From Hopeless to Joy

From Hopeless to Joy

My name is Hope. Having a name like that creates a lot of variations.  Some of the nicknames I have had in my lifetime are: Hopie, Hope the Dope (you have to say it all together, really fast), Hoppy Toad, and Hopeful to name a few. But the name that seeped into me and became a lie I believed was Hopeless. Not only did it become a password I used from time to time for different sites, it became a definition for how I viewed my worth.  

I used to say that my mother named me Hope because she “hoped I would turn out better.” Saying that in jest doesn’t make it true or any less painful to speak over myself. But the truth is I am not hopeless, I am full of  hope. Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” After confessing adultery to Don and my family I thought all hope was lost. Completely lost. I was ready to throw in the towel. Really throw in the towel. But God…He was faithful.  Through a loving God, respecting husband, a family that loves, prays for, and forgives, and a wonderful Christian counselor who has spent many hours helping me to see the light, I am no longer hopeless. Healing wasn’t easy by any means. But with healing came a newfound hope and that brought joy, real joy, into my life and my heart.  

I said earlier I have had many nicknames in my life. There is one more to add to that list. A precious friend and her husband sometimes call me Joy.  Now, that is a name I can live with. Joy is defined as a feeling of great pleasure or happiness. The biblical definition says joy is more than a happy feeling. It’s a lasting emotion that comes from the choice to trust that God will fulfill His promises. John 16:33b says “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart, I have overcome this world.” It doesn’t say we will never have problems or once we accept Christ our lives will be smooth sailing. No, it says we will have trouble. “Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering, it is the presence of God,”-Sam Storms. When life seems to be working overtime to bring me down I hold on to the words of Psalms 30:5b “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” And what is the best way to handle those problems? Choose Joy. Joy is something we choose in the midst of the storms, and in the middle of a celebration. Joy is what we search for. Joy is a prayer. Joy is strength. Happiness is a feeling, based on an emotion. But joy comes from knowing in your spirit the One who is in control and standing with you all the way. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Emphasis added). When we have joy, true God-given joy, in our hearts there is nothing that can stand against us. Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope (Hope) fill you with all JOY and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Emphasis added)

We want to thank Hope Warren for sharing this post.

Big God and Little Me

Big God and Little Me

For me it comes down to this..

Grace = humility, or at least it has to begin there.  In “Christianese” or what we could call church-talk, GRACE means unmerited favor. It absolutely is unmerited, but let’s really break that down.  Unmerited would mean undeserving or not worthy enough.

Ephesians 2:8 says “for by grace you were saved…”

So, we were granted salvation by grace? Many times we believe we were saved and definitely know it wasn’t deserved, but why? Why me? Why would He do that for me?

Our God is so big, so mighty, the beginning AND the end, the creator of our universe, all-powerful, all-knowing, just every BIG word you can think of…what use could He have for me?

He can make a huge impact with little ‘ole me. That’s where humility comes in. When I begin to understand that our God desires my participation and that He made ME to use me. ME? Then I am humbled and I begin to realize I can have an influence, I can do big things-God things-not for my benefit or my purpose, but for His. Our big God who “knitted me in the womb”, who created me “wonderfully” wants me to be a part of His revival in this world we live in. Little ‘ole me.

“For we are his workmanship, (after all) created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

But not only that,

We are so loved by God that He made us bear His image (Genesis 1:26). We were created to live holy lives and tell others of His greatness. This is where being that woman of grace comes in.

Being a woman of grace can mean we are dedicated to obeying the commandments of our Father to the best of our ability and willing to use whatever wonderful spiritual gifts He has given us, even when we’re not feeling it!

“For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16) or more plainly blessing after blessing. And why? Because He’s a good, good Father.

The gift of grace gives us the power to deal with the ups and downs of life when we increase how we know God and what He desires from us so we can separate His truth from human mistakes and be that loving, compassionate woman of grace.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Showing kindness speaks for itself, having compassion or empathy for others, and forgiving others the way He forgave us when on the cross… His greatest expression of grace! This was the whole gospel of Christ!

