Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4

What does it take to walk by faith? This is a question I have been pondering for a couple of months now and with the New Year here I feel God strongly impressing on my heart that the word FAITH is my word for this year.

Last year my word was healing, and 2011 definitely brought healing in every area of my life. It seems a bit strange to go from healing to faith because in my mind it takes faith to bring healing. However seeing God’s faithfulness in bringing healing to my life will definitely be fresh in my mind as I learn to walk in faith this year.

Part of me is afraid. The fear that comes with walking in faith is there because of the unknown. Faith means I won’t have all the answers, and right now I would LOVE some answers. Or maybe I will think I have the answers only to have everything fall out of place again only to leave me with more questions than answers.

Faith means trusting God when you can’t see past two feet in front of you. It means walking down a winding road in the fog with confidence and boldness only because you KNOW that you’re here because that’s where God has brought you.

Walking in faith is not easy for me, especially since I am pretty comfortable worrying and being afraid of everything. I like to have control and I like to plan and set goals. But lately my plans and goals seem to be falling through the cracks and all I’m left with is my faith in God and His promises – which really seems to be enough.

So in 2012 I plan to walk by faith so I can also walk in His grace.

Faith brings us grace because when we walk by faith we find our self in a vulnerable place where we let go of control and surrender to Him. We can’t walk by faith if we have a heart of pride. Faith brings us to a place of humility because we finally find our strength in Him instead of what we can accomplish on our own.

Faith is enough. God is enough. His promises are enough, and He always keeps His promises.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for another hour, day, week, year. It is a wonderful blessing to be alive and well. Thank you for your provision and healing. So much has happened last year, and I look back on it with gratitude in my heart. Right now it’s difficult to find that gratitude, joy, and confidence simply because things aren’t going the way I had planned, and I have no clue where things are going really. I am grateful for the rainbows You send me, they remind me that You always keep Your promises. I think I can walk down the path You lead me with confidence and boldness this year if I can get a little glimpse of Your promises and a rainbow every once in awhile. Lord, even though it’s not easy to walk by faith, I also know it is a blessing because it keeps me focused on YOU and YOUR strength and provision in my life. And for that I am grateful. I pray this in your might son Jesus’ name. – AMEN!

Copyright © 2012 Heather Bixler, All Rights Reserved

Today I am linking up with “What is Your Word for 2012?“

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

For the longest time I often wondered what the point of God showing me my own personal brokenness. I knew I was broken and I didn’t know why God had to show me this over and over again. I was trying to get past my brokenness…you know, move on from it. I didn’t want to stay in my brokenness, I was always searching out victory! Why victory? SO that I could one day say that I’ve overcome my brokenness…

Often God breaks us for many reasons, but lately I have come to the realization that our brokenness is there to accomplish one thing, to break our pride. Pride runs deep within our souls, and it takes a lot to break us from it’s grip on our soul.

When our brokenness is revealed to us we go to God and ask Him to remove these things from us. “God make me more patient with my kids.” “God take this anger away from me.” “God take this desire away from me…”

But everyday we are reminded of the things that makes us weak. Through this our pride is broken and we are taken to a place of humility. To often we get caught up in what, or who, we should be and we work to portray that to the world. We put on our masks so that people see what we want them to see, and when our true self comes out we feel shame because we feel feel as if these weaknesses make us unworthy to be HIS. We fear our weaknesses will put people off, scare them away, or they won’t love us anymore.

Through our pride we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders and think that the WE are the only ones that can lead those around us to find Jesus. We hide our feelings, body, guilt, anger, and shame in hopes that some how we can prove ourselves holy to the world.

But you see only when our pride is broken are we truly made holy. When we embrace the truth about our self, including all the shameful brokenness, that is when we finally learn to accept God’s infinite grace which is what makes us Holy in His eyes.

It’s difficult to see that humility is truly the key to Holiness. When we admit our weaknesses and accept them, that is when God, the Holy Spirit, is given the opportunity to work in us. The Holy Spirit can’t thrive in a temple that is filled with pride. Humility is where the Holy Spirit begins to produce fruit in your life.

Humility is knowing you need God’s help. When we are constantly trying to “fix it” our self then we are embracing pride.

