Believing God

About ten weeks ago I started an online bible study.  I meet online with my small group once a week to discuss our current study.  When I found this online group, they were just getting ready to start a Beth Moore Bible study called "Believing God".  I have been a huge Beth Moore fan for years.  God has used her books and live events tremendously in my spiritual growth over the years.  God has used her to spur on my desire for the Word and my confidence and understanding of God's character.  (Please note that I have not read any of her recent books or listened to her teachings lately, so I cannot speak to the accuracy or reliability of her current teaching.  However, I do know that her past works that I've read are powerful and Biblically accurate as far as I can tell.)  So, when I saw that they were about to start this particularly study I was extremely excited!

Little did I know just how divine this appointment was!  You see, God was beginning a work in my heart about learning to pray bigger and trust God for mightier acts.  I think that because He knew that He had big works in mind, He wanted to make sure my heart was in tune to His hand.  He didn't want me to miss His biggness! 

If you have been following my blog, you may notice the significance of the time frame for my starting this study.  I did my first small group meeting on a Thursday and that very next Sunday we met the precious couple who own our new home! (see Big Prayers Big Answers) Needless to say, God answered a prayer that I had prayed and prayed - at first believing, but with time losing faith that He would ever provide.  And then He did!  He provided in a huge way!

This answered prayer shook our family!  We were all blown away by how generously God had answered our prayer for a home!

Fast forward 9 weeks and you find Josh and I overwhelmed by a challenge in our ministry.  This was an obstacle that we had tried for months to move aside, climb over, run around, tunnel under, and even break through, but we could not seem to get to the other side.  We've been pleading with the Lord for direction and resolution, but we just haven't gotten anywhere.  This struggle has caused me much anxiety and stress!  I have felt like I'm carrying around a burden that is physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining.  Then last Sunday, I felt the Lord very clearly tugging at my heart when Josh was playing "I Surrender All".  I heard the Spirit whisper to me, "Will you surrender this?  Do you believe that I am who I say I am?  Do you believe that I will care for you and guide you?  Do you believe me?"  As a tear ran down my cheek, I realized that once again, I was not believing my God -my Almighty God, who is always faithful, always true!  So I opened my hands and surrendered this burden that I have been carrying around.

I wish I could lay out all of the details of this past week.  In less than a weeks time, God has completely . . . COMPLETELY . . . removed this obstacle.  It is gone!  Four churches later, we are confident that God has replaced this obstacle with an effective, fruitful ministry tool for spreading the Gospel!  Oh, our God is sooooo good! 

Tomorrow is my last small group discussion for this study.  I am sad to be done with this study and yet I am full of anticipation of what God has in mind for the next study we will do together.  In the mean time, I will continue to pray, trust, and rest in God's goodness and infinite wisdom!  I will believe God!