Are you wrestling too, or is it just me? Am I the only one feeling like this? You know, overwhelmed and exhausted trying to make sense of the world we live in? You know, desperately trying to keep up and conquer each new day and all its new compounding challenges? You know, feeling angry and frustrated about everything and absolutely nothing? You know, searching for meaning or explanation in the last couple of years of our lives? You know, looking at our lives and our world and wondering what in the world is going on? You know, desperately trying to stop the speeding ferris wheel before you fly out of the top car (buckle up!)? You know, desperately trying to gain control of all that’s uncontrollable? Our lives, others’ lives, our world…If you think you’re the only one wrestling, look around. Everywhere we go, home, work, school, grocery store, craft store, restaurant, church, folks are wrestling.
“I do believe, but help me not to doubt!”
Mark 9:24
I think most of us can say we know exactly how the father of the demon-possessed boy felt. I think most of us can say regardless of what is going on around us and the challenges we all face daily, we do believe, we may even be a little defensive about it, but…
See what I mean? Believers know, that God is sovereign, that He is in complete control at all times, that nothing happens without passing through Him, without being checked within His plan. This father had faith, He did believe, but his humanness made him doubt. He looked at his son’s situation through an earthly lens and not a Heavenly lens. When the circumstances of life are right in front of our faces, we say but too, don’t we?
As a soul realizes Me and My Power, and knows Me as Helper and Savior, that soul believes in Me more and more. At the same time it is more conscious than before of its falling short of absolute trust in Me.
The soul’s progress, an increased belief – then a cry for more faith – a plea to conquer all unbelief, all lack of trust.
That cry heard. That prayer answered. More faith, and at the same time more power to see where trust is lacking.
My children seek to go up this path, leading by each stage, nearer to Me.
God Calling, Two Listeners
When I look at this sweet prayer it gives me such hope and encouragement with my buts. It gives me encouragement to cry out for more faith in those you knows of life, courage to trust our Sovereign God. It gives me courage, like Jacob, to take all my unbeliefs, all my doubts, all those things I’m wrestling with to God. And to stay on that mat, through prayer and petition, until he blesses me with more believes and less buts. Upon wrestling, Jacob lost the physical battle, but in the spiritual battle he was absolutely victorious.
The sun rose as he left Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.
Genesis 32:31
What a beautiful verse. Peniel, face of God. The Light comes out and we see the face of God. Don’t we all want to see the face of God? Then, like Jacob, we must keep wrestling, keep persevering, only with God’s help can we get through the you knows to get to the believes with a few less buts.
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble…
The Lord Almighty is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.
Psalm 46:1, 11