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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
Faith: confidence in the testimony of another.1
“Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
As children of God, we believe that He watches over us as we go through each of our days. We know He stands alongside us as we go through the mundane tasks of living: caring for our children, doing the laundry, shopping for necessities-food, clothing, and paying bills. When God orders our days, we trust Him to allow us to do the important things that need to be done.
How much faith do we need? Jesus tells us we need only a little faith—the size of a mustard seed. When I see the sunshine through our windows on winter mornings, I know God has made that day and all will go as He intends. When I don’t see the sun, I know He has withheld it for some reason. I then realize that He had made that day as well.
Sometimes, I go through times when all I hear is sad news. During these times, I yearn to hear some good news—a baby being born, someone getting a new job, or a friend taking a well-earned vacation. Sometimes, the good news is simply that God is still in control.
Faith seen builds us up.
Several years ago, a few weeks before Christmas, I was having a tough time getting into the Christmas spirit. I went to a Women’s Missionary meeting at church I was in. A friend and her sister-in-law, also a friend, sat near me at a table as we worked on a seasonal project. I listened to their conversation.
I learned that the brother and sister-in-law were in the process of adopting a baby. The couple already had three children, two of them adopted. Here this couple reached out to enlarge their family, again.
I remember writing the sister-in-law a note. I told her how I had not been able to get into the Christmas spirit but hearing the story of their stepping out in faith (which is what they did) gave me a new-found confidence in people.
Daily Faith
I heard a story from a friend. This past Christmas Day, her son-in-law texted her to come down to where he and their daughter live—a distance of half-a-block. Her daughter was in quite a lot of pain. My friend placed her hand on her daughter’s forehead and started praying. The pain subsided to the point that the daughter was able to get through the rest of the day. This is an example of my friend’s faith in God.
An Exercise in Faith
When we seem to be running out of faith, we can read stories in the Bible about how some of the people trusted God to help them with a circumstance in their lives.
As I continued to write this, I awaited the outcome of tests my husband underwent. I asked for prayer for him and chose to pray for God’s will. We received word that our doctor wants a follow up on those tests about four weeks from now. I am trusting God for the outcome of his tests and for one of mine, done recently.
1. 1. Guideposts Family Concordance, Thomas Nelson Inc. © 1982 p.234
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Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
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