Faith comes by hearing God’s word and being rooted in Him. No matter the storms or circumstances, when we are rooted in Him, He keeps us centered. The source of everything, our life’s purpose come from our union and oneness with Him. We can rest and trust in Him no matter he chaos around us. We bring God’s kingdom into the dark and desert places releasing wells of life that flood the places around us and illuminate the darkness with Him! God wants us to continual look to Him and trust Him. Looking in His fiery eyes annihilates fear and makes us feel that we could conquer the world together with Him. His love and strength bring security. I feel like the world could be on fire; but when I am with Him, rooted in His love, I am at peace. This reminds me of David who wrote, “I love you Lord, you are my strength…He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety…In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall” Psalms 18:1-2, 29 (NLT). Faith births confidence, because we trust in God.

I remember many stories in the Bible of ordinary people who stood in faith. They had such confidence in God. They faced death, persecution, and hardship yet trusted Him. I think of Esther. She knew that going before the King uninvited could mean death. She called for a fast and said, “I will go to see the king. If I must die, I must die” (Esther 4:16 NLT). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced death in a blazing furnace. They said to the King, “We do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (Danieal 3:17-18, NLT). Abraham and Sarah become the Mother and Father of nations by faith. “Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at His word and as a result he became the Father of many nations” (Romans 4:18, TPT). “The promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift…Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping…” (Romans 4:16-21).

Faith bypasses the natural and physical realities bringing the unseen spiritual realities into the lives and timelines of each person. When our gaze is fixed on Him, and we stand confident in our relationship with Him. We can know He is good, no matter what we face. I know He is good and full of love that is His character. I can rest in His unchanging character. I remember this last year arriving in the Middle East, after nine years of trusting God to be in that nation. I was so happy and thankful. However, on the flight there, I got the message that my dad was on life support and dying. This was the second hardest flight of my life. I went to the bathroom just to cry and had to keep it somewhat together till I landed. When I landed in my new home, I got the message my dad passed away. This was so hard and such a weird timing the day of moving to my new home in the Middle East. However, I knew God was my rock and I spent so much time just being with Him and grieving. I felt to stay in Jordan and lean into my beloved Jesus. In standing in faith, there are things that happen that are hard, and we don’t understand. We face disappointment, sorrow, and hardships in life. However, one thing I know despite all of these things, God is good, and He is full love and compassion. I remember one day slipping away with a new friend to sit on a spot in Jordan overlooking the mountains and just journaling my heart. I wrote this excerpt…

I don’t always understand everything…but one thing I know is God is so kind. He walks with

me in grief, in pain, in sorrow, in loss and separation. Yet, in all these things his love is

constant in every single season. No matter the obstacles…His love is constant and

encompasses me. I’m never alone. He is always with me. I am learning more this

partnership and union we share…this oneness and heart connection. I’m wanting to

understand deeper this union that I am in Him and He is in me…This connection to see a

person and feel the very depths of His heart, because we are one. We are intertwined and

intermingled in this divine union and dance, moving together to the rhythm of His love…

flowing as we move releasing life, releasing glory like with each divine movement and step

something is created and unleashed. Life flows from Him, from our divine union. One

movement causes flowers to burst forth through the desert ground…creating as we move…

This creation life flows through our intimate union. The partnership unleashes beauty each

movement intricate enough to create something unique in the cosmos, atmosphere,

nations…Naturally flowing and dancing releasing life, enraptured in Him, enveloped

in His love, enraptured by the song…You hear the song He is singing and join in…

eyes locked in, heart enraptured by His song, hearts beating together, each step,

each movement as one…nothing else matters but Him ye everything flows from this place…

and life is unleashed with each step every place we go our movement unleashes life… the

wheel within the wheel.  June 16, 2024.

I relate to Paul when he says “…everything else is worthless compared to the joy of knowing Him” (Philippians 3:7). In that moment, on that mountain I felt so much the encompassing presence and strength of God’s Spirit who comforted me.

Facing hardships, persecution, financial struggles, death, or sickness does not mean that God does not love us or is not with us. This does not mean we are failing in faith. When we run into these things, we are actually supposed to rejoice; because they develop endurance within us and even more confidence in our salvation, because we learn to rely on Jesus (Romans 5:3-5).

We have confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus. We have victory through Christ who loved us (Romans 8:35-39). Hardship is an opportunity to press deeper into Jesus, rely on Him, and see His glory and power made manifest. I think the most beautiful, faith filled people I know are the ones who do not give up and against all odds continue to hope and trust in the one who is faithful. “Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it” (Romans 4:18, TPT). “Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and creates new things out of nothing. Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping…” (Romans 4:18-21, TPT).

Restoration and God’s kingdom coming into a situation often looks different than we think. Often times, a seed falls to the ground and dies before the new life springs up. I think of Jesus people expected that He would become an earthly King and set them free from the Roman oppression. However, the plan of God’s kingdom was different. In John 12:32 Jesus said, “when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He was speaking of the death he was going to die. His sacrificial death out of love would ultimately bring victory and release life, making a public display of the principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15). Part of God’s plan was him dying. I remember in the story of Lazarus. He was dead three days before Jesus came on the scene. Both His sisters were weeping. “Jesus if you had been here are brother would not have died!”(John 11:32). Jesus later says, “If you would believe you would see the glory of God” (John 11:40). He raises Lazarus from the dead! However, in both these stories there was death before the resurrection. Even in our own lives, we are required to die to our own selves, to put on the new nature of God. We are called to follow the example of Jesus (John 12:24-26, Galatians 2:20). If there are hardships, persecutions, and challenges it does not mean that God’s kingdom isn’t coming. I think it is the opposite it is setting the stage for His glory to flood in.

