Have a little faith.

God's been testing, I mean really testing, my level of faith these days. Until recently, I would have considered myself to have a decent "measure" of faith...as much as you can measure that. I mean, all we need is a mustard seed, right? But, I began to realize that while I have an almost unlimited amount of faith to believe God will do amazing works in other people's lives, I have a much more difficult time believing God will answer my own prayers, or satisfy the desires of my own heart. Why? "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." That's the honest reason. When you've been praying for the longings & dreams of your heart to become reality, and years & years go by without any sign of those prayers coming to fruition, it can be a struggle to hold on to hope. However, let me say, I know I'm not the only one waiting on prayers to be answered, or having doubts that they ever will be. It only feels that way at times.

Let's take a look at Thomas, for instance. I can relate to "doubting Thomas" more than any other person in the Bible. He needed proof. Proof that his Jesus was alive again. When the other disciples told him that they had seen the Lord, Thomas replied, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe" (John 20:25). No one was going to change his mind. He was willing to look crazy for his unwillingness to believe because he needed proof. Proof that a mortal man died on a cross and was raised to life three days later. (Pretty sure Thomas & I would have been friends). Jesus provided the proof he needed...eight days later. He could have come as soon as Thomas doubted the resurrection. But, He chose not to. Thomas had eight entire days to wrestle with the doubts in his mind. That's worth noting.

But then...Jesus came to his rescue.

"Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he spoke directly to Thomas. "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:26-28). It's also worth noting that before Jesus commanded him to believe, He spoke into every one of his doubts. I love that. He sympathizes with our weaknesses & knows that in our humanness, faith can seem unattainable at times.

But He also loves us enough to not allow us to give up. He's been challenging my faith even further lately by asking one question: "Are you in a place where you're ready to receive what I have for you?" Pretty simple question, right? Who wouldn't want to receive from the Lord!? Well...this girl has struggled majorly in that area. Feelings of unworthiness have caused me to doubt whether the Lord has better for my life. Lies I've believed that have overshadowed the truth of God's Word. But, my desire is not to stay in a place of unbelief. Thankfully, because of God's unyielding mercy, He wants more for my life than what I've perceived I'm worthy of. It's not about anything I can or can't do; it's all about His goodness.

What is it in your life that you're having a difficult time believing or maybe, receiving? What if, instead of believing for the "thing," we believed in the God who can do all things? That means we trust in the Lord enough to believe that HE knows our desires and HE knows how to best fulfill His plans in our lives. It's definitely not always easy to get to that place, but once there, it's a place I want to remain in.