“The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But it does not sink deep into them; they believe only for a while but when the time of testing comes, they fall away.” – Luke 8:13 GNT
 
Our faith must be constantly renewed, protected, and managed. If not, we run the risk of losing it - the one thing that can help us navigate the darkness that surrounds us during times of uncertainty, anxiety, and lonesomeness. Now faith is the assurance of the things we hope for and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). But it becomes difficult for us to remain faith filled when all we can see are setbacks and sorrow around us.

There have been many times in my life where I felt like abandoning my faith. Times when I did not see the value in trusting God, as my world was crumbling around me. Maybe that is where you are today - feeling that as time goes on, the hope you once had for a marriage, child, job, healing, recovery, or breakthrough is waning. We are often taught that faith is asking God for something and waiting patiently until He provides it to us. But I learned that faith is believing that God can do it even if He doesn’t do it.

For three years I asked God to have the criminal charge against me dismissed and I am now going on year four without any resolution, but I still believe that God can do it. For three years I prayed for a job and haven’t received one, but I still believe that God can provide. My family prayed for my uncle to be healed from COVID and he died, yet I still trust God as a healer.

Do not define your faith by a setback, poor result, or an unanswered prayer. Faith isn’t about receiving something from God; it is declaring like Martha did after the death of her brother when she said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (John 11:21-22). Martha asked Jesus to save her brother, her brother died, yet she still believed and had faith in God’s supreme authority.

Your faith, then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God's power.
- 1 Corinthians 2:5 GNT

The Grace To Go On
God does not always give us what we ask for. Sometimes the sickness ends in death, the womb remains barren, the relationship dissolves, the job lays you off, and the rent isn’t paid. That doesn’t mean that God has forgotten about you, that He doesn’t love you, or hasn’t heard your prayers - it means that He is going to provide you with the grace to withstand your disappointment.

When we don’t receive what we have been asking God for, the enemy uses our disillusionment to separate us from God. He wants to rob us of our faith because he knows that it is impossible for us to please God without it (Hebrews 11:6). So, he encourages us to place our faith in people, money, material goods, and things that make us feel good, but ultimately, leaves us hopeless. Remember, there is no relief in the words of the devil.
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When the time of your testing comes, do not fall away. You may be disappointed, afraid, and apprehensive, but still believe that even now God can save, heal, deliver, and redeem you. Your situation and circumstances are in God’s hands. Trust and believe in Him and He will renew you.   

God makes a home for the lonely; He leads the prisoners into prosperity, Only the stubborn and rebellious dwell in a parched land. - Psalm 68:6 AMP

We do not have an issue asking God to provide for us. When we want a job, we pray for it. When we want a spouse, we pray for him or her. When we want healing, money, or a breakthrough, we ask God for it. There is nothing wrong with trusting God to provide for us - scripture tells us that He will supply every need of ours (Philippians 4:19) and withhold no good things from us (Psalm 84:11). Thank God when He provides but remember that the same God who gives also takes away (Job 1:21). 

What do you do when God takes away? What do you do when the job you thought you would retire from lays you off? What do you do when the person you thought you would spend the rest of your life with is gone? What do you do when your health fails, car is repossessed, and house is foreclosed on? What do you do when the things you were depending on in one season of your life, are now unavailable in the next? 

Dry No More

A prophet named Elijah, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to King Ahab, “In the name of the Lord, the living God of Israel, whom I serve, I tell you that there will be no dew or rain for the next two or three years until I say so.”

Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Leave this place and go east and hide yourself near Cherith Brook, east of the Jordan. The brook will supply you with water to drink, and I have commanded ravens to bring you food there.”

Elijah obeyed the Lord's command and went and stayed by Cherith Brook. He drank water from the brook, and ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and every evening. After a while the brook dried up because of the lack of rain.

Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Now go to the town of Zarephath, near Sidon, and stay there. I have commanded a widow who lives there to feed you.” - 1 Kings 17:1-9 GNT

During a period of drought, God provided for Elijah. He supplied Elijah with everything he needed to survive during that season of his life, but when that season was over, God took away the very thing he provided to Elijah. Now, the text does not say that the ravens stop bringing food to Elijah, all it says is that the brook dried up. That would have been a problem if Elijah did not have the power to make it rain, but he proclaimed earlier, “there will be no rain… until I say so.” Elijah could have indeed survived by the dry brook, but why just survive when God wants you to thrive? 

