Facets of Faith

God is…Gracious!

11.13.2018 by Jennifer Howe //

This month the FACETS are thinking about the character of God, the precious attributes revealing facets of Almighty God to us. Tracy wrote on God’s faithfulness here. Visit next Tuesday to find out which attribute Kim chose. Finally, we have a guest sharing the following Tuesday. I love each writer’s choice and voice. I hope you will, too.

Then the Lord passed in front of him [Moses] and proclaimed: Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth Exodus 34:6 CSB

Sweet friend, can I be honest for a pair of minutes? I need grace. I need more of it than the average Jo, no lie. Some days I’m more sensitive to my failings and have to admit Paul’s words both pierce and offer healing balm to my soul:

But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:16 NLT

I’m a writer who lives in a world of words. Those same words are weapons I draw on a terrible, horrible, no-good day. Anyone can dip into “strengths” for the wrong reasons or intent, right? Then an insidious whisper hisses, “Jesus can’t love me. I’ve messed up too much. I’m disqualified. Again.” The voice of the liar gets in my head, sometimes my heart, too often. Maybe you’ve heard the voice with an accusation. It can crush us if we’re not careful to make intentional choices.

Accept the gift of grace. A precious gift was given. We see it in John 3:16-17—

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved… CJB

The Son, Jesus, came for a purpose. He came to represent the Father and us—to fix the gap between holiness and humanity. He was both God and man, all on a rescue mission for us, who could do nothing about the problem on our own. Since we couldn’t earn it and don’t deserve it, that’s grace! Jesus is the display of God’s gracious character on our behalf. I just love that. And I desperately need it! (You too?)

Once upon a time, I made an intentional decision. I wanted that. I wasn’t clear on how it the gift of grace happened, but I knew I wanted it, and I asked wholeheartedly. I was a beggar doing what beggars do. Sometimes when you have a need, you ask…and ask…and ask again. I needed some kind of do-over. The Good Father meets the need through Jesus. The Father’s child knows to come, ask, and shelter in the Father’s house. Then the child becomes an heir to the inheritance, in this case, beautiful grace!

Be willing to accept the gift and accept what He says. The gift of grace is for you, through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Whatever you do, hang on to that truth with all you’ve got. Grasp it like your life depends on it. Never let go! This is daily acceptance or rejection of truth, in my experience. We choose daily, friend; let’s choose well.

Beware the lies! The enemy of our souls wants nothing more than to destroy any hope, truth, or connection to our Father through the Son. So he strews a path of lies to obscure the way. Root out the lies by comparing the voice you hear to the Bible. When the voice matches the Word of God in good context, you can rest in the truth. When lies come, you’ll see them for what they are.

Let’s allow God to love us through words in Scripture. Let’s be loved. Then we can love others.

Remember my struggle with word weapons? Some conviction is truth mixed with lies. It’s true my words must become increasingly filled with truth and love and grace (because God’s people become more like the character of God). But there is no shame with truth because “no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). There’s a chasm of difference between Holy Spirit’s whisper of conviction to repent and the shame-filled hiss of the enemy. One leads to freedom; the other spirals into a trap.

Practice receiving the gift of grace. The longer we’ve listened to the hiss, the more difficult it may be to meet it with truth. We need to sit with Scripture, wash the mind with it, and counter the lies with truth. That takes time, repetition, and practice!

It’s a choice to receive grace. If we choose not to receive it, we land in a pit of pride. We isolate and insulate. In my experience isolation leads to anger, frustration, and sadness. Hope is absent. That’s a choice—but not a life I want. (None of us wants that.)

I practice receiving truth and love by spending time with Him throughout the day. I read what He has to say. I want to talk to Him often. Good habits to cultivate, for sure, but the relationship doesn’t rest on some fuel I generate through effort (it would for sure fall flat!).

Grace is a gift created and given by the giver. We can’t earn or deserve it. Because He is compassionate and gracious, His gift is always more than we can think or imagine. Think of how lavish that is!

Grace. I’m thankful for enduring grace! Now I want to respond in love to Him for that amazing gift—I want to live differently because grace leads to repentance…and fierce and fiery love for Him and others.

Which attribute is precious to you? We all want to know. Share in the comments below or at our Facebook Page.

What Enduring Attribute of God’s is Most Precious to You?

11.06.2018 by Tracy Stella //

Welcome! Whether this is your first time or you are a regular reader, we pray God meets you in the midst of these pages. We don’t write from a position of “having arrived”. Rather, we share what God is doing in our lives as broken jars of clay in the hands of the Heavenly Potter who holds us, forms us, and sends us forth to make disciples.

This month the Facets team decided to engage with our question differently. We’ve never taken a passage of the same Scripture and explored it together, but from our own unique perspective. Tune in throughout November to see what Jennifer, Kim, and our guest contributor have to say. It’s always interesting to see the themes God brings forward.

