Today I’ve got a devotion running over at Proverbs 31 about money, and what my spending and giving habits revealed about my heart. If you are visiting for the first time after reading that, thanks for joining me today. And welcome to my regular blog readers.
Although my devotion was about money, the deeper lesson for me was about faith. Let me tell you that it took painful and deep honesty to get to a place of admitting my faith wasn’t as strong as I thought it was. I danced around the truth for years because I truly loved God and believed in the absolute truth of Scripture. How could I have alack of faith??
Well, what I learned is you don’t discover the weak areas of anything until pressure is applied. And when the pressure was on me to tithe, my lack of faith in God as my provider was revealed.
Even though it was hard to admit, it was a really good place to be. Honesty always is. Because it was at that place of gut-truth that God could actually start to work on my faith.
Giving hasn’t been the only area where pressure has been applied to my faith. Parenting driving teenagers and now young adults has uncovered some weak areas. Adopting a child whose problems I can’t solve revealed another area that needed attention. The financial crisis a few years ago showed I still had work to do.
Although it’s painful at times, I don’t fear the pressure anymore. Because each time a weak area shows up, and I confess my lack of faith, God shows Himself faithful – usually in a miraculous way. It seems He’s just waiting for me to get to the end of myself so He’s fully got my attention. And each time my faith gets stronger.
So if you are feeling the pressure today, don’t run from it. Turn in to it and confess your lack of faith to Jesus. Ask Him to show Himself faithful and watch what He does. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks again for joining me, and I’d love for you to sign up to be a regular reader of my blog. I normally blog twice a week, usually on issues like organization, productivity, time and home management. But I also love to throw in something completely different when the Spirit directs.
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Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
I want to say thank you, but to God 1st for putting this on your heart to share. I am a single mom of 5 and times are hard and faith is sometimes lacking and Ive been asking God to change some things and situations in my life and show me where he wants me to be. I’ve always thought of myself as having faith, but still having that nagging doubt that he’ll really hear me and that if he hears me he’s not going to answer that it’s just not possible for him to really have that type of miracle tucked away for me. But he does, its me who’s not faithful and for that I am so sorry. I needed this conviction and the words to pray so thank you for sharing your heart and I’m sure that when the day comes Jesus will truly be proud to say to you “Well done good and faithful servant”. God Bless you today and each day that follows. In his Mighty Name. Amen.
I see you as having much faith, Sarah! Being a single mom with 5 young children takes great faith. Trusting a God you can’t see with a future you don’t know takes great faith. He will give you wisdom (James 1). God is with you and being strong for you (2 Cor 12:9-10). I’m praying for you, Sarah! Stand firm and see God move on your behalf!
Thank You so much I was truly touched by your response and encouraged. God Bless You!!! :0)
Thank you for sharing this. I too have been here many times in my life, this is such a great reminder of what we are to do, follow Jesus in everything. Trusting may be easy for some, but truly having Faith to follow is the key to how we can be changed by Jesus. Your blog helps me in so many ways in my walk. Thank you again. Have a very blessed day!!
I also want to Thank God for allowing You for sharing this. In these economic times, Iit is hard to always do the right thing. Our family has always been used to two incomes in our home, but my husband has found work hard these last couple of years, as he is a contract painter. A lot of things had to change in our household because only one regular income is there to supply. We have one teenage son, who plays/loves baseball. We attend our Church regularly and there are times when the funds are not there. My husband is very faithful and is always speaking Words of Encouragement, but when you look at the checkbook and there are bills to be paid, there are times I panic. I truly love GOD and it really is all about FAITH, which like you were/did, I am acquiring each and every day. I give when nothing is there and even though sometimes it looks bleak, HE is always right on time. In the midst of the STORM, always looke to GOD.
One of my favorite versus is Mark 9:24…”I do believe; help me to overcome my unbelief!” NIV. And Jesus still heals the man’s son, even though the man in struggling with his belief. This seems to be my life at times, I DO believe and yet… Jesus never fails me. This is more than just finances. Faith has been and still is a process for me. Thank you for your words!
