Making Time for God

73. Faith

It's me again God,

How special it was to celebrate the resurrection of Your Son with so many on Easter Sunday, even while having to stay home! Thank You for the fellowship that was possible as we watched and participated in several services from various churches in the area. You spoke powerfully through the songs and messages preached, bringing a sense of unity to Your church in this time of crisis. It was just what we all needed!

Lord I shouldn't be surprised at how well You seem to know us and understand our needs at this time. There are so many questions coming into our minds as we navigate through unchartered territory with this virus still wreaking havoc across the globe. I particularly notice how well You answer my unspoken doubts through Your Word. You continually meet me at my point of need, just as You did for Thomas who had trouble believing that Jesus was really alive once more:

"Now Thomas (also known as Didymus ), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"

But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.""
‭‭John‬ ‭20:24-29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Thank You for Your patience and the many ways You bring Your peace and show Your presence in my life. Ultimately I feel that through this time of world upheaval, You are saying to people everywhere, 'Stop doubting and believe!' The world needs You!

While we are not going to have Jesus appear physically in our midst until He comes again to take us to be with You forever, people can surely see You in the believers around them. It makes me remember how important it is to be Jesus to those around me who don't know You. There are so many opportunities during this time. Please prompt me today to show Your love in practical ways to others, therefore fulfilling Jesus' command:

""A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.""
‭‭John‬ ‭13:34-35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I love how the apostle Paul elaborates on this call to love. There are many practical suggestions here — some that will have to wait until some of the stricter social distancing requirements are loosened but there are certainly many ways we can love others:

"Love must be sincere.
Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord's people who are in need.
Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.
Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:9-21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I pray that many will believe during these difficult days and I also pray that my own belief will be strengthened in the days and weeks ahead. So often I falter in my faith, especially now when I cannot see a clear way out of the problems that are arising as a result of the virus. This is the very time I need to remember Jesus' teaching:

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.""
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lord help me today to exercise my faith in You and see mountains move in my life! This is indeed a time of great testing but I know that good things will come as a result of this period in history:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
‭‭James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Continue to work in my life Lord, as I press on in faith, that I may be mature and complete in every way.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.