A Magnolia's Heart Beats

Faithfulness- IOW Tuesday & Tuesday's Together (In the Word) Combined Post

Denise from Shortybear's Place is hosting In "Other" Words Tuesday today. Please be sure to visit her and link up, sharing your own take on the quote below.

Taking the first step in anything God has called you to is an exciting time! It can be scary, but obedience to whatever God has called you to is what He wants. God has really been growing me in prayer this year. I have had to really step out on faith to pray some bold prayers and trust Him to handle some thngs that I know I cannot handle on my own. He has been so faithful to give me the wisdom to deal with what I must and to take from me what He knows I can't handle. He has helped me establish boundaries with an emotional abuser in my life that I have never been able to stand up to before. He sent a great friend to aid me with this and by her encouragement and faith in God, I have grown stronger.

I think of all the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11. From the formation of the universe to the persecution of martyrs in the New Testament, we read time and time again how much began with one step on faith. How these truths inspire me!

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." ~ Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

I wanted to combine my TUESDAYS TOGETHER (in the WORD) post with this In "Other" Words Tuesday post because both related so well to each other. Truly, they are intertwined.

I have really enjoyed reading through the NT, Psalms and Proverbs.

This week I wanted to share one thing that stuck out to me as I read.

In Luke 18, Jesus shared a story, or parable, to show us to pray and never give up.

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' " And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"" ~ Luke 18:1-8 (NIV)

A story of faith is shared in praying. This widow, when she first asked, probably didn't know that her request for justice against her adversary would be granted, yet she kept asking and asking and finally the judge said, "...beacause this widow keeps bothering me..."

The Greek word for bother here is a combination of parechō and kopos.

Parechō means:

1) to reach forth, offer

2) to show, afford, supply
3) to be the authors of, or to cause one to have
a) to give, bring, cause one something either favourable or unfavourable, to occasion
4) to offer, show or present one's self
5) to exhibit or offer on one's own part
a) to render or afford from one's own resources or by one's own power

Kopos means:

1) a beating
2) a beating of the breast with grief, sorrow
3) labour
a) trouble
1) to cause one trouble, make work for him
b) intense labour united with trouble and toil

I am reminded in this verse to always reach forth and offer my prayers to God, bringing my case before Him and presenting my whole motives to Him. No matter what my griefs or sorrows are, I can always have faith that intense prayer, united with trouble and toil (a sacrifice of prayer, if you will), is always fruitful.

Jesus asked in vs. 8, "However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Look at the definition of faith here. The Greek word for faith, pistis, means:

1) conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
a) relating to God
1) the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ
b) relating to Christ
1) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God
c) the religious beliefs of Christians
d) belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same
2) fidelity, faithfulness
a) the character of one who can be relied on

Let's strive to be FAITHFUL women, in our prayers, character, and words!

F - Fear God and serve Him faithfully. "But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you." ~ 1 Samuel 12:24 (NIV)

A - Accept that sometimes you can't see what God has in store for you ahead. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." ~ Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

I - Ignore the temptations of Satan to be weak. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." ~ James 4:7 (NIV)

T - Trust God to guide you through trials and temptations. "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 (NIV)

H - Hold firmly to your faith. "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess." ~ Hebrews 4:14 (NIV)

F - Find freedom in faith to approach God in prayer. "In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)

U - Understand your faith is something that should never stop growing. "We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing." 2 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)

L - Live your faith out loud as an example to others. "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." ~ 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)

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Tuesdays Together (in the WORD), is hosted DeeDee Warren at I Have No Greater Joy...