Faith Archives - Page 4 of 5

Tough Situations.

November 8, 2012 By: Sarah Leff2 Comments

Hello and Happy Thursday! It’s another beautiful day here is Texas. While I do miss the chilly fall Michigan days, I must say that 70 degrees and sunny is starting to grow on me:) Anyways, here is something that I read this morning…

“When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s son may be glorified through it.”

John 11:4

Jesus had just received word that Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was very sick. They sent word to Jesus so that he might come and heal Lazarus’ sickness. Although the sickness was severe, Jesus stated that it would not end in death, but that it was happening in order for God to be glorified. When Jesus arrived at Lazarus’ house, he found him already dead. While this situation was painful for all those involved, and it’s ending seemed set, God had other plans and purposes for Lazarus’ death. Even though he had been dead for four days, Jesus was able to raise him from the dead, and in doing so, man people believed and put their faith in him. God used this bad situation to bring glory to himself, and cause others to believe, thus turning it for good.

Likewise, God sometimes leads us into challenging situations. We may not understand why at the time, but ultimately he will be glorified through it when he turns the bad situation into a good one. We shouldn’t be afraid of bad situations, or complain when we are put in to a tough position. Instead, we should see these situations as opportunities to ultimately bring glory and honor to God.

What about you? Are there any situations in your life that seem out of your control? Trust that God will see you through, and remember to look for opportunities to glorify God even when things aren’t going as you planned—you never know what he is going to do through that challenging situation in your life.

Hope you all are having a great day so far! God Bless:)

Freedom and Truth.

November 6, 2012 By: Sarah Leff2 Comments

Happy Election Day! I’m sure you all are sick of hearing this by now, but…get out there and vote! It is SO SO SO important. Can’t stress that enough. I know that the lines are long, but go anyways—the wait is worth it!

Moving on. This morning I read some pretty neat passages from John chapter 8…

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31

“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

John 8:34-36

Jesus is speaking here to a crowd about true freedom—the kind only found in the truth of knowing Christ. We live in a sinful world, and when we give in to sin, we eventually become slaves to it. Why? Because when we allow sin into our lives, it will eventually control and dominate our words, thoughts, actions and deeds. Therefore, we become enslaved to our sin.

The good news? We don’t have to be slaves to our sin any longer. When we turn our eyes towards Jesus, we begin to see that he is the one and only truth—a ray of hope and light, piercing into our sin stricken world. Unlike the lies and bondage of our sins, which act to ensnare us, he can offer us real truth and freedom. Who the son (Jesus) sets free is free indeed. You may think that you are beyond truth, or that what you have done is too horrible to be undone. But, Jesus wants to set you free from the bondage of your sin. No matter what you’ve done, you can still find perfect truth and freedom in Jesus.

As we wait to see who comes out on top tonight after all the votes have been cast, remember that no matter what the outcome, Jesus is the only one who can exemplify real truth and freedom. Put your trust in him, and remember to pray for our leaders—that they would experience the truth and freedom of Christ—no matter who it may be that wins.

Hope you all are having a great day! God Bless:)

A Fisherman’s Faith.

October 24, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

It’s Wednesday! Half way through this wonderful week…can you believe that next week is already November?!? I have come to the conclusion that time goes by exceedingly faster the older you get. Seriously. But, on the plus side, November 1^st is a special day in my family. No it’s not a birthday, or a memorial, or any sort of holiday in particular. Every year on November 1^st, my mom and I have always busted out the Christmas music for the first time! Ha. This may seem crazy to some of you, but seriously my mom and I are obsessed with Christmas music. Even though we are states apart this year, I can guarantee that we will both be following through with the tradition on both of our ends:) Anyways…on to what I read this morning!

“Then Jesus said to Simon (aka Peter), “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

Luke 5:10b-11

At this point, Simon decided to leave everything he had in order to follow Jesus. Let me give you a little bit of background information on how this came about. Right before this, Jesus had gone in to Simon’s fishing boat and told him to cast his nets out again into the sea. Simon was skeptical—he had been at it for hours, and hadn’t caught a thing. But, seeing as it was Jesus, he decided to do what Jesus asked. When he cast out his nets, they became so full of fish that he had to signal another boat to come and help him bring the catch into shore. Even then the boats were so laden with fish that they began to sag a bit in the water due to the excess weight.

Simon was so awestruck and moved by this that he fell to his knees saying, “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man.” At this point, Simon realized something about the nature of Jesus. Not only did Jesus care about the miracles and healings of the masses, but he also cared deeply about the everyday activities of some local fisherman. He came down to their level, and assisted them in their work, showing Simon his true character and nature—one of kindness and love.

