"Faith It 'til You Make It!"
Years ago, I heard that from God in retort to the infamous "fake it 'til you make it" quote. I thought I was the only genius with that quote until I saw that Ben Tankard says the same thing. I was disappointed, I wanted to actually Trademark the phrase, but I see now that God is speaking to His people at large! As grotesque as it must be to go through life faking social status and riches, to have faith in God to bring a certain thing to pass is more comforting. Imagine walking to the bus stop just to get to work. All the cars that pass you, all the cars broken down on the side of the road...one of those is certainly for you,right?
There are times in life when faith isn't only all we have, it's the only requirement. Many of us have been through trials and as the bible says: "the trying of our faith worketh patience. (Jas. 1:3) Many times it seems that God isn't hearing us. Many times it seems as if God has no desire to produce our desired result. What about when the very thing that got you into the situation you're in IS your faith. You believed God, heard clearly and now you're all out on a cliff alone!
What then? What now? David said: "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." (Ps. 27:13) What happens in difficult times? What are we to do?
Hold on!
At least that's what my mama told me this week (she never quite told me to shop around though, hmmm...)! Hold on to God and challenge the word. In fact, get in the word. Sometimes our prayers are stifled by the gravity of our situation. God understands, but you are never completely out of strength...He hears even our faintest cry.
As I write this, I am in one of the most difficult and challenging seasons of my life. I've never faced this level of adversity before. I've had my decisions (to trust God) challenged. My walk with God challenged. My willingness to provide for my family challenged and nothing is off limits for my newest, most vocal critics. What I have made up my mind to do is trust God, all the way to the end of the rope. All the way to the edge of the cliff, I trust God.
Time to testify:
In the interest of privacy, I don't really share everything and never will unless instructed to do so. I will say that on this week my faith was challenged to biblical proportion. I was literally on my way to try and do the impossible regarding my lost passport and the previously "lost" package shows up...in the city it needed to get to! It became a frivolous notion to me, but I'd confessed that I wanted to show that passport (and the various stamps and visas) to my grandchildren). Who would've thought that that too was important to God. Not to mention, the unthinkable effect not being able to replace would have had on an entire foreign nation and my colleagues also traveling with me. Whew...!
I have no words other than God is simply amazing! Interesting info about that miracle was that while I was celebrating God and that victory, an attack on my marriage was yet again taking place. The saying goes that "absence makes the heart grow fonder" but I strongly believe that difficulty makes the heart grow fonder. When two people decide to dig down and depend on God and not give up on each other in the process, amazing things happen! If we can fight for each other and not against each other, God can do wonderful things. That lesson took a long time for me to accept and learn. The phrase in wedding vows "forsaking all others" goes a very long way and it doesn't just preclude the spouses from extramarital activity.
It precludes us from walking in ungodly counsel concerning our mates. Any talk of leaving or separation should be rebuffed and rebuked...it's damaging to hear and not everyone can process the information without it taking root. Forsaking all other counsel but that that is in line with Christ and His teaching. Faith it 'til you make it? Yeah, that applies to marriages too!
So, the other trial and adversity we're facing is concerning finances. We need God to move as never before. I mean like last month...! What I do believe is that God can make this happen for us. I was separated (like that terminology there?) from my job in July. At that time with no job prospects calling back and being one reference away (it was promised, never came through) from attaining the one job I really wanted, I remained unemployed.
I continued looking for work but as you can see, I also went to work for the Kingdom with the SoulProsper Radio Show and this website you're reading right now. The site went up (well further up), media contacts were made, media credentials were granted and the SoulProsper Media Group seemed to be movin' on up! *cue the George Jefferson strut*
What I didn't anticipate is for money to slowly flow in and in some weeks, not flow at all. We were down to the wire...down to grace and favor! God is good and we have great family who have stepped in and helped out but you know what, with three little ones (one still in diapers) we need a little more than help! Once again, we need a miracle!
I have a deadline of about a week and a half...back to trusting God here and seeing what He will do. I have faith (if I had the money, I guess it wouldn't be as powerful a testimony, right?) Well, faith is all I have and I have a slight suspicion that it's all I need. I'll update you in a week or so and let you know what happened! Promise you'll come back and read the update...? Cool!
There are times in life when faith isn't only all we have, it's the only requirement. Many of us have been through trials and as the bible says: "the trying of our faith worketh patience. (Jas. 1:3) Many times it seems that God isn't hearing us. Many times it seems as if God has no desire to produce our desired result. What about when the very thing that got you into the situation you're in IS your faith. You believed God, heard clearly and now you're all out on a cliff alone!
What then? What now? David said: "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." (Ps. 27:13) What happens in difficult times? What are we to do?
