Forged By Faith

Psalm 32:8 NIV God stands there beckoning us to return to shore from these seas of selfish ideals upon which we’ve set our souls adrift seeking fulfillment in a place we don’t belong, just begging us to stop and listen to His promises for a change. Alas our arrogance has taught us to see ourselves as worthy captains piloting our lives toward the perfect ports of paradise that we’ve painted inside our minds. But the problem is that we’ve only this ever-changing map drawn of some fleeting ideas scribbled at random throughout minds mangled by misunderstandings, ideas that seem to fade with each new day bringing a new ideal demanding our consideration. Indeed we’ve no constant bearing, no schedule so pressing that it refuses our incessant wandering, and not a compass in sight, at least not any that actually points true as truth is rarely considered anymore. No, seems as though truth and reality and reason have all been left buried beneath our preference for the lies that make it seem reaso...

Isaiah 30:21 NIV The truth is a whisper that doesn't need to be loud to be powerful, to seem powerful. It has a solid, unmovable, undeniable foundation, and therefore doesn't need to rely on volume to cover any kind of inadequacy. Because the truth of God's Word is a strong tower, a refuge for the lost and weary, a reliable friend that simply will not budge, it can and should be used as the roadmap that it is. The problem is that all our lives we've looked to what we thought was powerful. We looked to the lies that spoke the loudest. We looked to the desires in our hearts that grabbed our attention and refused to relent until we caved to the pressure to fulfill our every goal and dream and ideal. We've listened to the lies of sin for so long that the whisper of the truth has been forgotten as it's been buried underneath all of the smoke and mirrors that we've blindly placed our faith in all this time. We've been allowing sin to make our choices for us fo...

Hebrews 10:14 NIV Yesterday we discussed the dangers of becoming self-critical. It's hard enough to grow and improve when we're positive and upbeat and face the trials of life with a joy and excitement that helps us along the way. How much harder do we make that growth and improvement when we're constantly tearing ourselves down? I guess the main thought is that God doesn't treat us that way. He chose to forgive us and wash away our sins, not hold them over our heads. Maybe we should try the same approach. I heard this statement last night and the timing was incredible. It really is amazing how God works and how He gives us exactly what we need right when we need it. Direction not perfection. I've never quite thought of faith like that. You see, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I want to do things as well as I possibly can. And considering that perfection isn't a realistic possibility in this life, well, that tends to lead to quite a bit of frustration and disa...