Yes, I agree with all of you this morning. Trusting God is a moment by moment experience. He is at our right hand, guiding us, let us not be filled with guilt but continually coming before Him for guidance and trust. He has great plans for us, we must believe and expect it from Him, it is His very nature. We are in the midst of a storm (house foreclosure) but we believe that the Lord brought us to this house and we will trust Him and believe Him that the house is ours, however He will do it. As for me and my house, we will trust the Lord.
I feel so blessed Glynnis when the Spirit opens your heart to share on issues so honestly. Have you been reading some of my journal entries? lol This is where I’ve been lately, not just money problems, but medical problems as well. So true, when the pressure is on and the pain so great, it is fear vs. faith for me. I get confused though about surrender to God and/or what is or isn’t in my power to handle. Yet, I have been confessing my lack of faith to God and asking for His mercy, love and direction. At first I was scared to do that, I grew up with a “punishing” God,thinking He would rain more troubles my way. Another great lesson this woman, God loves me way more than I can ever comprehend and just wants me honest heart and broken pieces for the Potter to mend. Be blessed!
Wow. This is a subject that has been on my heart and on my mind a lot lately. I was raised in church but my family didn’t talk about tithing and its importance so it is hard for me to let go and tithe like I am supposed to when times are tight. God has demonstrated many times that he will provide for us when times get tight but it is so VERY hard to let go even though I know that God will provide. I have a lot of trouble with letting go – I am a HUGE control freak and so letting go and handing it all to God is very hard. I am working on this and as I had over things to both my husband and God, life is more pleasant and enjoyable for everyone. I am truly blessed and I need to remember that daily when I try to grab the reins and go. I find the blogs that I read to bless me more and to remind me that God is with me every step of the way.
This is the second time I am coming back to this post. The first time I just left it and went away. This post is about faith, but also about tithe. For me it has become such a big issue I simply do not know what to do. We have been tithing faithfully in spite of the fact of being in total poverty. What little we have our son provides as the small social security pension we get does not even cover the basics. So, when this month arrived we only had money for medical aid, the co-payments for my chronic medicine for bipolar, rent and electricity (keeping the electricity as low as at all possible.) With the result that I did not tithe. We are living of leftover food people hand us and we do not even have money for bread. The result is that my faith is really wavering and I simply do not know how to get it back. So, at this very moment I am having a faith crises. Please pray for us. Ia am trying to make some money with internet marketing, but what comes in, after our very high internet fees in South Africa, is very little and does not begin to plug the holes.
Found your blog today. What a treat!! I have been looking over past posts.
Really enjoying the cleaning ones with the links.
Thank you,
Tasha
Thank you so much for all of your insights. I have been following your devotions and blogs for a while now! I have so appreciated all of your suggestions and scriptures to hold on to! I know your book will be awesome! Thank you!
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I could have written this article, I sure needed to read this. Thanks! Hope you had a good trip last week…
Glynnis,
Thanks for this!
What hit home for me today was a child with problems that us moms can’t wave wands to fix.
I’m trying to learn when mom needs to jump in and when it is more helpful for my child if I stay out of it so they can learn from difficult people.
This is a good devotion. I am drowning right now and this is exactly what I need. Like you, I believe everything the bible says. But when hard times hit and I prayed and prayed and expect his deliverance, nothing happened!!! I don’t know if it is my lack of faith or God doesn’t want to answer me. Sometimes I feel so mad at God and don’t want to do anything. I really need help. I hope God will show his faithfulness so that I can continue to hold on to to him and the little faith that I have.
Thank you – I needed this today!!! I am struggling with faith because I can’t hear God or feel His presence right now like I am used to. I am having to rely on His word & what He’s told me/shown me in the past, or through others & I realize I only have “faith” when I can see & hear Him clearly. I have resisted attaching to our 2 adopted teenagers who we have had for 2-1/2 years. And now our 13-year-old bio-child is struggling with depression/suicidal feelings. I need to trust God & His promises that He’s in charge & loves us instead of trying to fix everything myself. Pressure being applied!