My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your word. I have declared my ways, and You answered me; teach me Your statutes. Make me understand the way of Your precepts: So, I shall meditate on Your wonderful works. My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word. Remove from me the way of lying and grant me Your law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth; your judgments I have laid before me. I cling to Your testimonies; O Lord, do not put me to shame! I will run the course of Your commandments, for You shall enlarge my heart. [Psalms 119:25-32]
Holy Spirit, Your word says: For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” I know it is easy to say have faith, but I have found faith to be a confounding and mysterious thing at times. I have had faith in my salvation, my hope in eternity, and my faith and hope are secured in Your word, but sometimes I find faith elusive or hard to bear. I know that Christ said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” [John 14:12-14; John 14:16-17 NKJV] Yet did I not have faith when I found my son dead? When I stopped praying for two saints who shortly passed away afterwards? When I can not see or know what I am to do next to help my family, community, or myself? Is it a lack of faith when people are not healed, or is it because it is part of the way of God, of how things must be in this broken, sinful, dying world? It is easy to feel blessed and full of faith when on the mountain top, but what about when I am faced with very tough decisions, walking in the valley of death, surrounded by enemies who seek to fail or be destroyed? Where is my faith in praying when I see my country falling apart and wrong being promoted as right? I have to come back to two simple principles to face each day. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east, I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness. I am bringing my righteousness near; it is not far away, and my salvation will not be delayed. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me. No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me, says the Lord. [Isaiah 55:8&9; Isaiah 46:10-13; Isaiah 49:16; Isaiah 54:17 MEV]
I must learn to follow what was written in 2 Timothy 3:12-15—In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which can make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 2Timothy 3:16&17—All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. This must be where I place my anchor and live with the faith I can muster to hang on to the hope for eternal life and to hear that I was a faithful servant of God while living here on the earth. I can let nothing else confuse, berate, confound, or deter me from doing the will of God the best that I can do, no matter how small or great that is.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Amen) (Matthew 6:9-13)