Faith Means Waiting

Last night we heard a missionary preach at a local Mission Confrence. It is no surpise that he peached on faith for after all, the focus for the whole month is Faith Misisons.

The preacher brought out some good points on faith and the steps that we usually follow to see our faith fulfilled. What I liked most was his deffinition: Faith is obeying God where you are right now. So many times when we think we are stepping out on faith we want to see the results right away. We don't want to wait and let God teach us understanding and give us knowledge - we want it now! But sometimes having faith means that we are going to believe God will take care of us or the situation, and we may not see that for a long time, mabye even years. So we have to obey where we are and wait for our faith to be fulfilled in His time.

The Story of My Life

For the past two weeks I have been reading Hosea. What a great book of the Bible! I don't understand everything and I know it was not written to apply to every aspect of my life since it was written in times when the Israelites were still living under the law, but I still think it is an amazing book! I don't see how anyone cannot see God's love for his Children through this prophesy.

When I read of how Israel has played the harlot, I see myself. To commit adultery with God is to leave Him and find pleasure in or dedicate yourself to other things or people. I've done that. There are times when I ignore God so that I can have "fun" my way. In the end it is no fun at all, and I realize I have not been faithful to my first love. I feel like a wretch.

In the book of Hosea God shows his anger towards His people who have left Him to worship other Gods. "My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills . . ."

Israel has done great wickedness in the sight of their God and he will not leave them unpunished. "Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother." What awful displeasure God had with them! A displeasure I hate to think that God ever had with me.

Yet this harsh punishment, as awful as it may seem, is done in love. "Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." When God takes everything from us, all we have left is our Lord. The only place we can go is to God. The only one who can help us is Jesus. When we are in our lowest state we see who we really need. When God punishes us, He sees the end. He knows that we will not like the chastisement, but He also knows that we will be better for it when it is over!

I am so thankful that just when it seems it can get no worse, God says, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him." Praise the Lord He will always love me! No matter what I do to Him or how unfaithful I am to Him, He will always be faithful to me!

Sometimes I feel like this is the story of my life. I backslide on God. God punishes me. But in the morning . . . His mercies are renewed! It is a cycle that I have yet to find a way out of. My flesh is ever present and always causing me to err. "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein."

**All scripture taken from the book of Hosea, King James Bible**

Faithful in the Little Things

This past week a group from our church went to The Wilds in NC for the Seniors Retreat. Although it sounded like a time for them to relax, spend time with their Christian family, and be refreshed by sermons and the Word of God, they came back wore out! They said they were busy the whole time they were there! I'm sure it was still refreshing though.

This morning at church one couple commented that they thought I would love to volunteer there. They said I would probably really enjoy it. Having heard a lot about this camp and how much fun it is, I probably would! I love being around people and I generally get along with anyone, so being around a lot of Christians all day would be very enjoyable.

However, right now I simply can't go up there and volunteer, so that isn't really a matter I am considering. But it did get me thinking. Why would I really like to volunteer at The Wilds? After searching my heart I realized that I want to serve in a ministry again. I have been in church ministries in the past, but lately I haven't because I've been so busy with work and school, and issues in my life have kind of clouded my mind like a fog. But now that I feel the fog has drifted away, I am ready to do something in the church!

I know I should have been listening to the preaching, but my mind was somewhere else. (I'm not perfect!) I tried to think of somewhere I could help out in our church. I didn't want to do just anything. I wanted to enjoy what I was doing and I was going to "pray about it." (At the time I was so eager to do something that I probably would have convinced myself that it was God's will.) But then I remembered Matthew 25:21. "His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Right now my goal is not to be a ruler over many things, but this scripture can be applied to anyone. I need to be faithful over a few things - the little things.

I started thinking about the things in my life that are under my care. I teach my younger sibling how to play the piano. I sing with my sibling in church. I am trying to become a good writer. These are the things that I need to learn to be faithful to - first! The lessons I give them in piano are often few and far between and singing more often would defiantly improve our singing. As for writing . . . I do quite a bit of this, but I don't give my best. (I hate editing and revising!)

So this is where I am right now, trying to be faithful in the little things. I believe if I do well with the things God has given me right now, he will open doors for me to do greater things, and then I will be ready for them.