Question about Faith

[E-beth]

I just finished reading a book by actress Lisa Whelchel called The Facts of Life and other lessons my Father taught me It was a good book, don't get me wrong. I know God wanted me to read it, but one of the messages is sorta plugged up by something I can't get rid of. (Has this ever happened to you? You KNOW God wants you to listen and learn something, but some mysterious part of you holds it back?)

Anyway, my question is about faith. Lisa writes in her book about how God provided stuff for her at the last possible second... stuff better than she ever imagined in the first place. Josephus writes about how he accepted the call to go overseas and the money appeared on his doorstep at the last possible second. I think those stories are great. I feel a warm love for the Lord when I hear of them, but I am here to tell you it doesn't work like that for me.

I know God sometimes answers prayers in different ways. Maybe a miracle is not His plan for me. He has granted me LOTS of good things, many better than I hoped for, but I still get a nagging pain at the biggest unmet need in my life.

My whole life has been a struggle with money. I was raised by a single mother, who made herself epileptic trying to support two kids. She is one of the finest Christians I know. So is her epilepsy (caused by continuous stress) the medal of someone with no faith? Then I grew up and married someone who betrayed me and left me broken-hearted and penniless and afraid. I remember once when my paycheck was exactly five dollars over my rent. I lived on credit cards and starvation. I also began sinning big time, but that is another story. Then I met and married a good man, who believes in God and treats me like a princess. We moved 500 miles away from home, as this is what I believed God wanted me to do. Then I began praying the prayer of Jabez, and God blessed me with a baby in the making. However, in the five months we have been here, we haven't been able to pay the bills on time if at all. The rent money is always late or is a bounced check. I am supposed to raise a healthy, happy child like this?

So here I am. I follow God, I study His word. I read about how God will take care of all my needs. When I read that, I think something ugly like, "uh huh, two months too late and after my nervous breakdown."

I know I KNOW that I believe in God and I believe in His word. My salvation is about the only absolute in my world. But what do you do when it seems you have more to deal with than your faith is equipped to handle?

 

[Josephus]

Prayer. Unceasing.

I will pray for you too. In just eight months my parents are finally out of a financial rut that only God could help them out of. My dad is getting a promotion AND a pay raise in April, and my dad's neck surgery is not only paid off, but my dad will be paid his full amount from work during the next few months he has off!

God answers prayer. It took him six months to start this process for me (at least until I could see the evidence of it) but I knew and still know that when we pray, God is in fact doing something...

So that is my brotherly advice to you: pray, and pray unceasing, get God's heart for situations, get His heart most of all. With His heart, and knowing what it is, you can live a life based on the faith that simply comes from knowing what He wants.

and we know our God is good! Seek out his heart, and you will never fail, nor fall.

 

[LouisBooth]

"But what do you do when it seems you have more to deal with than your faith is equipped to handle? "

First of all, when my parents got divoriced I was in a simliar situation. My mother and I had no money. Pray, put your faith in God and teach your child to rely on God and he will turn out okay; I'm proof of that. Money doesn't make happiness and it sure can't buy it. If you need help don't be too prideful to ask for it from friends. Share your concerns with christians close to you. That's what the body of christ is for. when your finger hurts does you whole body not feel it and take pain? Just remeber 1 thing. They are human too. Don't expect them to be God, but they can be God to you sometimes. Remember the verse in Jerimaiah? I know the plans for you? I WILL give you a hope and a future. These are definates. YOu are a lucky women. You have a husband to talk to. Share with him your concerns, fears. Take comfort in him. Pray together. Your faith will be strenghten by his and vice versa. Now remember. He is also not God don't expect him to be. I'm sure that's hard too. Now, lastly and MOST importantly. Its NOT YOUR FAITH. As God for somemore, take a step out and let him carry you I'll be praying for you. Maybe God is trying to tell you something in the mist of this? Look for it. Ask him and he will tell you. Maybe its time for a change..maybe its not. That is between you and God. Remember, God is in control and sometimes we have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he never said the christian life would be full of EARTHLY riches, he ONLY said he would be there with us EVERY step of the way. God bless and keep you.

 

[Kanuk]

God will not let you be tried beyond what you can handle. The Bible says so.

Kanuk

 

[The Squalid Wanderer]

 

[Kanuk]

No

Kanuk

 

[The Squalid Wanderer]

Your responses are quite similar to EO.

 

[ZoneChaos]

Job. Read Job. All Christians should read Job.

Can I say it again? Read Job.

 

[Rob]

New Living Translation

Matthew 17
20"You didn't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."[1]

Hebrews 11
Great Examples of Faith

1What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.

Romans 5
Faith Brings Joy

1Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.


Hebrews 11
6So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

James 2
26Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds.


Mark 9
23"What do you mean, `If I can'?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes."


Matthew 9
22Jesus turned around and said to her, "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed at that moment.


Matthew 9
29Then he touched their eyes and said, "Because of your faith, it will happen."


1 John 5
4For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory.


Romans 1
17This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."[1]


2 Timothy 2
13
If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself.

Hebrews 3
14For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.

Ephesians 3
16I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. 17And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.

James 2
18Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I say, "I can't see your faith if you don't have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds."


2 Corinthians 5
7That is why we live by believing and not by seeing.

Hebrews 12
2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.[1] He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven.

Mark 11
24Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it.


Romans 10
17Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news--the Good News about Christ.


Mark 11
22Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God.