Tracie
Miles
"And it is impossible to please God without faith.
Anyone
who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards
those
who sincerely seek him." Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
I knew the work would be tough, the weather would be
hot
and the floor I'd sleep on would be hard. But little did I know
none of
those inconveniences would be the "stretching" part.
Several years ago, I participated in a mission trip
to
renovate homes of families in need. God planned to stretch me beyond what
was
comfortable that week, but as it turned out, it wasn't the work or
inconveniences that stretched me.
I wasn't stretched as I climbed up a 10-foot ladder
to
hand someone a heavy can of paint. Or as I sprawled across a noisy air
mattress
every night — hoping it wouldn't completely deflate before morning. I wasn't
stretched as I endured 105-degree temperatures, wearing the required attire
of
full-length jeans that stuck to my sweaty legs like
glue.
I wasn't even stretched taking showers in close
proximity
to total strangers, separated by only a thin curtain, or when I shared that
awkward shower with a large, dead, winged creature lying in the
drain.
None of these things were enjoyable, but they weren't
really outside of my "comfort zone." Yet when it came time to walk through a
local neighborhood, knock on doors and share the Gospel, with the looming
fear a
door might be slammed in my face (or worse), I felt my faith being
stretched.
Looking back now, I realize God was gently pushing me
out
of my comfort zone into a faith zone. He confronted me with the choice to
stretch my faith or play it safe.
It would have been easy to send my work crew down the
street without me. I could have stood in the shadows of the big oak trees as
others on the team approached the strangers. But God had planted a burning
conviction in my heart to trust Him and do some serious stretching. So
standing
alone on the sidewalk wasn't an option.
I had no idea that by stepping out in faith, I would
receive the greatest blessing.
There are countless stories in the Bible of God
calling
people out of their comfort zones. And with each one, the stretching brought
blessings they'd never imagined.
Abraham trusted God for the child he was promised,
despite his and his wife's advanced age. His faith-stretching ended with a
little baby in his arms named Isaac.
Jesus' disciples feared for their lives when a
violent
storm threatened to sink their boat. But Peter's faith to step out of the
boat
at Jesus' invitation resulted in Peter's human feet miraculously walking on
water.
Jesus told a crippled man, with muscles weak and
atrophied, to get up and walk. The man stretched his faith as he stretched
out
his legs and walked for the very first time.
And on it goes. A blind man who had faith to believe
Jesus could heal, saw Jesus' face with those very eyes. Joshua might have
felt
ridiculous circling the walls of Jericho seven times, but eventually the
walls
came crumbling down. Joseph spent more than 10 years in a dark dungeon, but
it
was his unwavering faith which eventually landed him on the
throne.
God calls us all to do some faith stretching now and
then. Whether we are called to leave our comfort zones to obey and act, or
to
rest and trust God during a difficult season of life, He always rewards
great
faith with wonderful blessings, just as today's key verse
promises.
Maybe stepping outside of your comfort zone to obey
God
seems like too much of a stretch right now. Keep in mind that although it
may
seem impossible, God will never stretch us beyond what we are capable of in
His
strength — not ours. And when we are willing to be stretched, blessings
begin to
flow.
Lord, help me fully trust You with my life and
develop a
faith that is willing to stretch for Your sake, and mine. Show me how You
can
use my life for Your good. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment