Faith Like That

I'm having a hard time trying to decide whether or not to write this.  

You see, I'm not cool. I am praying over the words I use here because I don't want the thought to cross your mind, "Hey, that girl has a clue" or "Is remotely cool" because you'd be wrong. I'm not mine to be cool. My life I pray is God's, but guys this year has been ridiculously awesome and if I don't pause and look back at GOD's hand at work...am I diminishing HIS Glory? 

In September last year I began praying that the LORD would use me. Despite my limitations of: being a Stay-at-Home mommy, being out in the middle of nowhere- far from many people.  I am not a cool mommy who can juggle 2 kids at the store and come out without going way over budget.  I'm also very focused on the craziness happening in my buggy. :) So it was not an option (in my mind) to be a vessel of GOD in the grocery store.

My husband is in full-time student ministry and despite how much I LOVE those kids, I was being pulled away alot with Jaxson and Paitlyn. With them being sick or my being just too exhausted by the end of the day and a long drive to church on top of it. 
Being brand new to this area and community where I know no one. No friends, left all of our family. No roots. Starting over from scratch. My husband is also in Seminary so it's generally just me and the kids.  

What can I do?  I was burdened so HEAVILY with a heart to minister, a heart to serve, but my limitations were too many and overwhelming. 

But GOD!!!!!  Hahaha! But GOD! If He's given the burden HE will prepare the way!  

The message HE laid on my heart was like a burning fire! If I didn't let it out I felt like it would consume me.  But I was limited (that's what I saw-my limitations) 

GOD's not Limited!

In my quiet time I began writing. I hated writing in school. My insecurity was overwhelming when I wrote. 

When I had to write papers in college I would cringe to have to turn it in, because I thought my paper would be the one the teachers passed around to laugh at and say, "who taught this kid how to write, and she's in College?"  When I write it's like taking a piece of myself and handing it over to whatever critics find it. 

So when I started writing I never thought much of it. You may have seen how that worked out a few weeks ago in a post. 

But in a years time the Lord has moved us. We went from being 20mins from town to living Downtown. We went from being twenty minutes from church to five minutes.   From a teeny tiny house unable to house foster children to a 4 bedroom house able to house foster children.  
Because of the loneliness I faced at the beginning of this ministry, the Lord has placed lonely people in my path. He has brought ministry opportunities to our doorsteps.
Making it to church on a Wednesday night is no longer an all day event depending on who's had a nap and if we have the gas money.

He has placed people in my path specifically because they've needed to be ministered to.  It's SO Awesome because (I can't tell you how often HE's done this) I've been praying to be used, he places someone in my path and their exact words, "I've been praying for the Lord to bring someone in my life like you...." for whatever the reason it's different every time. It's just cool to see GOD working on both ends.

My overwhelming insecurity when I write has been surrendered to the LORD. Every post I write is prayed heavily over because it intimidates the fire out of me, but I put my hope in HIM. I've surrendered it to HIM not to be taken back at my convenience or from my fear. But that's why I have to write about HIM because In HIM is where I have my trust!

It absolutely "Rocks my Socks Off" to think that the LORD is taking this thing that I am most insecure about and using it for HIS Glory. I mean if GOD was looking to use someone wouldn't He want to use someone who is naturally gifted in that area?   NOPE! Not biblically, he takes the things we are most inferior in and says "Do you trust ME?"  I cannot tell you how scared I am everytime I write - Petrified, but if I don't let the message out I feel like it will consume me. IT's GOD! It's GOD! Holy LORD! You heard my prayer, and You want to use me? It's GOD!

Our God is WAY cool, and I am so messed up in admiration and love of our Heavenly Father.

This is a song that "Messed me UP" a year ago and it has played in my head repeatedly.  I come back to it often.
I pray this will be my life song, and I encourage it to be yours!

Jonah 33 - Faith Like That

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Are you watching the Lord answer prayers right before your eyes?

Are you having a "Faith like that"?  I want a faith like that!  

Lord, give us a Faith like that! Give us the burden to have a faith like that! May we not focus on our inability but on YOUR ability, to do whatever it is YOU desire!  I pray to be a willing, surrendered and mold-able vessel in Your hands! Thank you Father for moving the mountains! 

HIS Clay~

Radical Faith

Jonah33 - Faith Like That

I want a faith that is big enough to trust in God, to be used to change the world. I want to Serve, Know and Follow Radically, The God of the Bible.

You know The One.

