Follow Faithfully

God has really been working on me lately about reading my Bible. I’ll admit that I have slacked off on it and I have no excuse for that. He’s working on me.  It’s subtle, but I know that God is guiding me to and through His word.

Last night I read my current novel (Savannah Comes Undone) before bed. I got a few chapters read and put the book down before reaching over to my nightstand to turn off my lamp. As I reached across the nightstand, I noticed my Bible there.  I felt a nudge to pick it up and read it, but continued to reach for the lamp because, well, I was tired. The nudge won over and I picked up the Bible and began to read where I had placed the ribbon marker the last time I read it. I have a goal of reading through the New Testament, but I have admittedly not been reading as regularly as I should. So, last night my reading took me to Matthew 6:25-34 which reads as follows:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV)

That is a passage about worry.  It was a passage that my heart has desperately needed lately.  Our family has had some financial struggles over the last year and a half or so. I think it goes without saying that financial struggles are some of the hardest to face because, well, money is so essential to getting by in this life. I have been praying for a solution and have asked God for guidance, wisdom and His continued provision. All of which He has freely given, in His amazing ways. Last night’s reading was such a comfort to me because I needed that blessed assurance. I needed to once again realize that my trust needs to be fully in God’s plan. I needed to find that release. He gave it. He guided me right into His word and took me to the passage that my heart so desperately sought even without me knowing it. It’s not a coincidence that my reading last night took me to that particular section of Matthew. That was God and with God there are no coincidences.  I just feel so blessed that He, the God of all creation, gave that to me at that time last night. At a time when I could have worried myself to bits and pieces, God brought me to His word and reassured me yet again. He didn’t have to do that, but He did.  Amazing.

I think it’s so important to remember that God doesn’t always come to us in ways that move mountains. Sometimes He nudges. Sometimes He whispers. We might think we NEED Him to yell, to get in our face, to guide our feet, but His way is THE way and we have to trust in that. We have to be willing to move according to Him and not ourselves. I find that hard sometimes, I won’t even begin to say that I don’t. How many times have I reached over that Bible and turned off the light to go to sleep without reading? Too many. But, not last night. And, He blessed me for it. Praise be to God!!

I don’t know exactly WHY this thought popped into my head last night, but as I was getting ready for bed I started thinking about what it would be like if my life were a movie that I could watch. At first I thought about how cool that would be.  Who wouldn’t want ot relive the great memories, right? I also know there are LOTS of good things that have happened that I have simply forgotten over the years. That would all be pretty fun to  see again. But, then it occurred to me that there are just parts of my life that I’d rather not revisit. I’d rather leave that footage on the cutting room floor to be swept away never to be thought of or seen again. Aren’t we all like that? Don’t we all have regrets along the way? I’ll confess that I certainly do. It’s human nature because we’re born sinners. Try as we might, no one gets through this life without some sources of shame. So, more than wanting to see my whole life as a movie, I think I’d rather see the highlight reel. I’d rather see the beautiful moments and relive some forgotten good times. Wouldn’t that be pretty amazing?

I hope it doesn’t sound corny to say this, but in writing this I realized that Jesus came to provide believers with a cutting room floor for the sinful times in our lives. Okay, I know. It’s a bit corny, but stick with me. It’s true, right? Because Christ came, taught, was crucified, died and rose again we have the awesome gift of losing the sins of our past, present and future. If we accept and believe. Now, that’s incredible. Because of Jesus, we have the highlight reel and the rest is forgotten in Eternity. That’s not to say it’s forgotten during our lifetimes. I don’t mean that we should dwell on mistakes of our past or that we should live under a depressing cloak of guilt. That’s not the way of Christ. He has promised us forgiveness that comes by faith and trust. So, our mistakes are washed away, but I truly believe that the lessons we can take away from them need to remain. If we don’t acknowlege and repent, then we don’t move forward. If we don’t realize our wrongdoings and work to make sure we better ourselves, we don’t really let go of the mistakes themselves. I have gotten bogged down in the sadness of my own mistakes. I keep thinking that sometimes things are just not forgiveable. But, that is not faith talk. That is not faith in action. To believe fully in Christ is to know that ALL is forgiven by His sacrifice. We cannot and should not remain in the mire of our sin, but we can take valuable life lessons from our mistakes and move forward. We can live our highlight reel every day! All we have to do is accept, confess, repent and believe. How awesome is THAT?!

1 John 8-9:

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.