It costs nothing for us to forgive. God forgave everything that might keep others from Him. So why wouldn’t we do the same when it was so freely given to us?

To be able to be that woman who has that same humble grace for others that was granted to us and showing that same compassion He has for us, we have to see His perfect purpose for us but also see others with that same kindness, compassion and forgiveness that was granted to us all. With that same grace given to us, we can fulfill His perfect purpose.

We want to thank Sandra Villa for sharing this post.

You Don’t Have to be Superwoman

You Don’t Have to be Superwoman

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like Superwoman? You marked off everything on your list. Maybe you worked ahead. You made every event in your calendar. You were even (mostly) on time. You cleared out the emails, made the meal, finished the project, folded the laundry (and put it away). No one was sick. Everyone was happy and went to bed on time.

What about the opposite? Have you had the day (or week or month or year) where nothing seems to be falling into place? You missed the meeting. You forgot the appointment. You said the words. You felt the hurt. You were late to the game. The kids wouldn’t stop fighting. Someone didn’t want to eat or sleep. Your to-do list was growing instead of shrinking, and you were so over-scheduled that you were running from one place to the next.

I’ve been thinking about what it means to be a woman of grace. If grace is defined as both unmerited favor and God’s empowerment, then it seems like Superwoman is our model woman of grace. And this other woman? Not so much, right?

But what if it’s both? Or neither? What if it’s about the condition of our heart in each of those moments? The Bible tell us that God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6), and in our weakness is when his power is made perfect (2 Corinthians 12:9).

In our everyday life, we’re going to be opposed. Between an enemy who’s on the prowl and the sin nature of our fallen world, we’re going to face troubles. Even Jesus said so (John 16:33).

Some days, we’re smashing down those obstacles left and right because we’ve got the power of God on our side. Other days, we’re hitting brick wall after brick wall because we’re trying to do it in our own strength.

What if, even on the worst days, we could stop and reset and humble ourselves and submit our hearts—and in that moment, receive all the grace that we need?

Guess what? We can!

The question for us, grace-filled women, is how we will respond to the opposition we face. When our day’s interrupted, when our heart’s disappointed, what will our response be?

Will we call upon the Lord and submit our hearts to him and say, “Help me; I need you”? Or will we tryto do it in our own strength and then later bury ourselves under our own blankets of comfort?

Do you know what’s great about grace? It’s unmerited. When we don’t get it right, there’s always another opportunity the next time. God’s not mad at us. He overwhelms us with love as he holds out his hand and says, “Do it with me this time.”

Every day, every moment, we get to choose to be women of grace. Let’s take His hand today.

We’d like to thank Laura Brandenburg for sharing this post.

Experiencing God’s Grace

Experiencing God’s Grace

I grew up in the church going to Sunday school classes and later attending as an adult, and I had always heard the word God’s Grace but I never really understood what God’s Grace was until my late twenties. Before you read much further I want to define what God’s Grace is because I had heard the words so many times in church but never quite understood them. God’s Grace is… His ability to give us something we don’t deserve, it’s His undeserved favor. It’s those times we sin and don’t deserve His Grace but because Jesus died on the cross, Grace is freely given to anyone who has accepted Jesus as their Lord. One instance when I received the grace of God in my life was when I was not making the best choices in the way I was living my life, or the situations I put myself in. James 4:4 says, So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. I was choosing to live my life the way the world influenced me and things of the world are an enemy of God. In those circumstances, I could have received death or hurt because that’s what I deserved for living my life in a sinful way but I received God’s Grace time and time again. God kept me protected, that was His Grace. This was happening even before I fully understood God’s Grace. So I encourage you if this is the first time you’re grasping what God’s Grace is, pray and ask God to reveal to you the times you have received His Grace over your life.

