Facets of Faith

Freedom and a Picture of God’s Grace

09.27.2016 by Kim Findlay //

It’s guest week here at Facets of Faith and I’m excited to introduce my dear friend, Cheryl Fiorelli to you. Today she’s sharing a tender and personal experience she had as she pursues a life following Jesus.

Pondering the question—what would you give up to maintain your freedom, took me back to a time when the Lord gave me a vision, a dream. Four years ago this vision was a gift from Him as I was worked through the “Surrendering the Secret” ministry at my church. The Lord had delivered me from the greatest sorrow and sin of my life: an abortion I had at 17. His grace led me back into the light I had left behind long before. How like God it is that as I complete this writing, it was 41 years ago today that the abortion occurred!

God knows me, and that I’m a visual learner. Pictures help me understand things more thoroughly so I can refer back to it when I get lost again. So He gave me a picture of His grace.

Because sometimes I forget, like the Israelites did.

They had witnessed the parting of the Red Sea and were beginning to feel the first pangs of hunger. I remember harshly judging the Israelites as they grumbled and complained to Moses in the wilderness of sin. They forgot the miracles they had just witnessed, even as the Song of Moses still rang in their ears.

If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.” Exodus 16:3, NLT

Talk about selective memory! What about being slaves, the beatings, the agonizing days of forced labor? Yet today, when I live in the freedom that the grace of Jesus has bought for me, at times I find myself longing for and returning to the “comfort zone” He has taken me out of, as painful and awful as it was!

I no longer judge the Israelites, because sometimes my fear and lack of trust in the Lord, or not staying close to Him, lead me back down that road to my very own Wilderness of Sin. Yet like that wandering sheep in the parable in Luke 15:3-7, the Good Shepherd comes to find me, picks me up and puts me on His shoulders, and carries me and my wounded spirit back to the sheepfold where I belong.

And gives me visions such as this:

I saw a wide wall or trellis, a grotto of sorts. It wasn’t stone or wood but had a slight overarching roof with soft morning sunlight dappling from behind. Huge bunches of grapes hung from this trellis, gorgeous and abundant. There was an outflow of leaves and lovely pale flowers in yellow, pink and blue with deep green leaves and another huge overflowing of grapes beyond that. They hung all the way to the ground in deepest purple and soft green leaves. I saw more flowers and overflowing bunches of grapes, champagne grapes with smoky gray leaves. Then came daisies and graceful bunches of roses in vibrant reds and oranges, yellows…the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in a dream or in waking life.

The “trellis” was a natural sort of formation that blossomed out of nowhere, yet totally belonged in all its glory and beauty. It wasn’t outlandish nor overtly beautiful, yet soft and alive with light and wonder, like the very symbol of abundance and grace-life renewing and growing.

I heard soft sounds. a birdsong, flowing water nearby yet out of sight. Soft sounds that seemed to belong there yet were new at the same time, glowing with a heavenly radiance absolutely real.

I sensed this was the embodiment of the grace of God. Grapes to quench the thirst. Gentleness and beauty to surround and bathe your heart with relief so profound you can’t begin to understand it and yet you grasp it, the reality, the truth of it, deep within your heart and your mind.

There was profound peace. The answer to burning desires. The answer to unspoken questions that needed answers and needed them so desperately.

Oh God! Here, here it is at last, at last! Oh, I didn’t know but now I see it: the exact shape of the emptiness inside me. Oh it was so clear, so soothing to my lonely seeking spirit and it was all there: the abundance, the absolute rightness of God’s grace. It’s been here all along, right where it’s always been. I just couldn’t see it because I wasn’t ready for it, or perhaps I just didn’t know to ask.

I sensed God tell me this was the answer to everything, the Wellspring, the rightness, the certainty of it flowed toward me from the soft dappled sunlight. There can be no beauty akin to it because it’s the heart of God from which came the celebration of the birth, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus.

It’s here, I sensed God tell me, every answer you’ve ever looked for.

Drink it in, breathe it in, let it sink into your soul, into your pores. Eat of it, let it quench that burning thirst, that deep abiding hunger, that there was no way to satisfy.

But Lord, there is a way! It’s you! It’s you! It’s always been you! It’s your grace! It can allay your fears, put them to rest. God’s grace in all its beauty and abundance, forgiveness flows out of it. Forgiveness that was for me! It pierced my heart, and drove out all the old bitterness and fear.

Then I see them, the hearts of all of those people toward whom I was holding resentment and anger. I saw them as Jesus sees them, as He sees the broken and beaten down, the discouraged and afraid, wrecked by the pain, rejection and abandonment that they too have known.

And in my heart, I know, with absolute clarity that I can take this grace of God, of which I have partaken, and pass it on to all those whom I need to forgive…so that they too can find what I have found…God’s grace!