If you were stuck in a hole 6 feet deep with no rope, no way to get out, and there was a person standing at the top of the hole with a rope and a harness, would you ask that person for help? What if that person sent down the harness to you without you even asking, would you grab hold of it or would you try and climb out of the hole yourself?

We are all in a hole, and Jesus is the one with the rope. If we can’t admit our sin and brokenness, and if we can’t stop trying to fix our brokenness, we will never be able to truly experience life the way God intended.

It’s not our sin that is keeping us from having a relationship with God, it’s our pride…When we let go of our pride and open our eyes and heart to how truly broken we are, we are then forced to turn to God every single day. Our reliance on Him comes when we stop relying on our self….

Prayer:

Dear God, forgive me for being so prideful. Pride is truly a struggle for me, and I’m grateful that you had made this revelation to me. Thank you for breaking me so that I can truly experience YOU. I pray for your grace and mercy on my everyday because Lord I need it. I need You. Only in YOU can I find the strength I need to get through every single day. Only in YOU do I find the answers that I need. Lord help me to stay focused on YOU. I pray this in Jesus’ name. – Amen

Copyright © Heather Bixler, All Rights Reserved

It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118:8 (NKJV)

Confidence in a leader: faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way.

Why should we have confidence in God?

Asking this question seems a bit silly, but in all reality the answer is ultimately not only life changing but also very convicting.

You see we say we have faith in God, but yet when we are afraid we doubt Him. On Sunday’s while at Church we pray to Him, listen to teachings about Him, and praise His holy name. Yet when we get home, or when we begin our week, we begin to doubt, worry, and feel overwhelmed.

We know we SHOULD have confidence in God, but do we know why?

God is in control of everything (except us!)

We should have confidence in God because He is in control of everything.

In the Bible it is clearly outlined that God is sovereign over everything. Even Satan needs to have permission to enter into our lives and attack us. God is in control of everything, except for the choices that we make, including nature!

I believe that the greatest faith in God comes from those who believe that He is sovereign, and can still trust, love, and respect Him.

Knowing that God is in control of all things can give you the confidence to do what you never thought you could do. It will give you the power to fulfill God’s will in ways you never thought possible. When you finally believe God in in control of all things, that is when you truly begin to experience God’s miraculous healing and call for your life.

However knowing God is in control of all things will also require us to continually be in God’s word. You see the truth is, bad things happen, and since God is in control of everything, we will need to turn to the Lord often so that we can understand Him more.

When the reality of this world comes charging at us, our personal relationship with the Lord is the only thing that will keep us grounded.

There will be people who will tell you that God is not in control of nature, among other things. But the reality is God is in control of everything, except us. You see we have what the enemy doesn’t have, choice.

We can either choose to have confidence in the Lord, or not. We can choose whether or not to have the Lord be in control of our life. We can choose whether or not we will surrender to His will, or continue to pursue our own will.

Either way, God has a plan and we can choose to be apart of it, or we can choose to turn out backs on it.

Prayer:

Forgive me for not having the confidence to be who you made me to be out of fear. Lord through my fear I have turned my back on You, and today I choose to turn my back on fear. Lord help me to grow into the fearless creation You made many years ago. I long to be in your presence and to serve You completely. I give you my heart, my will, and my life. Lord have mercy on me. I pray this in Jesus’ name – amen!

Copyright © Heather Bixler, All Rights Reserved

So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. Job 1:9-12 (NKJV)

Too often when a Christian is tested, we often lose our confidence in the Lord. Or we deny Him, curse Him, lose hope in Him.

Job use to be a very difficult book for me to read, but I recently started to work my way through the pages in order to understand why certain things happen. The fact of the matter is this: Life is filled with trials.

Some trials may hurt more than others, but the fact remains we ALL have trials. We all have moments where our faith is shaken. Our confidence in God may dwindle down to nothing. The hope we once had may disappear when the trials keep coming.

You see in Job, Satan puts out his dare: “Does Job fear God for nothing?”

Do we fear God?

Do we really know who is in control. If we really feared God then nothing in this life would remove our confidence in Him. We would never stop hoping, and trusting in the Lord.