God’s Grace was freely given to me when I accepted Jesus into my heart so I was still receiving it as a young adult, but in my later twenties I actually experienced it as it was happening. I believed this happened because in my late twenties I began to really seek a relationship with the Lord, understand what the Holy Spirit is and started building a Godly community. When my oldest son was in pre-k, I experienced God’s Grace through him. Let me say that again, God’s Grace was deposited on my son and he was the vessel God used so that I could receive and experience Grace for my actions. One morning as we were rushing out of the house to get to school/work I totally lost my self-control, because we were going to be late, and I yelled at my son. I knew better, it wasn’t my sons fault but he was the closest person I could blame. Can anyone relate to loosing self-control and taking it out on someone else? Well in that moment I knew I had messed up. So when we finally got in the car and we were on the way to school, I apologized for my actions and asked for forgiveness from my 4 year old. He looked back at me with a smile and said, “I forgive you mom.” In that moment I knew that was God’s Grace. I didn’t deserve to be forgiven for my actions but God used my son to show how easy it is to receive His grace. I didn’t have to beg or plead with my son to forgive me, he quickly forgave me, smiled and we enjoyed the rest of our ride to school. That’s the same way God gives us Grace.

James 4:6 says God resists(or refuses) the proud. But He gives grace to the humble.

If I would not have humbled myself that day in the car, not only would the rest of my day be ruined but I would have never experienced God’s Grace through my son. Being honest when something is our fault, being kind to an enemy, saying, “I’m sorry” first, tithing are all ways we can choose humility. If we choose to be proud then God will resist us according to James 4:6. Other translations say He opposes the proud. I don’t want God to oppose or resist me, I want to fully experience God and His Grace. I want to be experiencing it when it’s happening and not like my young adult years when I was still receiving God’s Grace but not appreciating it. So today let choose to humble ourselves in our sins so we can fully Experience God’s Grace.

We want to thank Bethany Williams for sharing this post.

Humility – the Door to Grace

Humility – the Door to Grace

Becoming a woman of grace is not complicated, but sometimes it isn’t easy.  It requires humility – realizing that without God we are completely lost, in this life and for eternity.

Let me tell you of one time when I was so humbled, and still God showed His grace in amazing ways. Back in 2010, I felt led to get my doctorate in education.  Circumstances prevented this until June of 2015.  The program was online most of the time, but for 2 weeks in June, I was to be on campus.  So, June of 2015, I was set to begin the program. 

Also in June of 2015, my mom went into the hospital with seizures.  She got worse and worse.  Mom died on June 19.  I moved into the dorm on June 21.  Kelly came home from Kenya June 22.  We had visitation on the 23rd and her funeral on the 24th.  Then I had 1 ½ more weeks to go at Tech. Even during this awful beginning, God’s grace was flooding my life and I didn’t even know it.  My cohort (a group of about 10 other students) was so supportive.  The teachers were wonderful.  I think that experience bound us together for our journey over the next 2 years. 

I was the first person in our cohort to defend my dissertation, and the first one in our cohort to graduate.  Completing this was the hardest thing, school-wise, that I ever did.  But God is faithful!  I was held and cared for the entire time – by GOD!  Truthfully, I had never considered myself “doctorate material” – whatever that is.  God showed me that HE IS doctorate material.  What do you need Him to be for you? 

From all the references we read in Scripture, grace is evidently both the motive and the means for everything God does for people on the earth.  Picture God reaching down to meet every need of His children.  As a woman of grace, I lean heavily upon the God who wants to meet my needs.  He is no stingy Father!  He’s always looking for a way to bless us.  Because of grace and by grace. What do you need God to reach down and do for you? 

The way that grace can reach me is when I humble myself and understand that I NEED His grace.  Recognizing that I need grace makes me a great candidate for it.  Humbling myself opens the door for God to pour grace into me.

Being a woman of grace requires confession and repentance. Along with confession to God, we are called to give and receive forgiveness from others.  Do you cringe at the thought of asking someone to forgive you?  Those closest to you offer a wonderful training ground for asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness, even if no one asks for it.   

Being a woman of grace means seeing myself as God sees me.  Scripture after Scripture tells me who I am in Christ!  When I read these verses, yet I believe that they can’t possibly apply to me, for whatever reason, I’m lacking humility, because I’m refusing to accept God’s Word as true, despite my feelings. You really are a woman of grace, a daughter of the King of Kings!