I wholeheartedly believe God is able to do more than we think or imagine. The foundation is Him, to be known by Him and know Him. Nothing else matters to me if the foundation is not being rooted in Him and His love. I do not want to prophecy and do amazing things and only be remembered as a resounding gong, because love was not the foundation (1 Corinthians 13).

“I want to know Christ and the mighty power of His resurrection. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” (Philippians 3:10-11). Paul used to be the most righteous person according to the law. He strictly obeyed the Jewish laws to the last dot and tiddle. He was zealous in obeying the Jewish law to the point He killed followers of Jesus thinking He was walking in righteousness. However, after encountering Jesus, he says all these things that he thought were valuable He now counts worthless. He counts all as rubbish compared to the joy of knowing Jesus. He said, “I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. I know longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right depends on faith…” Philippians 3:8-9 NLT). Even in Ephesians Paul’s prayer was that the believers would be empowered with inner strength through his Spirit. His prayer was for Christ to make His home in their hearts as they trust in Him. Jesus already gave all of Himself for us. He wants us to open all of our hearts to Him. In true intimacy, there has to be trust for there to be vulnerability and deep heart connection. Jesus wants our hearts and for us to trust we can open our hearts to Him, because of His character. He loved so much He gave all for us not withholding His own life. As we open our hearts to Jesus and invite Him to make His dwelling within us our “roots will grow down into God’s love” (Ephesians 3:17). His love gives us strength; because we know we can rest in, rely on, and lean into him. God wants to unveil the fullness of Him as we come to understand His love we are filled with the fullness of God. “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:20, NLT). God is able to do this! No matter what we have walked through; He wants to show us we can rest in Him. “…by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences-the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ, in all its dimensions (Ephesians 3:17-18, TPT).

When we our confident in our relationship in God, we can trust Him at His word that He is able to do what He says. We can stand on faith no matter the circumstances, timeline, or hardships that God always fulfills His promises. I remember one particularly heart wrenching season in my life, God reminding me of this. I was standing in faith for many things and felt so discouraged. I went to be alone with the Lord. I decided to go for a walk alone in the woods. It was a bit cold and started to snow. I sat on a fallen tree and just listened to the whisper of God’s Spirit. A scripture lept to my heart, “…My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts…And my ways far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts…The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth…It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and prosper everywhere I send it…” (Isaiah 55:8-11, NLT). I felt the gentle whisper of His Spirit remind me that day that as the snow falls to earth and waters the ground without fail; I could always trust His word.

Sometimes faith seems like a paradox, because it challenges are natural mind. In faith, we choose to align with heaven and God’s word over the seen reality. “…we look away from the natural realm and focus our attention and expectation unto Jesus who birthed faith within us and leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony on the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God” (excerpt from Hebrews 12 Mirror Translation). We stand on a word from the Lord, confident in Jesus. Even in the midst of trials and hardships, we are only made stronger in our faith. “…the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:3). “Through our faith, the mighty power of God constantly guards us until full salvation is ready to be revealed in the last time. May the thought of this cause you to jump for joy, even though lately you have put up with the grief of many trials. But these only reveal the sterling core of your faith, which is far more valuable than gold that perishes, for even gold is refined by fire” (1 Peter 5:1-9, TPT). When we stand in faith, we focus on Jesus not our weaknesses. His Dunamis power than is at work! He gets the glory. We are just these clay vessels who carry the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:7). His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses (1 Corinthians 12:9). The word in the Strongs for strength is Dunamis! God’s miracle working, explosive power is made perfect in our weaknesses. In our weaknesses, we rest and draw strength from our union with Him and His mighty power is made known. Why? Because the promise is dependent on Him not on our ability to walk things out in our own strength. It is not by strength or might but God’s Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). “Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 20:7, NLT).

All of the people who walked in faith were ordinary people who choose to surrender their lives to God. “…By faith these people overthrew kingdoms ruled with justice and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, escaped death by the edge of the word. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put armies to flight…” Hebrews 11:33-35. These were people who God turned their weakness into strength! All God wants is a surrendered heart to Him that is all in. Who no matter what, keeps their gaze locked in, running with endurance the race before Him (Hebrews 12:1-3). We can trust Jesus.

I have been meditating so much on faith these last few weeks. I want to encourage you to keep your gaze fixed on Jesus. Whatever you are walking through, He is faithful and walks with you, beloved. He fights for you and holds you by the hand. Do not grow weary or discouraged. Keep persevering and do not lose hope. He is with you and no matter what is happening in the natural realm, set your sights on the realities of heaven (Colossians 3:2). Stay connected to His heart and let His words give you strength. Take up the shield of faith to extinguish the flaming darts of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16).  Choose to align with what heaven is saying and stand on His word. Continue to worship and lift Him high even in the matter of chaos; because we are rooted in His peace, joy, and love. Release the sound of victory and the words of heaven in the atmosphere around you knowing whose you are. Do not fear, because He is with us!