There is much to be grateful for, and our passage of Scripture reminds us of that this holiday season. It’s a longer than normal excerpt, but I encourage you to read it through. Please don’t skim it like a too-thin coat of paint that doesn’t cover. Take your time. Linger with it. Let the words saturate your spirit as you consider God and what He wants to say to you through it.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
²Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
³Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:

⁴To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
⁵To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
⁶To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
⁷To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever—
⁸The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
⁹The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.

¹⁰To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
For His mercy endures forever;
¹¹And brought out Israel from among them,
For His mercy endures forever;
¹²With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever;
¹³To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;
¹⁴And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;
¹⁵But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever;
¹⁶To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His mercy endures forever;
¹⁷To Him who struck down great kings,
For His mercy endures forever;
¹⁸And slew famous kings,
For His mercy endures forever—
¹⁹Sihon king of the Amorites,
For His mercy endures forever;
²⁰And Og king of Bashan,
For His mercy endures forever—
²¹And gave their land as a heritage,
For His mercy endures forever;
²²A heritage to Israel His servant,
For His mercy endures forever.

²³Who remembered us in our lowly state,
For His mercy endures forever;
²⁴And rescued us from our enemies,
For His mercy endures forever;
²⁵Who gives food to all flesh,
For His mercy endures forever.

²⁶Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.

─Psalm 136 NKJV

Of course, our ministry team couldn’t help but notice the theme repeated ensuring none of us would miss it. For His mercy endures forever.

Those words got us thinking, what attribute of God’s endures forever – and which were we presently most thankful for?

Today, it is one word. He keeps bringing me around to it.

Faithful.

God is so faithful!

In His mercy, His faithfulness endures forever.

It’s His mercy that helped (and helps) me to be in a position to experience His faithfulness. It’s because He is good, that I can experience His goodness.

He is faithful. Forever. On our best day, we can’t say we are faithful 100% of the time. But God is. Forever! He is Steady and True. Constant. Never-Changing. He won’t leave us by the wayside. He meets us along the way, wherever we are at, wherever He finds us.

And in His faithfulness, He doesn’t leave us there.

I have so much to be grateful to God for, so much! Where He found me, isn’t where He left me. It’s important for me to remember, to pause and reflect, and then to ponder where He might bring me next. Until I die, He will be faithful to transform me. You too. He loves us that much!

When I lean in and “let Him” change me, it’s a beautiful thing. Transformation takes cooperation.

A few weeks back God spoke to me in an intimate, sweet way, helping me to remember just how faithful He has been in my life. From when we first met to where I find myself today, I stand amazed. It’s really quite incredible what God can do in His faithfulness. When we stop throwing fits. When we lean in and listen to His sweet whispers. When we let Him lead. He is faithful to lead us to green pastures. The places of peace and love, joy and hope, strength and perseverance.

Often, God catches me off guard. He takes my breath away. Not always am I able to articulate it. He’s God after all, and not always explainable.

But if you notice when you read the numerous examples in Psalm 136, time and time again God was faithful to Israel. He is STILL FAITHFUL to His children today.

I stood in the crowd, lights dim and stage lit up as I listened to the words I’d heard and connected with even before I’d officially crossed the line of faith. I identified with the woman in the song, ripped jeans, dented fender, a little worse for the wear when I’d met God.

You may be familiar with Francesca Battistelli. You may not, but it was her song Free to Be Me. It’s as if that song was a promise to me back before I could believe it. (Click here if you’d like to listen to it.)

I felt like damaged goods. Perhaps, my shelf life expired. Past my prime. Used up. Broken.

But somewhere, somehow God broke through my brokenness. He gave me hope that He had a good future for me in spite of the fact that I was a bit banged up.

He is faithful. So very faithful. Take hope if this is where you find yourself, feeling like damaged goods, expired, past your prime, used up and broken.

It’s not true if you let the Heavenly Potter fashion you into what He intended all along. He wants you to feel free to be you, who He really intended for you to be all along. (Me too.)

I stood in the concert, so touched. Overwhelmed, I stood next to my husband, worshiping God with joy, dancing with movement and in spirit knowing God had brought me out into this spacious place. In Christ. I am not who I once was, but I am most free to be me, who He really intended me to be.

Floods of gratitude and incredulity at the contrast of where I once was to where God has brought me, I cried silent tears of joy. Spirit tears. With God my life has turned out much better than I could have hoped or imagined back then.

God is faithful.

To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
─Psalm 136:4 NKJV

God is still in the business of doing GREAT WONDERS in and through you and me. He is Faithful. He’s not just faithful to some. He is faithful to all. To you. To me. To all. Let Him show you. Let Him remind you. Let Him reveal His faithfulness to you.

Perhaps one day about a decade later you’ll listen to lyrics He’ll use as a spiritual mile marker showing you just how far He has brought you. He’ll etch into your memory who you were, who you are, and who you are becoming.

This is a message for us all, His beautiful masterpieces being molded into His image. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is Royalty. And so are we!

