Seeds of Faith
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“... for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire? May be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Charles H. Spurgeon
One of the most difficult parts of the Christian life is the fact that becoming a disciple of Christ does not make us immune to life’s trials and tribulations. Why would a good and loving God allow us to go through such things as the death of a child, disease and injury to ourselves and our loved ones, financial hardships, worry and fear? Surely, if He loved us, He would take all these things away from us. After all, doesn’t loving us mean He wants our lives to be easy and comfortable?
Yet, faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds. Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him— a faith that says, “I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do or allow,” or as Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).
God allows trials in our life that we would become stronger, and gain spiritual enrichment through our experiences. Trails tend to bring out the person who we truly are deep down inside. They put us in a place where the only person who we can rely on and turn to for help is God. In James 1:2 God tells us to “count it all joy” when we encounter trials. Notice that He does not say if but when. As we walk with God we will experience trials and tribulations, it’s a given. His desire is that we be one with Him. He takes us on these paths to bring us closer to him and mold us into the image of Christ.
Faith brings us into right relationship with God and gives Him opportunity to work. God’s desire is that we turn to Him for understanding, direction, and wisdom. Sometimes He has to turn our life upside down, and inside out, before we turn to Him, often more out of desperation than submission. This is not His desire for us. He’s omnipresent, always available to hear His child’s need.
Trials give us the opportunity to turn our sufferings into testimonies that give God the glory. Trials help us realize that there is much more to life than fulfilling our own selfish desires. They remind us that God is in control of our lives. They stop us from being self-centered individuals, and instead help us to turn to God and make him the center and focus of our lives. Once we allow God to be the center of our lives everything begins to fall into place, and it's at that point we can begin to experience peace even in the midst of our troubles. (from Chapter 3)
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About the Book
Have you ever struggled with your faith in God? Do you feel like you are sinking into waves of discouragement over your situation? If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing is impossible for you. We are called to live by faith not sight. Yet trials come and it feels like He has abandoned you when He delays in answering prayer. Fear and doubt may try to overcome you, but faith must be tried to be true. God is bigger than anything you come up against but you must stand on His promises in His Word. You cannot fail if only you dare to believe, put your hope in God, and keep your eyes ever focused on Jesus alone.
“If you wish to know God, you must know his Word. If you wish to perceive His power, you must see how He works by his Word. If you wish to know His purpose before it comes to pass, you can only discover it by His Word.” C.H. Spurgeon
About the Author
Lois Hathaway Vlad received her Certificate of Ministry at Sliver Lake Bible College in Mill Creek, WA. . She served on the Woman’s Council at Silver Lake Chapel as a speaker, Counselor to women with abuse issues, an event planner/coordinator, and graphic artist. She was part of the prayer support team for the Senior Pastor. For the last 9 years Lois has served as Head of Woman’s Ministry at Amherst Christian Church in Amherst, NH. In this position she began her writing career. She has written two Bible study’s for Woman’s Bible Study. “Seeds of Faith” came out of that first Bible Study. Her unique life experiences have greatly influenced her writings.