Elijah had a choice to make; he could stay where God was or move to where God is. He chose to obey God’s commands and trust that where God was taking him was better than what God had taken away from him. Our problem is we stay at the dry brook and like Jonah we complain when God tries to move us into something better by taking away the things and people we were depending on (Jonah 4:8). So, we stay on the dry job, we stay in the dry relationship, and continue making dry decisions when God wants to move us into something better. 

God removes people and things from our lives when He wants to make room for the overflow. Leave your dry brooks behind and trust and believe that God will provide for you as He guides you. 

Whenever I am anxious and worried, you comfort me and make me glad.
​- Psalm 94:19 AMP

I am the type of person who always jumps to the worst possible conclusion. Having that type of disposition turns everyday occurrences into cataclysmic events.  If I am having a stomachache, I ask myself, what if it is cancer? If I call someone and they do not answer, I wonder, what if something is wrong? Every time I am paying for something at a store or restaurant, I am like, what if my card is declined (don’t act like you never had that fear)? To put it simply, I worry entirely too much.

Are you a worrier too? Do you often find yourself playing the what if game, asking yourself: “What if I fail?”, “What if I do not get married?”, “What if I do not get the job?”, “What if I do not come up with the money”, or “what if I am sick?”. Worrying is dangerous because it affects us both physically and spiritually. If we worry too much, we risk suppressing our immune system which opens us up to sickness, disease, and possible heart failure. Worrying also affects us spiritually because when we are worrying, what we are really doing is doubting God’s ability to comfort us in times of mourning, provide for us in times of need, and do exceedingly above and beyond what we can ask of Him.  

Limitless

And He did not do many miracles there [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief.  - Matthew 13:58 AMP

When Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, He received a less than stellar reception. Many who heard Him, were offended by the things He was saying and authority He claimed. Because of this, He did not perform many miracles there. The people’s unbelief put a limit on what God could do in their lives.

The only limits to God’s power are the ones we place on Him through our unbelief. When our worry leads to doubt, we like the people in Nazareth, place limits on a limitless God. This scripture does not say He did not perform any miracles, it says “He did not do many miracles,” which lets us know that there were some there who had the faith to believe that God can and will do what He said, and they were the ones who received the healings, breakthroughs, and blessings. Instead of worrying about the wrong things, they put their faith in the right thing.

Those who were blessed in Nazareth asked a different “what if” question. They asked, “What if God is who He said He is?” And then they lived like they believed it. You are going to have to do the same thing too. Ask “What if I get the job?”, “What if my business succeeds?”, “What if I am healed?”, “What if I find the love of my life?” and “What if it all works out for my good?” Then live like you believe it. Live like something good is going to happen to and for you. 

Jesus tells us not to worry because our Father in Heaven knows exactly what we need (Matthew 6:32). The unbelievers in Nazareth did not have their needs met because of their unbelief - so they went on living a life of apprehension, worry, and doubt when God wanted to give them peace. Do not let unbelief keep you from getting your needs met. Eliminate worry and doubt from your life and by doing so, you will be removing the limits to what God can and will do for you.

Do not desire to possess anything that belongs to another person - not a house, a wife, a husband, or anything else. - Exodus 20:17 CEV

A few weeks ago, I was scrolling on social media and came across a post by Sarah Jakes Roberts that was celebrating her recent achievement of selling 100,000 copies of her latest book. Upon seeing that post I immediately started to feel bad because my book hadn’t sold 100,000 copies. Forget the fact that my goal for this year was to have 1,000 sales/downloads and to date I have nearly tripled that goal. Comparison causes us to diminish our own accomplishments.

Now, you are probably thinking that it is silly of me to be comparing myself to a world-renowned minister and best-selling author and you would be correct. However, it is no sillier than when we compare ourselves to our relatives, friends, co-workers, or random people we meet and see.

It has been said that comparison is the thief of joy, and when comparison leads to feelings of envy, resentment, anger, or causes you to devalue yourself then it becomes easy to see how it can rob you of your happiness, purpose, and wellbeing. 