The God of:

Daniel- Who knew God and trusted Him enough to continue Praying in His window because He feared the Lord more than man. He trusted God all the way to the Lions den. He accepted: "you throw me in and I die, I'm GOD's. You throw me in I Live - I'm GOD's." When God is the Lord of your life what else is there to fear.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. - Proverbs 1:7

Elijah:  (1 Kings 17), (1 Kings 18), (2 Kings 1)

Who prayed for rain to end - In order to draw the hearts of God's people back to Himself.

Who was used by God to raise the dead.

Who made a fool of the idols God's people were worshipping.

Who called fire down from heaven and consumed a sacrifice and also consumed 100 of King Ahaziah's men.

David: (1 Samuel 17)

Who when everyone else trembled in fear, as a kid  he knew and trusted GOD and was willing to put his life on the line, in order to have the LORD show out! 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego:  (Daniel 3)

Who refused to bow down to this idol everyone was made to worship. Who refused to go along with popular opinion. Who didn't care if they stood out or if they would be shown as foolish. They were going to follow God all the way to the furnace, because to them it was more important to please GOD than it was to follow the crowd or even have their life spared.

Paul and Silas:  (Acts 16:16-40)

Who were seeing miracles in Christ's name. Who were seeing the power of GOD first hand. They had cast out demons, healed the sick and boldly preached the cross. They were beaten, flogged and thrown into prison. Instead of allowing it to make them question GOD they kept praising and worshipping, and the LORD sent a great earthquake, the jail was busted open, but they didn't break free. Instead they were able to minister to the Jailer and all the other prisoners, and their life was spared.  To them it more important to preach the gospel than to live a life of comfort and acceptance.

Gideon:  (Judges 6-7)

In whom I find my hope through this plea. Because I've never known such faith or experienced it. Where do I begin to learn?  I am absolutely ignorant on how to trust God to do the radical. On how to step out of my comfort zone in Faith and watch Him move mountains.

You see, Gideon was a man sought out by God. He was a man from the least of the tribes of Judah, and on top of that He was least in that tribe. Yup, he was less than a nobody.  I see him as the guy in the back of the room that no one else noticed. He was just a surviver. He didn't plan to do anything but live, die and try not to stir up much trouble while he was there.  Sounds like my kinda guy :)

Yet the angel of the Lord approached him and called him a mighty man of valor.  God doesn't need someone cool or someone with a certain set of acquired skills to accomplish something Great. He needs your faith.

Gideon's people were being oppressed by the Midianites.  The Lord had removed His sovereign hand of protection from this people because their hearts had left HIM and began worshipping other gods.  He sent the Midianites to oppress them. Gideon was told to go and tear down the idols of Baal.

If you are being oppressed, if you are in need of deliverance: you must first remove the idols from your life.  If you want to be used Radically by GOD you must first remove the idols from your life!"

Gideon was still so scared (he was scared of his town AND of his own family)  that he took 10 others with him and did it under the cover of night.  The next morning when the town awoke they found out it was him and they went to have Gideon killed. 

Can you imagine the fear that fell on Gideon? When they went to retrieve Gideon, his dad came to his defense and said, "Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down." -Judges 6:31

His dad, of whom Gideon was formly afraid, and who was apparently also a Baal worshipper, came to his sons defense. If you have never read the story of Gideon, oh it gets so much better from there.

But God used someone whose faith was not only weak, it was empty. Because of the oppression of his people Gideon wasn't even sure there was a God. "Please, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian." -Judges 6:13

The GOD of the CROSS! 

Who despite being despised and rejected, Spat on, stripped, beaten and hung on a cross, by the people HE came to save. When at any moment HE could have called multitudes of angels and it would have been over. He endured the cross, for our salvation, and three days later He arose from the grave and conquered our death so that we are no longer under the curse of Hell!

That's my GOD! When there was no other way HE made a way for us through HIS OWN Death!

Therefore, I say my lack of experience or wisdom does NOT limit God, my self doubt does NOT limit God.

It's our lack of faith and surrender that keeps us from being used Radically by GOD. If this is the God I serve, if I serve the GOD of this bible, shouldn't my life, my faith, look more like these men? Shouldn't my life be a witness to this type of radical movement of GOD?

Lord, Throw me out of my comfort zone to where I am fully relying and trusting You to move! Make me ever aware of Your presence. Help me to follow You intently and to fear You more than man! Move radically in our midst. Show Yourself Mighty among Your people, among this generation!. May we seek Your Holiness above our own agenda's and popularity.  May we see lives radically impacted by Your Truth! May we be willing, surrendered vessels ready to jump when You say move!

Your Clay~