Trust in God.

This weekend proved to be a very excellent time to develop trust. I have been asking God to stretch my faith, knowing full well that it takes a place where you can not do anything and then it has to be God for this to come. Saturday, I had my two youngest children, Matt & Cass (thank you for all the prayers! It had been 18 months!), and I knew we were expecting weather (=snow!). On the way home we had a wonderful ride with cars hitting the ice anddeciding to go skiing across medians and over banks. Traffic on the main roads would slow to 35 from time to time. On the way back to pick up Amy (the othr end of the state) we encountered more of the same. We picked her up and there was one car in front of us where I just delt the Lord say, "back up". I voiced this, slowing down when he began to do a fishtail number from lane to lane. We began to pray and he ended up going southbound in the northbound lane, in the breakdown with no damage. We managed to squeeze by him and all was well. Last night I had to return Amy, and we encountered black ice. If you have never encountered this, its when the car gets deadly silent inside as you realize you have no traction. Cars, buses and trucks were careening off the sides one right after another.

I thank God as He put His arms around us and brought us to safety. If God's not in it, why would we want to do it anyways! I am not big on that kind of driving, but there was a calmness in our vehicle as we just worked our way home.

Faith. We could all use more. The only way it develops is by a time of testing or trial. If you can see it or you can do it, it really doesn't take faith or God. Could you use more faith? Can you stand the stretch? Only time will tell. If we are to see the dead raise, lame walk, blind see and deaf hear, we need a whole lot more faith than what we are walking in at this point. Until we recognize that need for God and stop placing our trust in the world, we probably won't see much of the miracle working power of God. When we become dependent on the world and its systems we can not see God, because we don't need Him. If you are trusting for financial miracles within the realm of what you can do, what do you need God for?

Putting God in the box is the surest (and certainly the safest!) way to keep Him in the box. The only thing between me (or you!) and miracles is my unbelief! Its not the devil. Jesus said the devil is a defeated adversary! Its you and me!

Its our idols and our golden cows. What was the golden cow? It was that which the Israelites put between them and God. It was what separated them from God. What are our golden cows? Is it our tv programs, our soaps, or talk shows or sports? Is it the shiny new vehicle in the yard that equalizes us with the neighbors? (I saw many new vehicles upside down last night!!!) Is it the jewelry or the clothing that MAKES us who we are? When it should be Jesus. We have idols to tear down, golden cows to destroy! They are hindering our relationship with God.

I need Jesus for my life.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

That's my identity. Crucifixion. I am dead on the cross with Jesus. And when I get Lee out of the way the life of Christ can work. Otherwise, I keep nailing Jesus back up on the cross, saying "it was not enough, Jesus!" I live by His faith. Not mine.

Do you need a miracle? God is in the miracle business. I know some say that was in the days of old. I disagree. I have seen Him in action. How do you develop faith? By seeing it stretched. The word says "that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word." Your faith will increase as you desire to see it stretched. It will increase as you remove the blockages of sin and the world. (The Israelites had to parade around the desert for 40 years to get the sin of Egypt out of their lives.)

Stretch your faith. Will it be comfortable? Probably not. But if you desire the faith of a Moses or an Abraham, your faith must be stretched. We are praying for you.