February 7, 2014
A Fresh Brewed Faith
Gwen Smith
Today’s Truth
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:29-31, NIV).
Friend to Friend
Every morning I walk straight to the coffee pot and push the ON button. I’m a total coffee girl. I like a piping-hot, extra dark roast with half and half, and I struggle to function without my first cup of coffee. I crave that first sip and relish the warmth of the mug in my hands. I jokingly call it my “warm, happy friend.” My mornings just wouldn’t be the same without coffee!
We should have the same attitude about our faith. We should wake up each morning bursting at the seams to be with God, to be in His presence, to listen for His still small voice, to savor Him. A faith that is brewed fresh daily strengthens us, renews us, and enables us to mount up with wings like eagles, to experience the power of God in our lives, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint.
This energizing, percolated faith is readily available to all who ask, seek and knock (Matthew 7:7-8). How can you experience this power in your life? By getting alone with God, reading the Bible, and listening for His voice each day. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17, ESV).
Like a morning with no coffee, there are times when we are sluggish in our faith. Times when trusting Him doesn’t come easily. Times when we need a shot of God-caffeine in our day, a spiritual espresso. What can we do at these times? Are there things in the Scriptures that tell us how can we strengthen our trust-muscles and jump-start our faith? Absolutely!
One practical way to build your faith is by remembrance. When David was just a shepherd boy, he had courage to face a giant partly because he remembered the previous victories the Lord allowed him to experience. He approached King Saul with great confidence, saying: The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine (1Sam 17:36, NIV). His past victories fueled his faith and helped him to trust God for his present deliverances. Ours do the same. We can face our giants with equal confidence when we pause to remember how God has worked in our past.
Corrie Ten Boom said, "Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible."
What has God brought you through in the past? Think on these things, and choose to trust Him to bring you through all you face today and tomorrow. When you trust God with a fresh brewed faith, He will be your Strength, your Sustainer, and your Hiding Place so you can run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint. Fill up your faith cup right now.
Let’s Pray
Dear God, You have brought me through so many challenging times. Please remind me of Your faithfulness in the past so that I may have a fresh shot of faith that equips me to live today in Your strength. Help me to trust You, and keep me from leaning on my own understanding. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read 1 Samuel 17.
Consider a specific time that God has moved in your life. Grab a journal and write about it, or swing by my blog or my Facebook page and tell me about it!
Pray for God to increase your faith and give you the strength you need for today.
More from the Girlfriends
If you are struggling to see how you can get your faith from sluggish to fresh brewed, be sure to get a copy of our GiG book, Trusting God, A Girlfriends in God Faith Adventure. (Today’s devotion is an excerpt from Trusting God by Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith and Mary Southerland.)
Gwen’s website is filled with videos, posts, songs and resources that will be a deep well of encouragement to you. Click here to visit her site. (Get a FREE song download when you sign up for her newsletter!)
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