It's Dark Out Here!

It's hard to ignore the fact that this world is a very dark place. The constant wars, heartbreaking famine, increasingly common natural disasters and widespread political greed and dishonesty continue to come at us from a myriad of sources.

I vacillate between being glued to the TV, staying informed of the latest breaking news, and being in denial, paying attention only to my own little circle of the world.  I know as Christians we have to stay informed of current events. We must know what we are up against and lean into God for His direction and guidance. He is counting on us to lead others to Him before it's too late as well.

But, it's depressing. It's scary, and it's overwhelming at times. Satan's schemes seem to be winning over God's Truth and Light. How can this be when we know that, in the end, God wins? As children of God, that means we win too!

But God also warns us that "There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

The Bible also warns us that "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." We are now seeing this happen in Israel, Iraq and throughout the world.

I sometimes struggle with depression and feelings of hopelessness when I focus too much on these tragedies. I feel insignificant and unable to make even a small difference in these tragic circumstances. I will continue to struggle with these issues, but I am also able to hold on to the many promises God has given us in His Word.

As I continued reading in 2 Timothy, I came upon Chapter 4, verse 18 which says, "The Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom."

I will continue to follow news and politics to a degree, but I am careful not to saturate myself or my family in it. God is well aware of and predicted thousands of years ago that the world would get darker and darker over time. In some ways, we can actually take courage from it, because it means that the time of Christ's return is nearing!

Take a Step

As Christians, we've all heard about taking a "Step of Faith." We talk freely about it as if it's something we do every day. However, a lot of what we call "Steps of Faith" are actually just simply "Steps."
Now, don't get me wrong. Steps of any kind are important. If we didn't take steps in some sort of direction, all we would be doing is standing still, staying stuck and remaining in a rut. God wants us to take steps daily in our lives to move forward in life, to keep going and to continue living for Him.
A "Step of Faith," however, is something much larger, much more meaningful and definitely much, much more difficult and scary. I would even call it terrifying.

It's important to realize that if your "Step of Faith" can be attempted and completed in your own strength, it is just a step. A "Step of Faith" requires God. It requires His strength. It requires His power. It requires His courage, and it definitely requires our trust in His promises.
In order to feel confident about taking a "Step of Faith," one needs to look closely at God's track record, whether it be in your own life or in others' lives. God is always faithful to His promises, but until you know that with 100 percent certainty, you will most likely not be willing to take any "Steps of Faith."
Take the Old Testament Israelites, for example. God had proven Himself time and time again that He would see them through. He freed them from slavery and then led them through the wilderness, never leaving them and never forsaking them. He promised them the land of "Milk and Honey," but when they got to the Promised Land and saw the very large, scary people who inhabited the land, they gave up. They chose not to trust God's promise and, instead, they fled. Everyone except Joshua and Caleb. They were the only ones that trusted that when God said He would give them victory over the land, He meant it. Therefore, Joshua and Caleb were blessed and inherited the Promised Land, just as God had promised. The others, however, never stepped foot in the beautiful Land of Milk and Honey.
Was it scary for Joshua and Caleb? I'm sure it was terrifying, and it didn't make any sense for them to think they could take over the land according to human reasoning. God usually asks us to take "Steps of Faith" that go against all common sense. Otherwise, we wouldn't need faith to do it.
Any "Step of Faith" begins with the conviction that God is Faithful and True to His Promises. Any "Step of Faith" will tap into your Spiritual Strength and engage the enemy, and any "Step of Faith" will take new territory for God.
Read Numbers 13-14 for Joshua and Caleb's great example of how to follow God wholeheartedly and take a "Step of Faith."