Power

As we confront challenges in our lives, it can be easier to give up than to fight the good fight of faith. Travis and I have been facing some car troubles lately that can leave us discouraged.

First, we had to spend a large amount on his old Camry. Have you ever gotten that far into repairs that it isn't worth as much as you put into it? We couldn't ditch the car because the first bit we put into it wasn't that horrible (knowing that the poor car has taken a beating), but after another two incidents, we realized we had put more into it than it was worth. All I had to say was "Thank you Lord for our Hyundai!!"...

Then a month later, on Tuesday, I was driving to a community diabetes support group to give a talk and cooking demo, and as I pulled out of a stop light into the intersection, the engine in the Hyundai just went "clunk" and died. Turns out that the timing belt broke. And by attempting to restart it, we damaged the valves in the engine. Not cheap to repair. Not cheap at all. In fact, very expensive.

As a young couple trying to save for a house and working hard to do so, this can feel like an insurmountable set-back. My mom sent us this encouragement from Spurgeon. She wrote:

As I was praying for you all this morning and your particular needs, parts of Psalm 68 brought faith and encouragement….so, I thought I would pass it on…

Verse 28: “ Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us”….mr. sprugeon has this to say about the verse, “ Being reconciled to God, we may look to him to perfect that which concerns us, since he NEVER forsakes the work of his own hands.”

Verse 34: “ Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies”….mr.spurgeon says in a nut shell, let us not by our doubts deny His power, but by yielding to Him and trusting Him, let our hearts acknowledge his might…..

This is an excellent reminder, because we need to believe in the God of power, not just allow our doubts to assail our hearts into despair. Travis is leading us in practicing thankfulness in times like these: to focus on what we are grateful for instead of our trials. We are finding three things a day to be thankful for: that we have a healthy baby, we both have great jobs, and that we have the money to pay for repairs without going into debt.

There is also the great truth that if it was God's will, he is powerful enough to provide exactly what we need. This isn't just a mistake, it is a guiding moment along life's pilgrimage. I was reflecting on the Israelites this morning. I can find comfort in their story as I "sojourn" through the Phoenix desert in search of a place to call home. In their story God provided direction and comfort through the cloud and fire, he provided daily food by means of quail and manna, he provided water in the desert, and he provided clothing that did not wear out. If God did such for them, will he not also give us everything we need for life and godliness?? It is surely within his power.