Walk By Faith!

Hello All,

I am supposed to be working on something else right now, but this thought won’t escape me so I have to share with you all. Someone just imparted an idea in my mind and I believe God used that to fuel what I am going to share with you all.

This week has really been tough for me. After I shared the checkpoint with you all last week I was a living witness that in your pursuit of mastery there will be some knock-down drag out fights that will cause you to have to fight harder, especially if you haven’t fully allowed your faith to develop to the point where it carries you to the next level.

I’ll admit that my faith has developed immensely over the year, but a lot more development is needed to carry me through those times when the enemy plays on my weaknesses and my failures. I am able to see now that during those times I can be very vulnerable, exploited, and seek out fulfillment for the voids that only God is supposed to be filling.During these times there is always a test, a big decision, or something that comes out of the woodworks that you never thought you would have to deal with when you are focused on mastery.

Well as I mentioned above someone mentioned one name to me and I began to think about how this person handled the situation despite their position and perception in society. This name mentioned was the prostitute Rahab whose story was told in the book of Joshua. I began to study her name and go over her story again. The details of her story are important, and most of you may know she was a prostitute, she made a living in a detestable profession, and she was also living in Jericho which was exercising a depraved, pagan culture, she even lied (for the greater good) but she was counted in the word as one of the “Faith Champions” (Hebrew 11).

Why would the holy, righteous God include the name of a prostitute as one of His faith champions?

I am beginning to see God shows His great mercy and power through human weaknesses. Out of Rahab’s weakness she was made strong in faith through the power of God. What she did for those spies  provides sufficient evidence for why God included her in the faith chapter: “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

Many people would not risk their lives for family and friends. Yet Rahab risked her life to protect “enemy” spies. Rahab focused on the godly mission of the spies and she realized represented the God of Israel. Rahab didn’t believe just in the existence of God, she literally believed what He revealed. That is, she believed it was really Him bringing these people of Israel into the promised land. Risking her very life, she had no more evidence to go on than the reports from others of what God did for the people of Israel, how he provided, and protected and made a way for them each and every time.

“I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

“And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (Joshua 2:9-11)

Through the threat of being killed and going against a whole nation, this woman believed a God she has only heard about. Beyond that she believed that this same God who constantly delivered the Israelites would deliver her and her family from the destruction of Jericho.

How much more should I believe in the living God who I have seen do great wonders? I know so much more about God what He has done and what He can do through me. If a woman like Rahab can be used after her lifestyle I know there is nothing my God can not do through me if I am willing. Sometimes it seems like only the people who have it together can be used, but I now see that no one has “it” together. God will mold us along our journey and these experiences will either make us a “Faith Champion” like Rahab or we will be knocked down from every punch the enemy throws at us every time he tries to condemn us, remind of of our past, tell us what we can’t do, and his other tricks, because we are not using what we know about our God.

I encourage you as I also encourage myself during those tough times of testing and failure to get back up, as you are getting up you are demonstrating faith that God has you in the palm of His hand. Even if you can’t see Him right then and there your Faith will be the ultimate determination of what He is able to do. This woman believed what she heard, (not even seeing these things with her own eyes) and it ultimately saved her and her family from destruction and later allowed her to fulfill her destiny as being one of the ancestors of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Love you all,

SJM

Check Point

Hi All,

I hope this blog finds you in the process of mastering what you identified you were destined for last time I posted. Even if you are still in the process of seeking out what you are to master you have taken a step, but let’s not let it stop there.

I don’t have a whole lot to say today, but I just wanted to share my experiences with you all since I have been praying and seeking for focus and direction in my own life. I have learned a few things, the number one being: Mastery is not perfection! What I mean by this is that just because you are a master at something it does not mean that there will not be challenges. As you become more focused, more detail oriented, and more aware of the specifics it will cause you to beat yourself up when you mess up or you miss something. These hang ups can be discouraging, but i encourage anyone who gets knocked down to use that feeling of disappointment in yourself to fuel your fire. While you are feeling inferior or ready to quit because you don’t think you are where you need to be or you have not perfected your craft in the way you wanted to remember you are wasting time you could be using to get further.

The goal I have set for myself is not perfection. It is to be better than I was the day before. Giving my all each and every day will get me to where I need to be. I have to tell myself not to go back and look in that rearview mirror, because I know it is easy to get caught up in self-doubt, self-pity, and feelings of wanting to give up.

Let me just dissect this concept a little more before I close, I looked up the word mastery and the synonyms and they are: mastership,domination, skill ,control, and proficiency. None of them say perfection. So please stay the course and do the best you can with what you have and keep pushing forward. Knowing that obstacles, challenges, distractions, and issues are awaiting on your climb up the mountain, but know you have an awesome ally in your corner helping you climb and these things that we look at as negative are helping you build the muscle that will sustain you on your climb.

Love You All

SJM