In the same way, God cares about the day-to-day activities of our daily lives. He cares about every detail, and wants to be a part of everything we do. Our response to that kind of love should be similar to Simon’s—drop everything and follow him. It’s not enough just to simply acknowledge that Jesus as our Savior and then move on with our lives. NO. We need to allow ourselves to be changed through an encounter with him, leaving behind our past and fully devoting our future to him—no matter where he may lead us.

This is something that God has really been speaking to me about lately. Am I really willing to give him everything? Am I willing to follow him no matter where he may lead? Something to think about.

Hope you all are having a great day! God Bless:)

The Desert.

October 23, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello Friends! Hope you all are having an excellent Tuesday so far. I woke up this morning with a swollen eyelid, so it’s been an interesting morning, but the swelling is starting to go down—I think at least! Still kind of looks like I got punched in the eye, but oh well I guess.

I was reading in Luke this morning, and this verse really stuck out to me…

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”

Luke 4:1-2a

What really stuck out to me today was the “led by the Spirit into the desert” part of the verse. For some reason, when I think of the Holy Spirit leading and guiding me I only ever picture myself being led into beautiful, nice and welcoming places. The word ‘desert’ doesn’t generally come to mind. But, that is exactly where the Holy Spirit led Jesus. And he didn’t lead him there to go on a vacation. No. Luke tells us that he led Jesus into the desert to be TEMPTED. He led him there to be tested and tried—not to be comfortable.

In the same way, sometimes the Holy Spirit may lead us into our own ‘desert’ situations, where our purpose in being led there is to be tested and tried. Living the Christian life does not come without its trials, and definitely not without temptations from the devil. Although difficult, we don’t need to be afraid of facing tests and trials.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James 1:2-4

According to James, the testing of our faith develops perseverance, which in turn leads to spiritual maturity. If we never had to face any trials or challenges, then we would never have the opportunity to grow in our faith. God has a plan and a purpose for every trial or test that we face in this life. It may seem difficult at the time, but once its over, you’ll be able to look back on that time in your life and see how much you’ve grown because of it. When times are tough, remember these scriptures, and know that God has a plan and a purpose—far bigger than we could ever imagine!

Hope you all are having a great week so far! God bless:)

Amazing Faith.

October 22, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend. We did some unpacking, built a desk for our office, and did some exploring around the area…not too bad of a weekend:) It was really warm, which is still so weird to me, but overall had a relaxing weekend. It’s nice to be able to actually enjoy our apartment now that we have furniture and the like.

I started reading the gospel of Luke this morning. First, did you guys know that Luke was a physician? I read that in the footnotes of my Bible this morning…I had no idea. You all probably knew that, but I thought it was really interesting. His account of Jesus’ life is very detailed, which I guess makes sense seeing that he was a doctor, and doctors need to be precise. Random fact for the day.

Anyways, this morning I read about Mary. I’m sure most of you are familiar with her story, but just in case you’re not, I’ll give a little background info. Mary was a virgin, about to married to Joseph, when an angel of the Lord came to her and told her she would give birth to a son—Jesus. Now, this must have sounded very strange to her. I mean, she was a virgin—how exactly was this going to work out? Back in her time, a woman who became pregnant outside of marriage was generally shunned by society, and usually remained unmarried for the rest of her life. It was completely unacceptable, and looked down upon quite strongly. Now, knowing this, I have to imagine that Mary was terrified. The implications of such a pregnancy would most likely ruin her life. But, instead of being afraid, Mary was willing and eager to do what God called her to do, and agreed to become the mother of Jesus.

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.”

Luke 1:38

May it be to me as you have said. That’s it. Mary didn’t need any reassurances or promises that everything would work out okay in the end. No. She simply trusted God, and willingly obeyed him even though the task she was given didn’t seem to make a lot of sense.

Mary had real faith. Even when faced with a difficult situation, she chose to willingly obey God. How often do we skip out on God’s plan for our lives because we are too scared, or the situation just doesn’t seem to make sense to us? I Know I am guilt of doing this. It’s hard to trust God when things are difficult, or when they don’t make sense, but that is when doing so is the most important. If we could approach every situation in our lives—good or bad—with faith like that of Mary, think about how much more God could accomplish through us. I’m sure the results would be amazing.

What about you? Is there something in your life that just doesn’t seem to make sense right now? Trust God, and willingly obey what he is telling you—even if you can’t make sense of it right now, it will all become clear in the end, and the results will be worth it!

