When our Faith versus our Mountains
This past Monday, Pastor Doreen shared a very powerful and personal message straight from her heart in Doreen’s Daily Delights, when she acknowledge being very discouraged and ready to give up her ministry of encouragement to those standing for marriage restoration. I was deeply touched by Doreen’s message, because I know it wasn’t easy to admit to those of us so accustomed to relying on her encouragement that she too had experienced such discouragement. But the truth is that we are ALL prone to discouragement; and it always begins with thoughts contrary to the absolute truth of the power and promise of God’s Word and our failure to take those thoughts captive and MAKE them obedient to Christ and His Word. That’s why one of the most important passages of scripture for everyone standing for marriage restoration is found in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, which says:
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
Since this is such an important passage of scripture to all of us and one I’ve written about many times, I went back to the archives to find previous Seeds Of Faith posts concerning it and encourage everyone to read The Importance Of Taking EVERY Thought Captive, which goes into an in depth study of this passage, BEWARE…Satan Comes ONLY to Steal, Kill and Destroy!, and Don’t settle for Less Than Abundant Life.
But what I want to focus on today is something Pastor Doreen wrote in her message Monday, which really made quite an impression on me; she said (person changed) “Clearly, when we are weary, discouraged and at wit’s end; that’s a time when either our faith will move the mountain or the mountain will remove our faith. In any event, we must turn to God to encourage ourselves. It is then we can come and stand in His presence, worshiping Him with the attitude that says “Lord, regardless of the circumstances, I will trust You.” I’ve meditated on that and considered it all week, and it’s amazing what a powerful and simple truth it is to realize that either our faith will move the mountains we face, or the mountains we face will remove our faith! And that’s SO true; because when our faith comes up against the mountains we face as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families; with the passage of time, only one will be left standing! Hopefully reading the above Seeds Of Faith posts and really thinking about what Pastor Doreen said will help us realize that in the end there are only two outcomes as we stand for our marriages; either our unwavering faith in the power and promise of God’s Word will see us through to victory and the restoration of our marriages and families for the glory of Jesus Christ; or our faith in the awesome power and faithfulness of our Lord Jesus will be shattered. So there’s a lot more than our desire for restoration at stake when we’re standing for our marriages, which is why Satan will ALWAYS do his wicked best to bring us down with thoughts contrary to the power and promise we have in God’s Word. And two awesome promises concerning the power of God we can rely on as we stand for marriage restoration are Proverbs 21:30, There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.; and Romans 8:28-33, which says:
More Than Conquerors
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
So the next time we’re in a battle where our faith versus our mountains, let’s remember and rely on the assurance we have in 1 John 4:4, which says You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. And let’s keep in mind that only one will be left standing, and it’s up to us to decide whether it will be our faith or our mountains, because without God we can’t lose, but we have to BELIEVE and EXPECT that! As Mark 9:23 (NKJV) says, “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” So BELIEVE and be blessed and encouraged, because no mountain can stand against us when we put all of our hope, faith and confidence in the power and promise of God’s Word!