Wholehearted Belief Brings Freedom

The ten week Bible Study Believing God is coming to a close and God is so personal. During the study He has been taking me through a process of examining my motives, my actions, my faith and my total obedience. The refiner's fire is hard but as Beth Moore said in the video this morning sometimes we are wounded first then healed so we can be all He wants us to be. We have looked at our heritage this summer and those that greatly influenced our faith such as grandparents, parents, spiritual parents and others who played a role in our lives as we learned about God's character. During the discussion about our heritage I felt great joy about my grandparents and how they modeled a godly marriage for me by their actions. I will always have certain memories of them and how they treated each other. Also I thought of the spiritual heritage I wanted to leave for our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren in the U.S. Then I was of course thinking about Africa and the precious spiritual kids God has put in my path as a spiritual mother. It is hard to describe the deep heart connection God has given me for them. Many of them don't know their parents, their exact birthdays, or have memories of belonging to a family and feeling significant. It is the great desire of my heart to show them that love of spiritual family, believing their lives are very significant and developing memories with each one, along with discussing God's purpose for them. What a blessing it is to be allowed to share God's love in the life of someone who yearns for significance and the knowledge that someone really cares about them.

Another powerful thing I learned deals with unbelief and disobedience. I guess I really never thought my disbelief was sin. But it is like saying "God isn't who He says He is and He can't do what He says He can do." It is like saying he is a big lie when we are unbelieving. This is so tough to swallow when we want to do things and check them off our "spiritual list." He wants all of us and wholehearted belief in Him without an ounce of reservation, doubt or control. This goes against everything we are taught in the culture and it really parallels the Israelites in the desert when God had to refine them before allowing them into the Promised Land.

I'm challenged by whether I will accept an attitude of unbelief and live in a cycle of defeat or have prevailing belief and live in a cycle of victory. Bottom line God gives us the Holy Spirit to guide us but obedience is a choice. We are saved but will be reach the Promised Land while we are on earth. After crossing the Jordan when the Israelites got to Gilgal (which means circle), God brought them full circle and broke the old cycle of defeat. He also circumcised them so they would be set apart and cut away their disbelief starting a new beginning. Our spiritual circumcision is tough at times but when we choose victory and prevailing belief we are victorious. We have freedom instead of spiritual slavery and great joy comes into all areas of our lives.