A wish is rooted in wants. Belief is grounded in truth.
There’s something about believing that takes you to places you’ve never been before.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve moved through some painful experiences.
In the midst of those trials, my prayers fell silent. My life had gone from sunshine to storms, and my ability to believe and trust faltered. I just didn’t have it in me. I had believed and trusted and felt like everything was going to be okay, and then the bottom fell out.
Now, if you’ve ever prayed for something big and been told no, you probably get this.
Looking back, it seems like a simple thing, yet a I had missed it in a huge way. I’d gotten the believing thing down. I believed. I really believed that evil wouldn’t win. That it would be okay, but then blow after blow came, and I sunk to my knees, speechless and unsure of anything. I believed. I had just misapplied that belief.
And here’s how my talk with God went. “Why are you letting this happen? Why aren’t you helping?”
Now, there have been a handful of times in my life when I’ve felt like God spoke to me. I didn’t hear his voice, just that whisper in my soul. This was one of those times. His response was soft and kind and put me in my place.
He whispered, “What makes you think I’m not helping?”
At first my mind reeled through the long list of bad things that I could easily bring to his almighty attention, but then the truth settled around me, snuggled up, and held me close. I’d been focusing on the outcome. Sort of that name it and claim it thing, and what I was missing was to simply believe in Him.
God is enough.
No matter my pain. No matter what blows come or what losses knock at my door. He is enough.
So, yes, what I said at first is true. There is something about believing that will take you to places you’ve never been before. And that’s great.
But equally as important as belief is what you’re believing in. Is your belief simply wishful thinking and misapplied hope? Or is it the truth.
God is real, and he loves you by name, even when you lack the faith to trust him.
I’m standing on peaceful soil now and the clouds are parting, and I can see how he was there all the time and how all that bad stuff actually did work together for good, and I’m amazed and humbled and sorry I whined so much.
How about you? Are you believing in God today or believing in what you hope he will do?