Being a woman of grace means that I relinquish the need to “fix” everything.  When my mom was in the hospital and I was in this position of feeling like I needed to fix this, I begged God to tell me what to do to make it all ok.  He spoke to me one day and said, “This is not about you.  If your mom is ready to come home, she will come home.”  He was helping me to understand that my will was not the guiding force in this situation.  It gave me relief to just let God be in control, and to let my mom go.  When I have to “fix” everything, that’s pride.  If I think my way is the only way, there’s no humility there, and I resist His grace. 

As I am humble before God and receive His grace, I am in turn able to give that grace away to those around me.  Hoarding up the grace stops the flow.  I can only behave as a woman of grace to the degree that I receive that grace from Him.   Let’s fling the door of humility wide open!   Let’s live our lives as women who are both empowered by and who radiate grace. 

We’d like to thank Sheri Warren for sharing this post.

Snow Days

Snow Days

Staring out that window, I was moved to tears. The snow was falling gently, the sun glistening across it, and all four of my children were playing happily with each other, smiles plastered across their faces. Snow days weren’t always this way. They used to be chaos. When my kids were between the ages of one and five, they all needed help getting dressed. Then they only liked being outside for approximately 2.5 minutes before they were back in, taking off the same clothes I had just helped them put on. Then one would hit another with a snowball, and all the crying. Snow days weren’t always this peaceful.

But that day, it was. And as I stared out the window, tears rolling down my cheeks, I remembered all of the ways that we fought for this. Peace is opposed. And it is especially opposed in our homes. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to achieve. Biblically, peace often means taking action to bring something back into peace. Because of sin, our entire lives are now in opposition to the Lord and His plans—in opposition to the peace that He has for us. And while we can see peace come about in our lives, and in our homes, we must fight for it.

One of the names of God is Jehovah Shalom—the Lord is Peace (Judges 6:24). HE IS PEACE. And if we want peace in our homes, we must invite Him in. Invite His presence in. When my kids were little, I remember days where it just seemed like our entire lives were ruled by chaos. Nothing would go right, and all I could hear was fussing, whining, crying, and at times, yelling. In those moments, there was only one way that I knew to restore peace—invite the presence of Jesus through worship. As soon as I started the worship music, the difference was immediate—peace overtook the atmosphere of our home, and the whining, fussing, and crying would end. Jesus himself is peace—and He brings peace to our homes.

What I have learned since then is there is another important element to having peace in our homes. That element is us. As women, we have a special duty to set the atmosphere in our homes. The old phrase is true: “if momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” But as Christian women, we have more hope than just in our happiness. We have our hope in Jesus. And despite our circumstances, we, as the women of our homes, have been given the authority in Him to set the tone. This means that we must let peace reign in our own hearts. If we aren’t at peace, we cannot bring our homes to peace.

In the midst of a passage on how to walk the Christian life, Paul tells us to “let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts” (Colossians 3:15). If we want peace in our homes, it has to start in our hearts. I’m not naturally a morning person, but I have been getting up earlier than my children for almost two years now. My only regret is that I didn’t start this practice sooner. When I rise in the mornings, I get my daily workout in without interruption, and then I have morning prayer time. One of the things that I pray every day is for the Kingdom of God to come in my life—His righteousness, His peace, and His joy. It took about a year, but one day, I looked up and realized that my home was much more peaceful than it had ever been. And it wasn’t because of a total lack of fighting, struggles, or general discord. It was because of the peace in my heart. I no longer felt overwhelmed when these ugly issues showed their heads. I was able to respond in peace and bring peace because I was at peace. Christ has established His peace in my heart, and therefore I am able to establish His peace in my home.

The world has no shortage of struggles for our homes. But Christ has no shortage of peace for our hearts. Fight for it. Fight for the peace in your home, and fight for the peace in your heart.

One day, you’ll get a snow day and realize it was all worth it.

We want to thank Brooke Kellum for sharing this post.

