest tasks a Christian will ever have. To trust God with all our hearts means that we don’t have even one little doubt come into our minds about what He can do for us in an impossible situation. That is faith – to be sure of what you hope for and what you cannot see. Oswald Chambers once stated “Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us.” We can’t doubt God’s power and plan if we want to truly trust Him.

This passage not only says to trust in the Lord with all your heart but it also says to lean not unto your own understanding. The word “trust” here is often used with the word “dwell” meaning safety and security. By trusting we learn to dwell in the Lord completely. Safety and security is not something we can get from our own strength. We have to let go of our desires to be in control and our want to understand everything that is happening to us and just focus on dwelling in the One who does. We may not understand why God is doing something, yet we cannot base a situation on what we think, we have to base it on what God thinks. Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” Just because we can’t see what God is doing doesn’t mean that He doesn’t have a plan. A farmer sows and tends to his crop, then leaves the harvest to God. The farmer can’t bring sunshine and rain; only God can do that. In the same way, we have to leave the results of a situation to God’s control. We can sow the seeds and tend to the crop, but we have to leave the outcome up to the Lord. If we desire what He wills and wants for our lives and don’t look to our own way or plans, then we will learn to trust Him.

Verse 6 in Proverbs 3 goes on to say “In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path.” The word “acknowledge” means to admit existence, to recognize, or to express thanks and gratitude. Whatever situation you are in or circumstance you're going through acknowledge Him. Recognize how He has used it to strengthen you and thank Him for it. Don’t just thank Him for letting you climb the ladder – for growing more in Him and all His blessings – but also thank Him for taking you to the edge of the diving board - for helping you to realize you cannot walk the Christian life alone. When you do all of this God will direct your path, He will help you as you take the leap of faith. He promises that He will. The verse says “He shall direct thy paths.”  1 Corinthians 16:10 says “He worketh.” It’s present tense – happening now. As soon as we trust Him, let Him control our lives, and fully acknowledge Him, He begins working.

Knowing that God will be there with us no matter what happens, guiding us and leading us to where He wants us to be, will give us the peace and comfort we need to let go of the things we hold onto in life for safety and to take the jump. When we let go of our “safety blankets”, it allows our hands to be free to completely hold onto God. If you are close enough to Him, He won’t let a second go by without your hand being empty. He is there to take it, hold onto it tightly, and never let it go as He leads you in the path for your life. That’s what this passage is talking about – God wants to direct our paths but we have to let Him. The word “direct” means to manage, move toward a goal, and to guide or instruct. That’s what we should strive for as Christians – for God to guide and instruct us as He moves us towards His goal and purpose for our lives.

We may still not know what the outcome will be when we take the leap of faith. But by trusting in God with all your heart, leaning not on your own understanding, and acknowledging Him in all your ways, it will help you to be prepared to go wherever He is taking you. It may not seem like the path of least resistance at the time. It may not be the easy or popular way to go. But when we do take the leap and see where God takes us – how He used our willing, faithful, trusting hearts - we will see that it was worth it to let go of our plans and dreams for His Will and desire for us as He leads us In the Light of His Glory. His way is always best. His plan and timing is forever perfect. All we have to do is take the leap of faith.