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Friday, September 04, 2009

My Faith Statement For Today


The other day I wrote the post about the faith statements that we received at church. This morning as I went to write in my journal about a struggle I was having, one of the statements jumped out at me: "I have the wisdom of the Lord concerning every decision I make."

Interestingly enough, I was about to journal about how confused I was over some decisions we are having to make in our family. I won't go into what these decisions are because they are personal, but suffice it to say that they are causing us to have a lot of conversations with God and with each other about what direction we should take.

Reading this faith statement caused me to pause. If that's true, I wondered, then why don't I know what to do? My journal entry changed from one of trying to write my way to clarity to one of begging God for the wisdom He promises me. As I rose from my time of prayer, reading the Bible, and journaling, I felt Him remind me that sometimes just making a decision and acting on it is the biggest obstacle. He reminded me of other times I have struggled with a decision but in the end felt better about it just because I decided something and went forward-- not because I knew that it was the absolute best decision to make. The solution, I found, came in the actions I took after I made the decision, not in the process of deciding.

And so this morning I have been making some decisions. And I have been praying as I do, asking Him to fill in my inevitable gaps and make my rough places smooth as I walk down these unfamiliar paths. (Isaiah 42:16)

Take a look at the faith statements I blogged about on Tuesday. Which one jumps out at you as applicable to your life? Leave a comment and let me know!
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6 comments:

Debra said...

Dearest Marybeth,
The faith statements have been wonderful. I was extremely struck by the same verse.
"I have the wisdom of the Lord concerning every decision I make." Proverbs 2:6 Not only does that apply in my life but I have been able to send that scripture to two of my friends within the last 2 days to give encouragement to their situations. I want to start including that scripture in my prayers because it is so reassuring.
Blessings, Debra Z

Unknown said...

Marybeth,

The faith statement "I am protected from all harm and evil in Jesus' name. (Psalm 91:14-16)" is particularly striking to me. I believe in the Lord's covering, but can sometimes be sidetracked by the world and "forget" His benefits.

I printed out the list the other day and want to meditate on them. Thanks for sharing!

Prayers and blessings,
Rebecca

Linda said...

Hi Marybeth,
I too am finding these faith statements very inspiring. I'm going to take them 3 at a time and study them for the next several days, so I haven't read them all yet.
So far, I've found the second statement very encouraging because my husband and I are also praying about some decisions.
I really appreciate what you said in your message today " I felt Him remind me that sometimes just making a decision and acting on it is the biggest obstacle."
When I looked up this verse (2 Thessalonians 1:11) and thought about it, I realized that the Lord just wants to be included in our lives. That's the first step, and demonstrates faith. If our purposes is good, and have faith in Him to lead us, He will bless us. Thanks :>
ttfn
L.

Arlene G said...

Number three is the one I struggle with...fear and anxiety. I know God has ordered my life, I know He is faithful but I still struggle with worry. I know that part of the issue is CONTROL..I like to be in control and Trust means giving my worries to God. I am trying to use Scripture as an antidote to my worry...What time I am Afraid, I will Trust in Thee.

Jill Beran said...

Marybeth,
Thanks for sharing and asking us to do the same - many of the vesres hit me, but one especially this morning - Psalm 112:7 - I have no fear or anxiety, I trust in the Lord with all my heart. It's not the decisions I'm facing but the future and what God is calling me to do. I can fear and doubt my ability to step up and share my faith, but these words remind me to trust Him - it's all about his ability anyway. Also lately my pregnancy has been a bit of worry for me - a year ago Labor Day weekend we experienced a miscarriage and though we are past that point, there's at times a bit of fear that something could go wrong again. And at other times my mind gets anxious as I think of homeschooling my son, doing some ministry work and adding a new baby to the scene. So needless to say Psalm 112:7 is going on the fridge!!
Blessings to you,
Jill

Marybeth Whalen said...

Thanks so much to those of you who shared your faith statement. It was touching to see how different ones spoke to different people.

Yesterday my husband made a decision about his car and I made a decision about one of the children (after talking to him and getting his complete agreement). Just making the decision and acting on it for both of us was more than half the battle-- we both felt such relief. Was it the right decision? We think so but we can't be certain. What we are certain was that staying in limbo was not good for us or our family. Being proactive is MUCH better.

Now we are able to move forward instead of being mired in uncertainty. Forward is good.