Peace Through Submission

Peace Through Submission

“And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” Isaiah 32:17-18

Having a peaceful home has been a priority for me for almost eight years. However, that was not the case in the beginning of my marriage or in the first few years of having children. In those days, my home was filled with unmet expectations, bitterness, and the opposite of peace—chaos. Throughout high school and college, I had made plans and had an idea of what I wanted the rest of my life to look like. I would go to nursing school, become an RN, and if I had kids, they would go to daycare until they were ready for school. Even after marriage, I continued with the plans that I had decided for my life. That is, until the Lord spoke to my husband and said that we were supposed to do something different as a family. 

In all honesty, the Lord had put this on my heart as well; I had just decided to ignore it. I felt like my dreams weren’t important and like all I had accomplished at school was for nothing. Our home and my heart were full of bitterness and resentment. It wasn’t until I finally decided to submit to the Lord and to my husband that things began to change. What I have come to realize in the years since then is that peace in the home begins with submission.

In my case, this looked like submitting to the order of the family that God had designed. It meant submitting to my husband as the head of our household and submitting to what God had chosen our family dynamic to look like. As I surrendered my old dreams and ideas to Jesus, he replaced them with new dreams and joy in being the keeper of my home. Through submission, I began to experience true peace in my marriage and my household. 

There are still some days that feel more chaotic than peaceful. I have noticed that those are the days I focus on my own plans for how my day is going to go. I wake up and forget to first start the day by submitting my mind, will, and emotions to the Lord. No matter what life brings our way, we can still experience his perfect peace. God’s Word says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).

We also need to remember that peace is a person. To experience peace in our home, we must invite peace (Jesus) in. Where peace resides, chaos is not welcome! Women (whether they work outside of the home or not) have the privilege of being the keeper of the home and therefore the ones who cultivate peace. Cultivating peace in our home is like tending a garden. We must be intentional with what we allow into our home and weed out the things that do not need to be there. May we be women who fight for peace in our homes, even if that first looks like surrendering our hearts to the Prince of Peace.

We want to thank Courtney Harper for sharing this post.

Choose Peace

Choose Peace

The dictionary defines peace this way: “freedom from disturbance; tranquility.”  But notice that definition does not tell you how to attain it and for sure not how to keep it once it is found.

Let me share with you what I have learned about peace.  If you have never had peace, you don’t know that you don’t have it.  I was fifty years old before I experienced it for the first time.  My life up to that point had been a rollercoaster of ups and downs and bad choices.  I had been a Christian for eighteen years and had experienced many aspects of the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23).  But the fruit of peace had been missing.

When I met Dan, and we began our relationship, we both were very wounded from past failed relationships.  But I soon realized that there was something different about this friendship that was turning into something very special.  We were experiencing peace for the first time ever.

Once we realized what it was, we began to guard it.  Peace became the foundation for our relationship.  Now, after thirty years, we have not found anything that is worth losing our peace.

When there is a disagreement, we both back off to our neutral corners, and instead of thinking how right we are, we look for what we did or said wrong.  Then we come back together in a spirit of repentance with apologies and asking for forgiveness.  The result is that our peace is still there.

However, what if you are “right,” and you can prove it?  That is the time that you can choose to come into agreement (Matthew 18:19-20) and totally defuse the whole situation.

When we are wrong, we usually know it.  If we are wrong, and the other person is willing to submit, it relieves the pressure and gives us the opportunity to re-think and ask ourselves, “How important is this?”  But when it’s all about winning or being “right,” even when we are wrong, we can never admit it.  If it’s about winning or being “right,” we have to defend our position, even when we know we are wrong.  If it’s about winning, remember…the one who apologizes first wins.

But it’s NOT about winning OR being right.  It’s about peace.

When you find peace, guard it with all your might.  Nothing is worth losing your peace—NOTHING!

When there is conflict, and the battle lines are drawn, both sides begin to defend their position.  So, let’s say you do a really good job, and you WIN!  What have you really won if your relationship is damaged?

I have learned that when there is an opportunity to enter into battle with your spouse, and the objective is to win at all cost, you will leave your spouse bloody and defeated.  Let me remind you this is the one that you vowed to “love, honor, and obey,” not to mention that you became “one flesh” with in God’s eyes.  Look at Mark 10:7-8: “For this reason a man will leave his parents and be wedded to his wife.  And the husband and wife will be joined as one flesh, and after that they no longer exist as two, but one flesh” (TPT).  Could we say that fighting with your spouse is like punching yourself in the face?  

