But my faith is real, I miss a feeling.
But faith isn't a feeling.
When you walk by faith you'll find yourself in new territory.
When you have faith and don't walk by it, you'll find yourself with the same view.
Never bigger, never changing.
So should faith feel familiar?
One of the biggest ways that believers have to die to self is letting go of places and times that we felt the most in his presence. They can't be a measuring stick that we hold up to ourselves of whether or not we are doing ok. Before the Holy Spirit came, the disciples walked step by step with Jesus in His presence. After he was gone they longed to walk with him again. But Jesus himself said before he left, that the disciples were going to have sorrow in their heart, but it is for our (theirs and mine and yours) benefit, that He goes away because the Spirit of truth is coming.
Those places in our lives when we neither feel filled up or like we are going anywhere - need to be places of steadfastness. Not longing for what we had, but holding fast for what is to come.
Places of steadfastness can be hard because as believers we like to measure ourselves by how well we walk, not how well we stand. In a place of steadfastness, if your heart isn't right you can feel stuck.
People in the Bible who have literally been stuck.
One of the biggest ways that believers have to die to self is letting go of places and times that we felt the most in his presence. They can't be a measuring stick that we hold up to ourselves of whether or not we are doing ok. Before the Holy Spirit came, the disciples walked step by step with Jesus in His presence. After he was gone they longed to walk with him again. But Jesus himself said before he left, that the disciples were going to have sorrow in their heart, but it is for our (theirs and mine and yours) benefit, that He goes away because the Spirit of truth is coming.
Those places in our lives when we neither feel filled up or like we are going anywhere - need to be places of steadfastness. Not longing for what we had, but holding fast for what is to come.
Places of steadfastness can be hard because as believers we like to measure ourselves by how well we walk, not how well we stand. In a place of steadfastness, if your heart isn't right you can feel stuck.
People in the Bible who have literally been stuck.
Daniel in the Lion's den.
Meshak, Shadrak, and Abendego in the fire.
Jonah in the belly of the whale.
Disciples in the boat in the storm.
Paul when he was in prison.
Jesus on the cross.
Places of steadfastness are places of refinement. They can be places of suffering, hardship, and trial - but your faith will be refined.
Places where we get to know Jesus more and places where we get to know his heart.
And we know that when we start walking again, we will be walking closer than we ever have been walking before.
We know that place of steadfastness was for our benefit.
It may not feel familiar, because it shouldn't.
Places of steadfastness are places of refinement. They can be places of suffering, hardship, and trial - but your faith will be refined.
Places where we get to know Jesus more and places where we get to know his heart.
And we know that when we start walking again, we will be walking closer than we ever have been walking before.
We know that place of steadfastness was for our benefit.
It may not feel familiar, because it shouldn't.
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