The Testing Of Your Faith
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4
This past year, God has really been testing and stretching my faith. I remember those times when God gave me a specific promise and I made the choice to cling on to that promise. I knew the promise was from God because 1) He revealed the promise to me more than once. For me, it was through dreams. (I had similar dreams reoccurring.); 2) He confirmed the promise through spoken words of someone else and the certain words “jumped” out at me (e.g. like listening to a sermon, a particular song, a prophecy, reading something); and 3) it didn’t make sense at all. When God gives you a promise, your human mind is trying to figure out the ways on how and when the promise will happen and come to pass. If you’re honest with yourself, many times all you saw was exactly how it couldn’t happen and strong, valid reasons to back that up. To you, all you saw was the impossible. I have learned and am still learning that when God gives you a promise, it is not for you to figure it out and try to put the pieces of the puzzle together. All God wants of you when He reveals something to you of what’s to come is for you to have faith. The size of your faith can be as small as a mustard seed (Luke 17:6).
What I have noticed in my own faith with regards to the promise that God has given me is that my faith has been very low. How could I tell? Well, let me tell you. I was meeting with a very trusted friend whom I have known for years and I shared with this friend what God has revealed to me. And this friend began to question what God told me. “Are you sure?” “How can you be so sure?” “Did you take any steps to try to make it happen?” I was looking for her support and encouragement to hold on (I got that in the end) but instead, I was bombarded with questions. I knew that she meant well with regards to the questions because she was trying to figure out what I myself was trying to figure out. I sat there trying to convince my friend to believe what God wanted me to believe. I sat there trying to explain the promise that God gave me to her, and that is where the problem began. After I left her presence, doubt began to seep in. “God, how can this be? You told me this but I don’t see how it can happen. Is what you told me even going to happen?” The questions to God regarding His promise to me started. I’ve lost nights of sleep because I was trying to figure out if the promise will come to pass. The questions that my friend asked me where the same questions I’ve asked God. “How?” ‘When?” “Why?”
Doubt high. Faith low. I was trying to figure out the impossible. Nothing God promised me made any sense. I did not see a way. What really showed my low level of faith was when I started asking God to show me a sign. “God, if this is true, show me. Prove it to me.” Has this been you? What about when you don’t hear from God in the time frame that you need? Because of doubt, we begin to believe that what God has shown us months ago or even years ago will not happen. I have learned in moments like this when God’s promises to me are questioned by other people and it leaves me a little rattled, rather than ask God to prove it, I have asked God to increase and strengthen my faith. And believe me, every single time I have uttered these words to God, “Help my unbelief“, He answers. I strongly believe that He will do the same for you if you ask when your faith gets weak.
I am still waiting for the promise to come to pass, and you may be waiting for yours as well. My encouragement is to not loose faith of what you have yet to see. When God gives you a word/a promise, it is for you to hold on to and to be firm in your faith so that no matter who mocks, laughs, or questions that promise, you will not be moved.
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