Sure there may be times when we don’t understand what is happening, but that doesn’t mean God has lost all control. If you read further in Job, God remains in control over the entire situation. Satan had to request permission to do anything first.

Who or what do you fear?

Job is all about fearing God – trusting Him. Fearing God is about having a strong reverence and respect for WHO HE IS! He is of course the creator – the One who is always in control, even when it may seem like He is far away.

What can we do during our trials?

Like I had mentioned before, everyone has trials in there life. This has been made so clear to me during my own recent trials. Some trials may never go away, and others may be temporary.

But the one thing I have learned, live through and endure the trials. If not for you, then for those who love you. Live and endure your trials for everyone else who is going through a bigger trial than you. We need to endure the trials in order to show the world what God is really, truly, made of.

Giving Up is Not an Option

There are so many people out there who need to know that there is hope. That whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

There is no time to be angry with God. No time to run away from the pain! Yes, there will be pain. It will hurt, and you will cry. Your faith will be shaken. But that is when it’s time to endure.

Jesus endured. God knows all pain – even the pain of losing a child – the absolute worst pain (I think) anyone could ever endure! But He HAS endured.

You think this has all been “easy” on God – think again. God knows pain, and I’m sure He knows all about the tears we cry. God knows it all too well.

We need to endure because God endured. Through our endurance the world will see who God really IS.

Prayer:

Dear Father God,
Forgive me Daddy. Forgive me for losing my confidence and faith in You. It has been painful, confusing, and at times too much to bear. There have been moments where the enemy wispers into my ear “He’s not real.” But my love and experience with You IS REAL! I may not understand what is happening, but I do KNOW You are there. I know that YOU are my provider. I know that YOU are my protector. I know that YOU are in control of everything that happens in my life. Thank You for your mercy. Thank You for your grace. Thank You for enduring through everything in order to show me how to live. Where would my life be without You Daddy God? Not here, that’s for sure. Thank You Lord! I praise You today and always. I pray this all in Your Might Son Jesus’ name – amen!

Copyright © Heather Bixler, All Rights Reserved

“For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. Romans 9:15-16 (NAS)

God’s glory is shown through our trials by simply reminding us that we are at His mercy. Sometimes we need to be broken in order to be fixed again.

A lot of times we simply do not understand “why” something is happening. However we must understand that God is the one in control, in the end it is all about HIM!

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” Job 38:4-5 (NKJV)

To often we forget how powerful God is. We end up taking for granted the vast UNIVERSE He created! We forget that the air we breath and the life we live have all been ordained by Him. He gave us life, an earth to live on, and food to eat. He can certainly take it all away if He so pleased.

When will we stop and realize that God is GOD, and we are NOT? Trials are great reminders that we cannot do this on our own. We have what we have because God said have it. We lose what we lose because God said lose it.

Then Job answered the LORD and said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, “Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, “I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:1-6 (NKJV)

How many times do we judge God simply because we do not understand Him? How many people do we know that do not believe in God because they do not understand His ways? Is it really fair to judge God? Why do we feel righteous enough to question God?

God has a purpose and a plan for everyone in this world and He will do whatever it takes to fulfill that purpose. God knows pain, and He certainly knows trials. He is God, but He also loved us so much that He chose to sacrifice His only Son for our sins. His sacrifice is greater than any sacrifice we could ever make simply because God is in control of everything.

He is the creator of this world. It all belongs to Him. Everything will be used for the glory of God. In the end it’s all about God and HIS purpose for this life and for this world!

Prayer:

Father God forgive me for questioning your sovereignty. Forgive me for judging you simply because I did not understand. I pray for the ability to accept Your will in all circumstances. Lord have mercy on me. Have mercy on my heart and my soul. Sometimes Lord life is just too difficult, too painful. I often just don’t understand. Lord help me to trust You when I don’t understand. I am at the mercy of Your will and purpose for my life. I am here because You allowed me to live. Help me to never forget this. You are the Creator, I am the image. Help me to be Your image, Lord. Forgive me for not respecting Who You Truly are, and the power You have over my life. I pray this all in Your MIGHTY Son Jesus’ name – Amen!

Copyright © Heather Bixler, All Rights Reserved