His grace is what I give up every time I willingly stray off the path that actually leads to more and more freedom! So what am I willing to give up to keep my freedom? My own will so I can live for His will in my life. I am willing to move forward, to take up my cross daily and follow Him. Every step I take in that journey leads me further into the joy and purpose of being in relationship with Jesus.

When I give up my will for his, I also leave behind living in the shadow and all that goes with it: pain, isolation, purposelessness, loneliness, feeling trapped, deep depression, great anxiety and fear, and the unrelenting grief of feeling far from my Savior.

For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” Psalm 84:11,NLT

Lord Jesus, please help me keep my feet on the path you have set before me, the path that leads to deeper and deeper love and relationship with you. Forgive me for sometimes being afraid, not trusting you, and longing to return to my wilderness of sin. Thank you for always coming to get me when I stray, my Lord and Shepherd. And thank you for your Grace that quenches my thirst and fills my emptiness. How lovely, how very beautiful it is. In your Strong and Powerful Name I pray. Amen.

by Cheryl Fiorelli

Freedom and the Red Sea

09.20.2016 by Kim Findlay //

This month at Facets of Faith, we’re answering the question what would you give up to maintain your freedom? Tracy and Jen have already shared. Be sure to check out their posts by clicking on their names.

As for me (Kim), when I think about this question, an epic story comes to mind. A story of slavery and the quest for freedom. A display of power and great love.

The Israelites crossing the Red Sea.

I often wonder what life was like for them.

From the good life under Joseph’s provision to the growing tension between two nations to being enslaved by the Egyptians, the Israelites were beaten, controlled, put down, and placed in bondage. They grew weary and longed for freedom, yet freedom seemed so far away.

Have you ever felt that way? Caught by something where the weight wears you down, trips you up, and enslaves you?

Maybe it’s an addiction, or a broken relationship. Maybe it’s a pattern of unhealthy choices, or a marriage that’s tearing you apart. Whatever the pain may be, it has the power to control and keep us locked up in turmoil.

There’s been a lot of brokenness and sorrow in my own life. From the death of my daughter to years in a difficult marriage that ultimately ended in divorce, I often cried out to God in despair, wondered if my life would ever change.

I wanted relief. I wanted my circumstances to change. I longed for the freedom found on the pages of Scripture and felt it was beyond my grasp.

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17, NLT

“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10b

I wanted that. Freedom for a full and abundant life. But truthfully, I didn’t really know what that looked like. I lived in bondage to brokenness for so long, freedom – true freedom – seemed elusive, almost like a cruel joke.

Kind of like the Israelites.

They prayed and cried out to God, wondering if their situations would ever change. But God did hear their cries, their sorrow and lament, and He planned to do something amazing about it.

I wonder if any the Israelites knew what was coming? Did they suspect they were about to be rescued and see the glory of God? Do you think anyone laid in the bed at night as a sense of expectation filled the air? Or were their chains all they saw?

Enter Moses. Moses, saved first by his mom in a little boat, and then by Pharaoh’s daughter from the river. Moses, the one who heard God in a burning bush, called to lead His people to freedom. Moses, the one who questioned, and the one whom God answered. From let my people go to the 12 plagues until Pharaoh finally said go. And go they did, all the way to the Red Sea.

The Red Sea.

That’s the moment I wonder about. That moment when the freedom seemed but a hair-breath’s away. That moment when the hope that soared high was threatened by the stretch of water before them.

I wonder what the Israelites were willing to give up in that moment in order to maintain their freedom?

They gave up their homes, and all that was familiar. As they stood on the banks of the sea, what else were they willing to release? Fear? Disbelief? Uncertainty? Doubt?

Perhaps those are some of the same we need to give up in order to maintain our own?

God, the One who led them in a cloud during the day and fire by night, commanded Moses to spread out his arms. Did the Israelites stare in disbelief as Moses raised them up? Did doubt crowd their minds and tumble from their lips?

Is he really doing that? Will it even make a difference?

As the sea began to move, did their hearts skip a beat? Were their doubts and questions replaced with expectancy as the waters shifted?

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.” Ephesians 3:20, NLT

What about that moment when the sea parted and the ground was dry? What happened then? Did the nation move quickly, a spring in their step as faith propelled them forward? Or did they move with hesitancy, trapped by the doubt regardless of what happened before their very eyes?

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9, NLT

Scripture doesn’t tell us those specific but it does make know that never once during those moments at the sea, nor throughout their wanderings were the people of Israel alone. God was with them every step of the way, working out His perfect plan to draw the nation closer to Himself.

But they had a choice. They had to choose let go of what they knew in order to experience what they didn’t.

As God mends my heart, He is showing me that I have a choice as well. Yes, Jesus came to offer us freedom from sin, freedom from death and destruction, freedom to live an abundant life in Him, but unless I move, I’ll remain in chains.

Like the Israelites, I can choose to stay on one side of the sea, sure of what I think I see, or I can step out in faith, release my thoughts and expectations, and follow the One who sees it all.

