Last week we wrapped up our James study by Beth Moore. There were so many good parts to the study, but the one that keeps standing out to me is her question, "What good is your faith?"
If you are familiar with James then you know that he drills in the point that faith without deeds is dead. Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness. Oh to have that faith. Just when I think that my faith has grown, the wave of doubt sweeps me. The wave of questions (that I am all too good at asking) takes control. And I am left in the wake. Wondering.....what good is my faith? Funny how the devil would love to play off that. Not so funny how we crater and let him sometimes.
I was overwhelmed again tonight by returning symptoms, bad labs, and the frustration that I should be over and done with this. I do finally have a new referral after too long....but I am thankful that Monday I get a second opinion. Excited and nervous.
So I will tell you what good my faith is. I know that there are critics and skeptics and the cynical. Sadly I could be any one of those. We probably all could at times. But what wins. Hope. Love. Faith. Yes that is not following the 1 Corinthians order but after the James study I am inclined to say Faith yanks you off your tail, reminds you that there is hope in a Savior, and Love drives you to care. Drives us to remember that though doubt may enter, it will not reside. Doubt and fear are funny cousins. They couple and arrive almost in the same moment. But that is "what good my faith is". When they sweep and leave us overwhelmed. Leave us defeated and afraid to make a move. They tell us that there is no point or whatever lies we have all heard at some point. Interesting. I pictured myself on a beach, waves beating over me and then relenting back. Over and over again. The next part is the best. When I first pictured this I was sitting on the beach in sand, the waves coming again and again for a time, never letting up. But when the water finally retreated, I was left sitting on a rock. The rock of Jesus. That is our Faith. A faith that pulls me up, telling me the point is God's love, God's purpose. A faith that never fails because it is built on the Rock. It reminds me that there is a great cloud of witnesses and I have no excuse to feel alone. My situation is small in comparison. The great have gone before us and are cheering us on. Encouraging us. Counting on us to continue the legacy of great faith. Faith that can be counted as righteousness. Faith that brings hope and expects God to do more than our ability and our circumstances. Expects HIM to show up. What a beautiful thing, this Faith. Faith is the doing it, not talking about it. What good? ALL THE GOOD I say because in those moments God makes me practice it and I know He is growing it!! Oh to have the faith in Hebrews 11. We are so very loved!
This one is for you Crystal.......... God is good, all the time. All the time God is good!!