Hope you all are having a great day so far! God Bless:)

Just a little more…

October 16, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello! Big news…we got our furniture last night! After two weeks of sleeping on an air mattress, sitting on the floor, eating out of paper bowls with plastic utensils, and no cooking items, I am a little bit excited about seeing our stuff all in one place again:) It came last night so everything is still in boxes, but thankfully I have all day to unpack.

I was reading in Mark this morning and this verse really stuck out to me…

“He (Jesus) could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.”

Mark 6:5-6

Jesus and his disciples went into Nazareth to teach the people living there. However, when they arrived, Jesus was unable to preform miracles. At first when I read this I thought it was a little strange—I mean this is Jesus we’re talking about. He should be able to do anything at anytime. But then I took a closer look.

It’s not that Jesus wasn’t physically able to perform the miracles—he chose not to when the people did not believe. And since these people didn’t believe, he wasn’t able to perform miracles—due to their lack of faith, not his lack of ability. If only the people of Nazareth would have believed, Jesus would have been able to do far greater miracles.

I think the same sort of thing happens to us today. We pray for miracles and healings, but do we honestly, truly believe that those miracles will take place? Are we completely sincere—without a doubt?

I know that sometimes I find myself doubting God’s abilities when it comes to the miraculous in my own life. It’s not something that I am used to, so sometimes I find it hard to have faith in his supernatural power. I’m guessing some of you struggle with the same thoughts at times. But, think of it this way. How much more would God be able to do in and through us if we would just have a little more faith? I’m guessing it would be quite a bit. Don’t try and put a limit on God’s power in your life. Trust him. Believe. And allow him to work in and through you—I think you’ll be surprised what he is able to do.

Hope you all are having a great start to the week! I’m off to start unpacking.

God Bless:)

Just Believe.

October 15, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and Happy Monday! Hope you all (y’all?) had a great weekend. James and I took it pretty easy and did a bit of sight seeing and exploring. We were supposed to get our furniture yesterday, but it was delayed until this evening…only a few more hours! I seriously never knew how much I could miss a bed. Anyways. I finished Matthew and started Mark over the weekend, and this morning I came across a short but impactful verse…

“Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Mark 5:36b

Like I said—short and sweet. Let me give you a little bit of background information so you understand the context. Jesus was on his way to heal the daughter of Jarius, on of the synagogue rulers, when word reached them that Jarius’ daughter had already died. Assuming they were too late, Jarius became sad and afraid. But, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” I don’t know about you, but I think if I were Jarius I would have found it rather hard to believe anything right then. I would have been thinking about how my child had just died—not that there was still any hope left. But with Jesus all things are possible—even bringing the dead back to life. They carried on towards Jarius’ house, and when they reached it Jesus told all who were there that the daughter was not dead but merely sleeping. Onlookers laughed, but Jesus had other plans. He went to the child, held her hands, and brought her back to life. Amazing.

“Don’t be afraid; just believe.” It sounds so simple, yet it can be so difficult at times. When times are tough, fear and doubt seem like the easiest places to turn. So often we fall into fear, when what we really need to do is trust and believe. When tempted to be afraid, we must remember these words spoken by Jesus. No matter what the circumstance may be, Jesus is much bigger, and able to overcome it. We don’t need to be afraid. Instead, we need to believe in him and in his perfect will for our lives. When we begin to feel hopeless and afraid, remember that Jesus is king of all, and that his ways are higher and better than ours.

Is there something that you are struggling with today? Perhaps it is something that is causing you to live in fear. I challenge you to remember the words of Jesus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe,” and let him guide you through whatever it is that you are going through.

Hope you all are having a great day so far—God bless!

Impossible is Nothing.

October 7, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello and happy chilly Sunday! It’s been, well, CHILLY this weekend, and I am LOVING it. Seriously. One of the things I was sad to leave behind in the Midwest was the chilly autumn days and the colorful leafs—well this weekend felt just like home:) I think it is supposed to get warm again next week, but for now I am thoroughly enjoying the chilly weather!

This morning I was reading again in Matthew, and this familiar verse stood out to me. It’s funny how God points out certain verses at specific times in our lives, and this was definitely one of those times.

“He replied, “Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothingwill be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20-21

Jesus was explaining to his disciples that in order for them to do miracles in His name, they must first have faith. Faith is not always an easy thing. More often than not, I find myself attempting to rely on my own abilities rather than God’s, and doing never seems to work out in quite the way that I had planned. When presented with obstacles, I tend to give up too easily. So often I feel that a certain situation or circumstance is too challenging for me. I feel incompetent, insecure, and unable to do what is asked or required of me. But, the only reason I feel this way is because I allow my focus to turn away from God. Instead of focusing on him, I focus on the problem, and focusing on the problem without including God only leads to fear, anxiety, insecurity and doubt.

