I don’t know about you, but lately, in addition to the year 2024, my faith in God has been stretched like never before.
What’s funny about seasons is that no matter where I’ve lived, I can look out of a window and experience a memory.
Now, as I gaze out of my window, I fall in love all over again with how light sets upon the trees from the rising sun that shines as if it’s playing peek-a-boo with nature.
The more light that transcends upon each tree reveals the intricate details of varying branches and leaves.
Every single time, I smile, close my eyes, and the little girl inside of me shouts, “Oooooo! Me next!”
Although I’m physically sitting inside watching the trees, I take in with my imagination and remember the warming peace of the rising sun upon my skin and the smell of a fresh, woodsy morning. The joy of being alive to such a beautiful creation is so very wonderful!
While sitting in uncertainty, everything in me rejoiced upon the rising of the sun even when it wasn’t directly in front of me.
As I child, placing my faith in the sun was exhilarating and all my fears melted away. I just knew that I would be refreshed and rejuvenated by the sun every time I stepped into its shine. Being outside in the sun gave me freedom, hope, a renewed strength, and offered loads of fun with others.
As Believers, how much more do we rejoice in spending time with a Son named Jesus and interacting with the Father?!
His presence is everlasting! Matter of fact, you can close your eyes and He’s there! You can stare at a blank wall and He’s there too!
“16 This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” 17 Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.”18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.” (Hebrews 10:16-18)
Proceed with Perseverance
Hebrews 10:19-23
“19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.”
21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house,
22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
Here’s the kicker for me…
23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.
Faith, for us, is the assured action in response to what He has already made known in the following scriptures from Hebrews 11:1-3.
“1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. 3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”
No matter the circumstances, we live out our belief according to the following scriptures, “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 6)
To remember is to go back to something in one’s mind or retrieve something you are aware of. A child can remember basic information without truly understanding or having in-depth knowledge.
Let me go back to the example I made about having my face in the sun and playing in the sunlight as a child.
At some point in my childhood, I was told about the sun and when someone would point to it, I would say the words “sun”, “hot”, or “light”. From a book, I would remember the pictures shown to me and the words spoken.
BUT…my remembrance grew from just plain recollection to a deeper knowledge through experience.
As I encountered the remembrance of the sun, I instantly grew in my understanding based on the circumstances surrounding the sun.
At some point, I understood that playground equipment could get hot when the sun shined on surfaces. I understood that the heat from the sun would dry my body after I played in the pool or make a silly butt imprint disappear from warm concrete when I sat on it wearing a wet bathing suit.
My remembrance grew into a deeper knowledge that soon formed into understanding in my young mind.
But, how did I get to this understanding? It was purely by action!
I had to act upon my knowledge and wisdom knowing that I’ve seen others do similar and that I was going to be okay. Day in and day out, I played in the sun and if I got burned, I learned how to play safely in its presence.
And every time I encountered the sun, I chose to live out this understanding.
Proverbs 4:4-7
“4 My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live. 5 Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. 6 Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. 7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.”
So you see, no matter what, we must live out our faith believing that God will do what He said.
If you still don’t believe, take time to get to know God. I mean, really get to know Him by spending time with Him.
We all know that relationships don’t last if you stop remembering who the person is, fail to spend time with them, or stop caring why they are connected to you by God.
Did you notice the phrase “connected to you by God”? I said it because there are some people that you are not supposed to be connected to for various reasons. First off, if you are chatting or speaking with anyone more than you do with God whether family, friend, or spouse, that’s a problem.
This type of relationship with God requires only Him. Not only do we know the ways and instructions of God, but He also guides us in how to relate to others.
How are we to maintain anything without being in His presence?
Now, I know some of you may think attending church, prayer, or religious meetings should suffice. It’s true. Hebrews 10:25 says, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.”
But remember, this is in addition to the verse in Hebrews 10:24 that states “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” Verse 23 also uses the phrase, “Let us”, meaning that this not only involves other people in our lives.
It is foundationally based upon having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
We can’t consider life with Jesus as if we are playing house like a small child. He is not an imaginary God. He is real and He longs to have relationships with His sons and daughters.
He is God and God alone! “You must not have any other god but Me.” (Exodus 20:3)
God will stand between you and any situation, whether it be financial, relationships, career/job, grief, or sickness!
Stand firm in your faith…embrace His word as a little child knowing that God will keep His promise concerning you. Oh! How He loves you!
Now…close your eyes, put on the biggest cheesy smile you can muster, and shout with big open arms to the Father, “Oooooo! Me next!”