This is what I believe God wants me to leave you with, no matter where you find yourself on the spectrum of understanding who Christ is, how much He loves you, and His faithfulness to bring us into the fullness of our identity as His sons and daughters.

He is Royalty. So are we … dents and all. Don’t let the enemy steal one more day of your destiny. He will try, but God is Faithful and True, and the enemy has already been defeated. The enemy can’t win, because he’s already lost.

If you are in Christ (having accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior) you are an heir to the throne. Royalty. Because God is faithful!

As I continued to stand in the crowd singing along, a song came on I hadn’t heard before. It’s from Francesca’s newest album. (Here is a link to the song, Royalty.)

Another spiritual mile marker. It was as if God leaned in and whispered to my heart, You know who you are, Tracy. You are mine. And that makes you royal. More spirit tears. Sweet tears at the Heavenly Potter’s tender touch.

Talk about being free to be me! God is faithful. You are royal, sweet friend. Royal!

And in case you need a spiritual mile marker of your own, listen to the song and claim it for yourself too. Treasure it up in your heart. Because God wants you to know you are royal.

We are, we are, we are … royalty.

His mercy endures forever. Isn’t He faithful?

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

Guest Post: Much Becoming Little and Little Becoming Much

10.22.2018 by Jennifer Howe //

Hello friend, I (Jennifer) am excited to introduce you to one of my dear friends, a beautiful thinker and writer of Bible studies with her team, Woven. (See their site here.) Please welcome Beth Whartnaby to our little corner of the Internet. The FACETS believe you will love knowing her and reading her thoughts on God multiplying little into much.

This is a story about much becoming little, and little becoming much.

Eight years ago I moved my elderly parents, who were suffering from chronic physical and mental health issues, from the Gulf coast of Alabama to my hometown in Illinois. My mom and dad had reached the stage where they needed assistance. They were clearly failing, and as their only daughter, I was ready and willing to help. The prospect of having them near us for the first time in our married life excited me as I anticipated sweet times together as a family. I was eager to assume the caretaker role.

Looking back, I realize that I was full of much. I was chock-full of energy, enthusiasm, ideas, and plans, bursting with knowledge and creativity, ready to dedicate my time. I was determined to make a lovely little home for them in their tiny new apartment, find all the right specialists to treat their medical needs, make sense of all their insurance questions, diligently drive them to all their appointments, and warmly include them in family gatherings, making the little time I believed we would have together into much.

God beautifully positioned me to obey the fifth commandment, “Honor your father and mother,” in a very hands on way—and I was determined to do it. But I forgot where the strength and power to fulfill this mandate comes from.

After a few years of caring for my parents I found myself scraping up the dregs from my bucket of much. My own physical and emotional health began to suffer, and it was all I could do to walk into their building each day. My feet felt like lead and my heart broke at our combined need—I was burned out. It was then I realized that what I thought was much, was actually little. I had gone from feeling like I had much to feeling like I needed much, when all I really needed was one thing: God’s powerful grace.

Each time he [God] said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me … For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10b NLT

The funny thing about God’s grace is you have to let God fill you with it to experience the power. You have to acknowledge your weakness, surrender control, and offer your empty bucket to God so He can fill it.

For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]. John 1:16 AMP

I realize now that if I had just surrendered my little to God in the beginning and allowed Him to be strong in my weakness, I would have started out with much! But I didn’t. It took hitting the wall of my own resources for me to actually live what I know: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” When I have little and I put it in the hands of Jesus and leave it there, trusting Him to work on my behalf then I have much.

Doing what God calls us to do is the first thing. Doing what He calls us to do in His strength and not our own is the only way the first thing is possible. Humanly, we all have little. Only God, in His wondrous grace, by the power of His Holy Spirit, can turn our little into a harvest of much. Surrendering everything to God is like handing Him our bucket, the one we think is filled with so much. Suddenly we are overwhelmed when we realize it is now bottomless. Imagine the awe of the boy with only five small barley loaves and two small fish watching thousands feast on his meager lunch (John 6:1-13)!

So how do we live in this power and grace that transforms our little into much? We dwell with Jesus minute by minute, relying on the Holy Spirit to influence our decisions and to infuse us with all we need to follow through. We cultivate a life centered on God’s Word and prayer, growing into a deep abiding with God that makes Him our first and best thought each day, our “go-to” every minute, and our source of rest and peace each night. There is a sweet discipline involved in living in God’s power and grace, an effort on our part, that pays off exponentially. As we surrender our life completely to God, the gift we get in return is “infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

By God’s grace my parents are still with us, battling daily against the challenges of being in their 90s. We have navigated countless doctors’ appointments, many hospitalizations, and our fair share of emergencies. We have argued and agreed, negotiated and surrendered, laughed and cried. The burdens that many would consider much are, in the scheme of things, really little. The little I had to offer, by God’s grace has yielded a harvest of much.

Is there much in your life that God is waiting for you to realize is really little? When you see it, surrender it, and by the power of His amazing grace, He will turn it into much.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT