"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me." Isaiah 43:10
It has been almost one year since this verse spawned an incredible journey for me.
The day was cold and dark. Silence illuminated every thought that coursed through my mind. The burden pressing on my shoulders was unbearable. “Jaclyn,” whispered the soft voice. The call was so real and personal that my eyes grew wide. I knew the voice. I loved the voice. He was calling to me. So tender. So compassionate. So inviting. The tears flowed.
Tears of pain. Tears of sadness. Tears of joy. Tears of surrender. Every kind of tear that you can imagine spilled onto my face. The year had been full of pain. But it had also been full of freedom. Freedom from bondage I had willingly subjected myself to. I had idolized something and God had destroyed it. For that I praised Him.
The new burden I was feeling was different. It was not bondage… but a call. A call to another quest. The next level of freedom. The pleading came from the Lover of My Soul to do something that would alter my life- FOREVER.
“Jaclyn,” God appealed earnestly,” are you ready? Are you ready to set aside your plans for your life? Are you ready to embark on a journey that will leave you breathless?”
“Oh, God,” I barely sighed, “yes.”
“Believe me, Child.”
“I do believe in You,” I ignorantly responded.
“No, I said, believe Me. Believe Me like You have never believed me before. Believe with all Your soul that I AM. Believe Me that I know what I am doing. Believe Me for all I have ever been in history. Believe me that I know everything about everything. Believe Me that I am who I say I am and no other. Believe Me that I can do what I say I can do. Believe Me that You are who I say you are. Believe that I am sovereign over all, in all, through all and to all. I AM the Great I AM.”
Stunned I sat. “YES!!! I want to believe You. I want to know You.”
Stunned I would continue to be for the next month, six months and year. Little did I know what God was truly going to do to me! And I have enjoyed every moment.
Believing God has taken on a whole new meaning. It goes beyond the saving faith that says “Jesus is my Savior. I’m going to heaven.” Believing God is so much more. More exciting. More daring. More fulfilling. More dangerous. More satisfying. More. Whatever I “experience” and know of God… He is MORE.
The Church of America is stifled by unbelief. Most Christians are content with going to church and maybe cracking open their Bibles once in a while. We continue sinning with the label of “grace” or “weakness”. We either worship miracles or believe they do not exist anymore. We hesitate to tell others about Jesus because we are scared or use the excuse that we “have not been called” to missions. We are raising children that are rebellious, disinterested in God, atheists and relativists. What has gone wrong? Where did the passionate, bold, enthusiastic and faith-defenders go?
We believe little because we see little and we see little because we believe little.
Mediocrity is not my heritage. Christ is. I want to know Him. I want to believe Him. I want to take Him at His Word. I want to live a life unashamed of the gospel. I will.
Will you? Will you be one that truly believes? Untold blessings await those who step into the threshold of believing God. Beware, it is not full of comfort. Beware, it is not predictable. Beware, it is not easy.
The day was cold and dark. Silence illuminated every thought that coursed through my mind. The burden pressing on my shoulders was unbearable. “Jaclyn,” whispered the soft voice. The call was so real and personal that my eyes grew wide. I knew the voice. I loved the voice. He was calling to me. So tender. So compassionate. So inviting. The tears flowed.
Tears of pain. Tears of sadness. Tears of joy. Tears of surrender. Every kind of tear that you can imagine spilled onto my face. The year had been full of pain. But it had also been full of freedom. Freedom from bondage I had willingly subjected myself to. I had idolized something and God had destroyed it. For that I praised Him.
The new burden I was feeling was different. It was not bondage… but a call. A call to another quest. The next level of freedom. The pleading came from the Lover of My Soul to do something that would alter my life- FOREVER.
“Jaclyn,” God appealed earnestly,” are you ready? Are you ready to set aside your plans for your life? Are you ready to embark on a journey that will leave you breathless?”
“Oh, God,” I barely sighed, “yes.”
“Believe me, Child.”
“I do believe in You,” I ignorantly responded.
“No, I said, believe Me. Believe Me like You have never believed me before. Believe with all Your soul that I AM. Believe Me that I know what I am doing. Believe Me for all I have ever been in history. Believe me that I know everything about everything. Believe Me that I am who I say I am and no other. Believe Me that I can do what I say I can do. Believe Me that You are who I say you are. Believe that I am sovereign over all, in all, through all and to all. I AM the Great I AM.”
Stunned I sat. “YES!!! I want to believe You. I want to know You.”
Stunned I would continue to be for the next month, six months and year. Little did I know what God was truly going to do to me! And I have enjoyed every moment.
Believing God has taken on a whole new meaning. It goes beyond the saving faith that says “Jesus is my Savior. I’m going to heaven.” Believing God is so much more. More exciting. More daring. More fulfilling. More dangerous. More satisfying. More. Whatever I “experience” and know of God… He is MORE.
The Church of America is stifled by unbelief. Most Christians are content with going to church and maybe cracking open their Bibles once in a while. We continue sinning with the label of “grace” or “weakness”. We either worship miracles or believe they do not exist anymore. We hesitate to tell others about Jesus because we are scared or use the excuse that we “have not been called” to missions. We are raising children that are rebellious, disinterested in God, atheists and relativists. What has gone wrong? Where did the passionate, bold, enthusiastic and faith-defenders go?
We believe little because we see little and we see little because we believe little.
Mediocrity is not my heritage. Christ is. I want to know Him. I want to believe Him. I want to take Him at His Word. I want to live a life unashamed of the gospel. I will.
Will you? Will you be one that truly believes? Untold blessings await those who step into the threshold of believing God. Beware, it is not full of comfort. Beware, it is not predictable. Beware, it is not easy.
Beware, it is the most amazing life of all.
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