Hold on!
At least that's what my mama told me this week (she never quite told me to shop around though, hmmm...)! Hold on to God and challenge the word. In fact, get in the word. Sometimes our prayers are stifled by the gravity of our situation. God understands, but you are never completely out of strength...He hears even our faintest cry.
As I write this, I am in one of the most difficult and challenging seasons of my life. I've never faced this level of adversity before. I've had my decisions (to trust God) challenged. My walk with God challenged. My willingness to provide for my family challenged and nothing is off limits for my newest, most vocal critics. What I have made up my mind to do is trust God, all the way to the end of the rope. All the way to the edge of the cliff, I trust God.
Time to testify:
In the interest of privacy, I don't really share everything and never will unless instructed to do so. I will say that on this week my faith was challenged to biblical proportion. I was literally on my way to try and do the impossible regarding my lost passport and the previously "lost" package shows up...in the city it needed to get to! It became a frivolous notion to me, but I'd confessed that I wanted to show that passport (and the various stamps and visas) to my grandchildren). Who would've thought that that too was important to God. Not to mention, the unthinkable effect not being able to replace would have had on an entire foreign nation and my colleagues also traveling with me. Whew...!
I have no words other than God is simply amazing! Interesting info about that miracle was that while I was celebrating God and that victory, an attack on my marriage was yet again taking place. The saying goes that "absence makes the heart grow fonder" but I strongly believe that difficulty makes the heart grow fonder. When two people decide to dig down and depend on God and not give up on each other in the process, amazing things happen! If we can fight for each other and not against each other, God can do wonderful things. That lesson took a long time for me to accept and learn. The phrase in wedding vows "forsaking all others" goes a very long way and it doesn't just preclude the spouses from extramarital activity.
It precludes us from walking in ungodly counsel concerning our mates. Any talk of leaving or separation should be rebuffed and rebuked...it's damaging to hear and not everyone can process the information without it taking root. Forsaking all other counsel but that that is in line with Christ and His teaching. Faith it 'til you make it? Yeah, that applies to marriages too!
So, the other trial and adversity we're facing is concerning finances. We need God to move as never before. I mean like last month...! What I do believe is that God can make this happen for us. I was separated (like that terminology there?) from my job in July. At that time with no job prospects calling back and being one reference away (it was promised, never came through) from attaining the one job I really wanted, I remained unemployed.
I continued looking for work but as you can see, I also went to work for the Kingdom with the SoulProsper Radio Show and this website you're reading right now. The site went up (well further up), media contacts were made, media credentials were granted and the SoulProsper Media Group seemed to be movin' on up! *cue the George Jefferson strut*
What I didn't anticipate is for money to slowly flow in and in some weeks, not flow at all. We were down to the wire...down to grace and favor! God is good and we have great family who have stepped in and helped out but you know what, with three little ones (one still in diapers) we need a little more than help! Once again, we need a miracle!
I have a deadline of about a week and a half...back to trusting God here and seeing what He will do. I have faith (if I had the money, I guess it wouldn't be as powerful a testimony, right?) Well, faith is all I have and I have a slight suspicion that it's all I need. I'll update you in a week or so and let you know what happened! Promise you'll come back and read the update...? Cool!
It's hard to bare your soul like that for the masses, it was even harder having to stand up and testify in church services back in the day. Some of the testimonies weren't quick and when you didn't have time to tell it sometimes you just sat on it! We are overcomers and are victorious through Christ. What I want to do here is 'open the floor' for testimony service. What have you come through, what has the Lord delivered you from? Feel free to share it here. If you don't want it shared publicly, share it privately and we won't post it.
Use the form provided below to testify about the goodness of the Lord!
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. " Rev. 12:11
Valerie 11/15/13
Let me be the first to say....GOD is awesome...to defy the naysayers that your son will be a gangbanger and your daughters will have BABIES out of wedlock because a man stepped out of your life....well!! Soul Prosper Radio is a vision for a NON-GANG BANGER....and the other no so either....not because of my goodness, not because of my holiness...but because of the twins....GRACE AND MERCY that followed, follows me still. To the single mothers, sometimes all you have is FAITH; but if you believe it, RECEIVE IT..... in JESUS name....amen and amen....
Let me be the first to say....GOD is awesome...to defy the naysayers that your son will be a gangbanger and your daughters will have BABIES out of wedlock because a man stepped out of your life....well!! Soul Prosper Radio is a vision for a NON-GANG BANGER....and the other no so either....not because of my goodness, not because of my holiness...but because of the twins....GRACE AND MERCY that followed, follows me still. To the single mothers, sometimes all you have is FAITH; but if you believe it, RECEIVE IT..... in JESUS name....amen and amen....
