Faith: The Act of Remembering.

This year, as most years, has had many twists and turns. I believe we all have experienced quite a few ups, quite a few downs, and a lot of in betweens. In the midst of these waves I believe the Lord taught us each something specific. Amongst my highs and lows the overarching lesson for me was Faith.

My trip to Israel was the foundation of this recognized journey for me.

In a place of wandering I asked the question "What does it truly mean to have faith?"

It may seem silly to be perplexed, but I found myself knowing exactly what the answer was yet not really knowing the answer at all. Knowing faith was believing yet not seeing, knowing faith was an action, but still not knowing how to actually live that out.

This question pressed me to rise with the sun, spending early mornings to reflect and journal as I waited for the day to begin. Each day allowing myself the space to sit and wrestle with my thoughts, my hopes, my heartaches, and my dreams. Tossing my thoughts up and down, hoping for a clear answer and result so that I might be able to walk in faith.

But the current day doesn't always look like the answer you recieved or have hoped in.

The thing about praying for clear answers are that those kinds of prayers lead to a space of real faith. Faith that often leads to a space of waiting. Forming and refining a fruit of the Spirit I have come quite accustomed to and still, at times, learning to be thankful for. Patience.

The thing about patience is she always desires to move us to a place of rest, if we allow her.

But how do we rest when everything seems to depend on us moving to make it happen?

It simply is faith. I've shared many of times the answer to my question that my soul felt satisfied with, Faith is sitting in a moving vehicle and choosing to pull over, step outside of the car, turn completely around, remembering every moment that the Lord has been faithful, and continuing to walk backwards into life believing that as God has proven Himself faithful then, He will surely continue to be faithful evermore to come.

Remembering the moments of joy as He answered every faithful prayer of the past.

Remembering the moments He met you as you cried so hard you felt you couldn't breath. Remembering the moments in every unanswered prayer and seeing the Lord lead you near to His healing heart.

Remembering His character that is good, faithful, and loving in every season in every moment of time.

Remembering because that is the path to peace that gives rest to a weary and burdened soul.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

So what is the simplicity found in faith?

Faith: The Act of Remembering

Faith is an action required of us even when we do not feel or see a way for His promises to ever be fulfilled. Terrifying right.

I learned about myself that I like to have every step planned out and settled before I can even attempt to move. I like to make sure that I know the exact process with 100% certainty before I say yes. This is the direct fear filled opposition to faith. Faith that is moving, living, breathing in sync with the Father, trusting that when He says go; you go, and when he says stop; you stop, and when He says wait; you wait. Sometimes faith is heartbreaking because the world leaves space for hope deferred. But it is often through the heartbreak and through the pain that we watch God do something miraculous that we only could have dreamed.

I was listening to pastor Jerry Flowers sermon on Heartbreak and God's Timing several weeks ago. I was convicted to remember the many leaders of faith throughout the Bible that faced heartbreak for the perseverance and building up of their faith. Remembering Joseph and the dream he had of his brothers bowing down to him. Only to be thrown into a pit by the very ones he loved, pulled out to be sold into slavery, taken in by Pharoah, and then again thrown in prison by illegitimate accusations as he continued to walk with integrity. Shown his future by God yet so many life events that broke his heart and left him with hope deferred. If I can think of anyone who should have lost faith, I would look at this story and easily be led to compassion and understanding for him. Along with many other men and women in the Bible like Abraham, Moses, Jeremiah, Paul, Mary the mother of Jesus, and so many others.

So what kept them moving in faith even when the circumstance seemed to make time stand still?

They remembered the promises of old.

"Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old." Psalm 25:6

Promises of a kind, loving, and compassionate Lord. Promises that He spoke to them and they believed because He said it. Promises that they clung to because they remembered the miraculous word of God fulfilled that they witnessed and experienced once before.

The truth is we are very forgetful people and our forgetfulness is deafening to our faith. Deafening to our faith because when we forget, we doubt, and when we doubt we often convince ourselves that we can not hear the voice of the Lord. We convince ourselves of this because we say that we can not trust ourselves to hear Him correctly. When truthfully we just don't trust Him to keep His word or we just don't like the answer He gave.

Being taught to have a pure faith is an incredibly humbling process.

Humbling because it starts first with ownership of areas where I have exemplified my own lack of faith.

So in remembering 2023, I remember the many tears shed, the many laughs had, the many heart healing moments, and the consistent word from God that He has spoken over me time and time again; spoken so that I may live a life walking in His faith and not my own. Faith that sees the word that opposes the eyes but brings peace to the Spirit. The word that can only be fulfilled and seen by the one who has Faith to wait.

So for 2024 I don't hope for a better year. I have faith that no matter my circumstance, I will continue to be loved and refined to remember my God who is perfectly faithful through it all.

"To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God in You I trust..." Psalm 25:1a