Have you ever noticed that believing can be hard work some days. When the evidence all around us is telling us something different than what we want to believe, it takes every ounce of strength to believe.
It is those very times, we discover just how strong a will we truly possess.
I read an interesting verse this morning …
“Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.”
(Ecclesiastes 10:18, NLT)
Last week, we had an insurance appraiser come to the house to inspect damage done by ice dams this past winter. He and I discussed what a long and difficult winter it had been. Chopping ice and keeping the snow off the roof became a full time job for so many in New England. Perhaps this is the very reason the verse struck a chord in my heart and mind.
My husband’s chore each day was the roofs. We had to be diligent, each and every day, to clear away the ice from the gutters. It was back breaking at times, fatiguing as the cold and wetness went down to our bones. But the key was getting back out there every day to chop and clear.
And so it is with believing God.
We are going to need to be persistent, reminding ourselves of the truth of God’s Word even when everyone and everything are telling us otherwise. We cannot afford to be lazy or idle.
Laziness, according to dictionary.com is to be “averse or disinclined to work or exertion; to be sluggish or slow-moving”.
Idleness, according to that same dictionary is “not working or being active; not filled with activity; doing nothing.”
If we do nothing, taking no actions, are slow to move towards God then when life hits us, we will succumb to fear and doubt. We will not have anything in our faith bank to draw upon.
This life of faith, of actively believing God and His promises, is not going to be for the lazy or idle. We must participate with Him in His Word so we can see past our circumstances to what He is able to do.
May we actively believe Him each day.
No holes in our faith.
Today I am joining … Testimony Tuesday and True Story and #RaRaLinkup and Intentional Tuesday and Words With Winter .
Wow, all of a sudden I’m re-living the winter of 2015 . . . but with such relevant truth! Persevering with you today! Blessings.
Michele, I am sure in Maine it was also a winter to remember. I am grateful for what God has been teaching me from it, even months later.
Amen!
I needed to hear this today. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for letting me know as it encourages me today.
Such an awful winter we had. I’m praying our next one is much less daunting! I find it interesting we’re both talking about believing on our blogs today! I love it when God does this kind of thing. It’s as if our hearts are in tune on the same truth today! God bless you. It’s always a joy to visit your blog home.
Julie, you knew I would go read your post before replying 🙂 I love that God works like this. You made such a beautiful point that it is as we remember we believe again. May we both remember & continue to believe Him for He is faithful to every.single.word. Thank you for blessing me with your post!
You’ve so beautifully taken a task from everyday and reminded us how it applies to our walk. I think so many people believe that when we come to Christ, walking forward with Him will be effortless and natural. Much like you I’ve found that I have to be intentional and purposeful – I have to keep on choosing Him – choosing to believe. Thank you for reminding us of that. I can’t hardly fathom the ice out here in sunny CA, but I admire the task – does it ever look daunting! #testimonytuesday
I have found God teaches me most often in the everyday. Yes! we need to be intentional and purposeful, choosing active faith. If not, we will default to being idle & stagnant. We are grateful for the lessons we learned through it all. And also hoping this winter will not be a repeat 🙂 Blessings!
That was certainly active faith to get out there each day and chip away the ice and snow. But the prevention is always worth a pound of cure. Your illustration is right on also. Thank you for sharing with us here at Tell me a Story. http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Hazel. You summed it up well – “prevention is always worth a pound of cure.” Very wise!
Yikes. I dread to think of the winter 🙂 what a job you all had every day! Love the analogy…we can’t be lazy on this walk of faith ♥
Nannette, there were so many who had it worse than we did. Truly. I am grateful for all we learned in the midst of it. And of course, praying for a better winter to come 🙂
Joanne, there is such encouragement in your words: “We must participate with Him in His Word so we can see past our circumstances to what He is able to do.” Time in His presence allows us to see things from His perspective. Thank you, Joanne, for sharing your heart at #IntentionalTuesday on Intentionally Pursuing. : )
Crystal, it is so true that as we spend time with Him, we see things from His perspective. And see so much clearer. Always good to join you!