What Others Have 

Then all the leaders of Israel met together, went to Samuel in Ramah, and said to him… “… appoint a king to rule over us, so that we will have a king, as other countries have.” - 1 Samuel 8:4-5 GNT

The Israelites were God’s chosen people and yet, they were comparing themselves to others and willing to relinquish God’s protection and provision to pursue what others had. That is what comparison does to us - it makes us envy other people and things at the expense of our own peace and happiness.

Even when God, through Samuel, warned them of everything they would lose by having a king they ignored him and responded by saying:

“No! We want a king, so that we will be like other nations…” 
- 1 Samuel 8:19-20 GNT

Do not ask for another person’s blessings if you don’t want their burdens. Do not ask for another person’s relationship or marriage, family, job, success, or influence because you don’t know what they had to endure to obtain those things. You were made by God, and when He made you, He put within you everything you would need to survive the trials you would face, but when you covet and pursue what someone else has you are opening yourself up to an attack that you were not made to handle.

Under Valued

As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands. “Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. - 1 Samuel 18:7-9 NIV

God chose Saul to be the King of Israel until his direct disobedience led him to fall out of favor with God. Following Saul’s defiance, God then anoints David king. Saul became upset and began to compare himself with David. He grew angry because David was being credited with killing tens of thousands and him, “only thousands.” 

Have you, like Saul, ever undervalued your own accomplishments with an “only?” Maybe you have said things like I am only a mother, I am only an assistant, I am only part-time, I only had 10 sales, or I only have a high school education. It says, [Saul] thought, meaning - comparison caused him to create a false narrative in his head that what he had accomplished was insignificant, and an “only” led him to grow spiteful, depressed, and fearful.

In the end, Saul commits suicide and that is ultimately the cost of comparison - the death of your future. Instead of comparing yourself to the image that others want you to see and creating a false narrative in your head - learn to be your authentic self and live the best life God has blessed you with to the fullest. 

You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly. And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause. 
– 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 GNT

There are few things more important in life than giving. Those who are generous, have been found to live happier and healthier lives than those who are not. Also, generous individuals are more socially connected to their communities and inspire others to give. Giving is also biblical; God provided us with life and hope by giving us Jesus, who reminded us that, “it is better to give than receive” (Acts 20:35). Our problem is, we often conflate giving with money, but there are things (time, love, compassion, etc.) more valuable than money that you can give. 

One of the greatest givers I had the pleasure of knowing was my Uncle Anthony. He was not a man of great means, but that never stopped him from giving. He didn’t just give money, he gave his time, counsel, empathy, and kindness to others. When giving, he liked to say, “I know it’s not much, but it’s something.” If what you are giving comes from a place of love, then it does not matter how much it is. What you give is not as important as where you are giving it from.

The Widow’s Offering

As Jesus sat near the Temple treasury, he watched the people as they dropped in their money. Many rich men dropped in a lot of money; then a poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth about a penny. He called his disciples together and said to them, “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had—she gave all she had to live on.” – Mark 12:41-44 GNT

God is more concerned with the quality, rather than the quantity of a thing. Jesus proves this by not being moved by what the rich men were giving but instead was moved by the widow’s offering. This widow gave from the bottom – she did not have much to give but it was something and it was done with the right motives. The others gave from their wealth, but she gave from her commitment and faith. 

Motives 

When giving, always do it with the right motives. Do not give money hoping to get it back. Do not help others just to make yourself look good. Do not give your time just because you have nothing else to do. Your kind words, deeds, and gestures should come from your heart not from your ego. 

Commitment and Faith 

Giving was not unfamiliar to this woman. The fact that she was at the temple to give proves her commitment because typically when we feel like we do not have much to give, we refrain from giving. Society honors those who selfishly hold onto what they have, but God honors those who selflessly gives from the treasures that He has placed within them. That is why He tells us that if we are giving gladly, from a place of commitment and faith that what we give will be given back to us in full - pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into our lap. The amount we give will determine the amount we get back (Luke 6:38). 

Therefore, give away what you want more of in your life. What you give should always be connected to a sacrifice. To give us life, Jesus had to sacrifice His life. So, if you want money, give money. If you want inspiration, inspire and uplift someone else. If you want love, give love. Learn to give not just what you have an abundance of, but what you want more of, and trust that God will provide for you and give you; in-return, everything you need.