It’s like when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, and asked him to call him out into the waves as well. Jesus called, and for a moment, Peter was able to walk on the water. But, as soon as he let his eyes shift away from Jesus and towards the whistling wind and crashing waves, he began to sink. In the same way, our obstacles and stresses in life are like the wind and the waves. When we shift our eyes away from Jesus and instead look to them, we begin to sink. We feel overwhelmed, stressed, insecure and unable. But, Jesus is bigger than any wave you may be facing in life, and he is right there, waiting for us to call out to him so he can save us from the waves.

I need to have more faith. Faith that God is indeed bigger than and problem or challenge I could ever face, and that with him, ALL things are possible. There is no limit to what we can do when we actively shift our focus from the waves, and instead focus on the only one who can save us from drowning.

Is there something in your life today that feels to big to handle? Maybe it even seems impossible. Whatever it is, give it to God. With him, all things are not only possible—they are probable and completely doable.

Lord, help me to shift my attitude and focus away from the problems and obstacles in my life in order to step out in faith and focus on you. I pray for your guidance and wisdom, and the courage to face any circumstance—no matter what it may be—with you by my side. Amen.

Hope you all had an excellent weekend! God Bless:)

No Worries.

October 2, 2012 By: Sarah Leff1 Comment

Hello and Happy Tuesday from Grapevine, TX! We are slowly getting a little more familiar with the area, and starting to settle in to our new apartment. I am missing fall in the Midwest, but the weather here has been pretty nice so far so I can’t really complain. I started reading the New Testament on Monday (yay). It’s slightly easier to read than the Old Testament, which is nice:) Anyways, I was reading in Matthew this morning, and this verse really stuck out to me…

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.”

Matthew 6:34

Needless to say, this was a good reminder for me this morning. Often, I find myself worrying WAY to easily. Not to say that moving half way across the country with less than two weeks notice comes without worry and stress—because it does—but sometimes I worry too much. I’ve mentioned previously that I am a planner my nature, and always like to know what is going to happen next. Planning is not a bad thing, but the point that our plans turn into worry is when we need to take a step back and reevaluate. The footnotes in my Bible said it well…

“Planning for tomorrow is time well spent; worrying about tomorrow is time wasted.”

Again, planning is not a bad thing—it is actually a good thing, and when done correctly can alleviate a lot of stress. But, planning goes wrong when we allow worry to creep into the picture. If we trust God with our plans in the first place, then there is no need to worry. I know this is much easier said than done—I’m living proof of that. But, overtime I have figured out that worrying really doesn’t get you anywhere—its only makes things worse. When we trust God with our plans and our problems, he is faithful to work things out in our favor.

Lord, help me to trust you with my plans, and not to worry about anything. I’ve let worry and stress get in the way of our relationship, and I’m sorry. Forgive me for worrying and stressing. Help me to trust you in all that I do today and always. Amen.

Hope you all are having a fabulous week! God Bless:)

The Raging Sea

October 1, 2012 By: Sarah Leffcomment

Hello! It’s been awhile…don’t worry, I’m still here, it’s just been a crazy week! I can say that James and I have successfully arrived in Grapevine, TX (just outside of Dallas) and are settling into our new apartment down here. Thanks for all of the prayers and support throughout the move–God has definitely been with us throughout the entire process.

I definitely have felt a little overwhelmed at times over the past few weeks, but every time I start to get nervous or afraid, I remember that God is with me. He loves me, and he has a plan and a purpose for my life. I am here in Texas for a reason, and even though I may not know what that reason may be just yet, I’m sure God will use both James and myself in powerful ways. I’m learning to trust God entirely, and lean on him no matter what I may be going through. There’s something about moving somewhere far from home that teaches you this reliance and trust in a way that you never thought to be possible before. God is good, and he will always provide for his children.

I was reading in Jonah the other day (which, by the way, I officially finished the New Testament today!) and was struck by how God provided for him even as he was running away from the task God had given him. God wanted Jonah to go to Ninevah, but Jonah didn’t want to. Instead, he tried running from God by getting on a ship to sail away from his problems. While God sent a raging storm to pursue Jonah and stop him from running away, he also sent a big fish to swallow him up and save him from the sea. God has a way of providing for us, no matter what our circumstance may be. Just as he provided the big fish as a means to save Jonah from the raging sea, so too can he provide for you and me. All we have to do is ask and receive.

Hope you all had a great weekend, and I’ll be back to more regular blog posts this coming week:) God Bless!

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