RUMINATE: "To chew ones cud. To chew over and over.  Figuratively: to continuously focus one's attention on a subject."

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When I was a child growing up on my families farm my Grandpa raised sheep as a hobby.  His flock grew to 40 sheep.  This gave a kid like me  lots of interesting experiences.  Being a ruminate animal sheep would "chew their cud" to completely digest the food they ate.  My friends chuckle when I still use that adjective to describe my musings on a variety of subjects.  I enjoy taking time to pick apart my thoughts and expand on them.  I share some of these "ruminations" here for no other reason than the added enjoyment of sharing.

 

My intent here is not to preach, persuade, or debate.  These are simply my thoughts on my own  journey as I walk through this life I have been given.  Along with this, as I am able from time to time, I will share other tidbits from my journey.

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Faith and Prayer

I read recently that in the old testament there are three Hebrew expressions that have been translated as faith:

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• Aman : agreeing with God and HIs word, and saying "Amen" often translated as "BELIEVE".  Gen 15:6

• Yaqal :  to trust under extreme pain or pressure, usually translated as "Hope" Job 13:15

• Qavah :  the strongest word for faith, which is translated as "WAIT"

From the book "Faith, Deliverance, & Healing" by John Eckhardt

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I find it interesting as I look at the three together: Believe, Hope, Wait.  This seems to be a good attitude to have as I approach the Lord in prayer.  Yet, after listing so many heroes of faith from the old testament, Hebrews 11:39 says that "none of them received what had been promised."  At first thought this could seem discouraging.  If these champions of faith didn't receive how am I to approach prayer with faith. 

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As I ruminated on the verses that followed I found my answers.  Hebrews 11:40 tells me "since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."  God had better plans us new testament believers!

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When I looked back a few verses I saw some similarities, yet differences as well, between old testament and new testament approaches to prayer.  Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"  The similarities are in the need for an attitude of belief and hope when I pray.  What caught my eye though was the word "evidence" of things not yet seen.  It got me thinking about where evidence is needed or used - in a courtroom!

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The bible tells me that the thief comes to "kill, steal, and destroy" me.  He wants to steal my health, my joy and my victory.   Now I see prayer when approaching the throne of grace as walking into a courtroom.  We are to "come boldly" and with confidence to the throne of grace.  Hebrews 4:16.  I believe I should not come into that courtroom, in front of our righteous judge empty handed.  I must come with the evidence  to prove my case against my accuser.  That evidence is my faith in God's word and His promises. 

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Matthew 17:20  Truly I tell you, 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.  Nothing will be impossible for you."  I used to look at this verse as Jesus admonishing the disciples for lack of faith.  Now I see it as a simple statement:  it doesn't take a lot of faith, just a little.  A mustard seed's worth.  But I need to come into the courtroom with the evidence needed  to plead my case to the righteous judge and defeat the lies of the enemy.  That evidence is my faith in God's words and promises. 

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I haven't updated my website for some time as life has kept me busy.  As I revisit it today I am reminded of an analogy I heard recently concerning faith and belief.  Matthew 17:20 tells me I don't need a lot of faith only a mustard seeds worth.  But what about the "belief" part?  I have faith when I approach the Lord in prayer, but do I then follow that faith with belief or do I look for physical evidence of some immediate result?  I am learning that it is the believe part of this equation where I need to grow. 

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The simple analogy I heard recently was about taking an aspirin when I have a headache.  I have faith before I take that aspirin that it will relieve my headache.  If I have things to do that the headache prevented me from doing I will go out and do them once I take the aspirin because I BELIEVE the aspirin is going to do what it was meant to do.  I believed the moment I took the aspirin even though the evidence had not yet come- I still had my headache.  I went about my day knowing that the aspirin was doing what it had promised to do. That time between taking the aspirin and pain relief is where I had been missing it when it came to prayer, faith and belief. 

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Abraham gives us the example of how this works, Romans 4:17-21: 

"As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.  18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.  9 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

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Even though He and Sarah were old and beyond child bearing years Abraham believed God.  He didn't try to ignore his age and circumstance.  He chose to look at his circumstance AND YET  his faith didn't waver and he believed God. 

 

I have faith that aspirin works (Sort of like mustard seed faith).  I believe, that once I take it, it will be effective and do what it was intended to do.  I don't praise aspirin and thank it for working, yet am I believing in aspirin more than I am believing God and his promises?

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A big part of believing is not only believing God can do a thing, but that he WANTS to do it. 

That is settled in John 14:12: Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for  ANYTHING in my name, and I will do it.

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Jesus tells us we can ask for anything in His name and He will do it.  Now we know this isn't a license to be dumb and greedy, but the Bible also says He came to defeat the enemy who came to "Steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.)  

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As I believe in the Lord's will, ability, and desire to destroy the works of the enemy, which brings glory to God, then I will be more fully a part of His plan: "to have life, and have it to the full."  This is my desire and I know it is His also.  My hope is that we may all continue to grow in this area as we participate in the Lords plan.  

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Aspirin analogy from a talk by Don Allen, Two Guys and a Bible, Laurie Miss   

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We had a few windy storms a while back on the farm and changed the landscape between our home and "Mom and Dad's" house next door.  I thought I'd add a couple pics - see if you can see the change!

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