I’m learning to let go of the very things that have hurt me most – the sorrow of death and the pain of failure. I’m learning that my freedom – peace and joy and abundant life – are worth the risk of choosing to heal, choosing to trust.

I’m letting go of my fear and my doubt, believing God is as faithful and true now as He was when He parted the Red Sea.

I’m learning there is freedom when I release the pain of my past to the One who holds my future as I fix my eyes on the living Author and Perfector of my faith.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2a, NLT

What hurt are you willing to give up in order to maintain your freedom?

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

Freedom: What I Wouldn’t Give…

09.13.2016 by Jennifer Howe //

Freedom. Is it a heavy chain around my (Jennifer’s) wrists loosening and falling away? Maybe it’s the prison door rattling just before it swings wide and I step out with a sigh of relief. Or, in my mind’s eye, I see a fiery autumn scene, the ground blanketed in red-gold—a dark-haired girl twirls and leaps in smooth rhythm near a shimmering stream, captivated by the joy in her reflection.

In real life, it may look completely different. Freedom can be moving through my daily relational obstacle course differently. A stressful time or sensitive trigger is changed. I experience the hard moment, but peacefully and infused with a breath of fresh air. One thing I know—when I feel free, there is often an internal joy, lightness, and peace, or sometimes a thrill. That internal freedom becomes transparent if I feel safe to be authentically me. You probably know the feeling. I’m sure I’m not unique.

The precious experience of freedom can only mean one thing: there are times when I’m not free. I’m held captive by a painful wound, a habit of thought or behavior, or some past experience. These things come from what I or others have chosen. Some are in the moment. Others seem frozen in time.

I want freedom!

What I wouldn’t give for freedom!

The question is—what will I have to give? My bull-in-a-China-shop way of life. There is a cost to remain free. I’ll have to place my heart’s desires, busy mind, and strong will in God’s hands. The One who created me and loved me to the point of giving everything for me, including his life, deserves nothing less than a humble, grateful response.

So, if I’m willing to surrender the old way of life, what would my new lifestyle look like?

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13 CSB

Authentic freedom comes from God. In our culture, there’s license to do whatever we want, and then there’s genuine liberty. What really counts is freedom from the things that separate us from our Father God eternally.

The struggle to be free will be unique to each of us. I battle my pride. Sometimes I don’t embrace the heart, mind, or ways of God. I mistakenly believe I know better or I’ve got things under control. (You, too?) I have to make the hard choices every day. Some days I don’t make the right ones. But, I want to be free.

King David wrote in Psalm 119

How I long for your precepts! In your righteousness preserve my life. May your unfailing love come to me, LORD, your salvation, according to your promise; then I can answer anyone who taunts me, for I trust in your word. Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws. I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them. I reach out for your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on your decrees. Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. vv.40-50

David was wise. He knew his life was only preserved by wholeheartedly embracing the ways of God in response to the heart of God. The way we should live is clearly expressed in Scripture (laws, precepts, commands, and promises that flow from a heart of love). If I take the time to read, I know the heart and mind of God in a beautiful, consistent Old and New Testament blend. I have the law and prophecy, and the fulfillment of both in the birth, life, and death of Jesus.

God loved us through the gift of Jesus and the covenant made at Calvary.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

The sacrifice at the cross was our purchase price. Jesus set us free by addressing the entire list of offenses against Holy God, and how should we respond (Colossians 2:14)? Should we choose a haphazard, self-consumed lifestyle?

We have to take a gut-level honest look at ourselves: thoughts, words, and actions. Thoughts are private. Words and actions will tell on us. If we are willing to take a close look, we might be surprised at the inconsistencies. Our words and actions show what we really believe or embrace. This sort of self-examination reveals the real condition of our heart and the evidence of genuine transformation.

When it comes to life transformation, we’re not left to our own devices (often, the root of pride). For each one of us, the relationship to God is sealed through the gift of the Holy Spirit. In this world we wait for our Father’s promises to be fulfilled. We will be made perfect one day, and temptation will be completely removed—but not in this life. Some righteousness will be evident this side of eternity in our victories, but we’re only perfected at the face-to-face meeting yet to come.

Right now, I count on the goodness of God, “by grace through faith in Jesus,” for the good choices I can make that will keep me free. When I remember Jesus’ love for me—and because the Holy Spirit has given me the strength to do it—I consciously choose to love God and people by embracing and acting according the ways of God. I know I won’t get it all right all the time (friends and family would agree). And I know this:

the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

The amazing God of the universe, my Daddy-God, has lavished love on me (and all of us!). My freedom was bought and paid for on a hill outside Jerusalem. On the daily journey toward eternity, my freedom is guarded by the presence of God in me. I’m thankful, so I want to make choices that honor the sacrifice at the cross and keep me from getting all bound up in chains again.

What do you think about that? Have you experienced a measure of freedom? Did it come with a cost?

Thanks for reading along. Share your thoughts on freedom in the comments below or on our Facebook page. Let’s get a conversation started!