Make a conscious decision to live in peace in all your relationships. Then guard that peace jealously.  Let me say it again…When you find peace, guard it with all your might.  Nothing is worth losing your peace—NOTHING!

We want to thank Di Zeigler for sharing this post.

My Circus, My Monkeys

My Circus, My Monkeys

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 

2 Thessalonians 3:16

It’s Christmas 2022 (but celebrated January 2023), and we finally have all the family together at the farm with Larry’s mom and sister, our three kids and their spouses, eight grandkids, and four dogs. It was crazy, loud, and a wonderful chaos!

Peace? Not happening—if you look at peace as being a state of tranquility or quietness, as it says in Webster’s Dictionary. 

The meaning of the Hebrew word for peace, shalom, is much richer than just being “quiet and calm or absence of noise.” Biblical peace is represented by safety, well-being, completeness, and wholeness. 

Shalom brings rest, reconciliation, and restoration.

And that is what kind of peace we strive for in our home: a place where everyone is safe, they feel loved, and they can find rest and feel the love of Christ!

In fact, that’s what I feel when my crazy family is laughing, talking, eating, and watching football while the kids are wrestling or throwing balls around, and the dogs are barking. I’m at peace. Shalom!

I am whole, complete, and at rest. 

My family gives me shalom, a wholeness and completeness that comes from love—a deep love that cannot be wiped away by the craziness of the moment! All I can say is thank you, Jesus. This is my circus, and these are my monkeys!

Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

You see, Larry and I made a stand many years ago concerning our home and family. We declared, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15b).

The Lord fills our hearts with love and his peace. And by bringing Christ into our home, it brings the Prince of Peace into our home. By making him the center of our home, we get shalom among the chaos.

You see biblical peace is not something we can create on our own; it is a fruit of the Spirit. God is the source of peace. And peace within our home is our choice when we invite God into our hearts and into our homes. 

So, choose today whom you will serve, and let the peace of Christ reign in your home!

We want to thank Bambi Lutrick for sharing this post.

Life is a Journey and a Journey Takes Time 

Life is a Journey and a Journey Takes Time 

I have always had the mantra “Work smarter, not harder”. I would much rather do things faster and more efficiently. I want things done yesterday, and I will process every possible solution to a problem before I start to accomplish the given task. I analyze, or maybe better said, I overthink, because I don’t want to waste time or energy. But here’s the thing about life. Sometimes harder is smarter. Sometimes God chooses to take His time in leading us through the hard, because He knows the work done will not just get us from point A to point B, but will transform us into the women He wants us to be. 

My life has always seemed to revolve around waiting. Whether it was waiting for the right group of friends, waiting for the man I would call my husband, waiting for a family, or waiting for the feelings of inadequateness to go away, God always seems to do the most work in my heart when I am forced to slow down and just wait. I haven’t always been the most patient waiter, either. 

I find the story of Sarah in Genesis a perfect example of waiting gone wrong. Sarah, then Sarai, wanted more than anything a child. The longing and the waiting was too much, and after 10 years of waiting for God to give her His promised child, she couldn’t stand it any longer. She chose to allow her husband to sleep with one of her servants, in hopes that through her getting pregnant, that maybe it would fulfill the longing she had for a child. Sarah believed the lie that I think we all believe when the journey is taking longer than we think it should. She believed that God was holding out on her. 

When we zoom out of Sarah’s story and get a birds-eye view of the journey of Sarah’s life, what we find is the truth. 

“By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11 

God wasn’t wasting Sarah’s time or delighting in her misery. He was doing surgery. He was removing all the doubt that had built up in her heart, so that she could have a deeply rooted faith in Him. Hebrews says that she “considered him faithful”. She depended on the promise when the journey seemed bleak; impossible even. God wants our journey to result in great, unshakeable faith in Him, but that takes time. It takes intentional working out of the unbelief in our hearts. If you find yourself stuck in the journey, ask God what parts of your heart need to find Him faithful.

We want to thank Savanna Rodriguez for sharing this post.