Faith.
Mine has been challenged as of late. My spirit has been burdened by a great many things in recent weeks. I suppose the challenge to my faith has always been there—alive and present within me. But as I’ve paid closer attention to faith’s cultivation, to its proving genuine in my life from the “inside-out” rather than the other way around, I’ve noticed a shift in the temperature. The heat is on, and God is in charge of the thermostat.
Anytime one makes a commitment to growth in and with Jesus Christ, God’s going to run with it—all the way through to a good and final finish. When we put our hands to the plow and our hearts to the task of personal sacred transformation, God is faithful to do the same. His hands and his heart operate from pure intention, and he, better than us, understands the length and breadth and depth of what is required to “fit us for heaven to live with him there.”
When we offer our lives to the refining fires of faith, we make a costly surrender. Rarely will it be a smooth ride; instead, it will be a journey fraught with difficulty. Not because our Father delights in our pain, but rather because he delights in our perfection—in our drawing ever closer to his image. Thus, he takes the dailyness of our routine and interjects it with ample opportunities for faith’s cultivation.
We can squander them, or we can throw out the welcome mat to them believing that their entrance into our lives is good training ground for kingdom come.
I don’t know about you, but I want some kingdom come in my life, friends. Some “down the road” kind of glory that shines with the witness of a life that matures with the struggles rather than breaks down beneath their strain. I don’t want these past few weeks in my life to “read” as wasted, unaccounted for, needless and without purpose. Instead, I want God to strengthen me with his power, his resolve, his might, and his fierce determination to make it all count.
I may not like the “tests,” but I adore the One who allows them their work in me. I hang onto that truth when nothing else makes sense and the pain of it all nearly scatters my faith to the wind. Nearly. When my faith threatens its retreat, when it screams its resistance and its questions all the more, I cling to this anchor that has held me, kept me, grounded me, and sustained me through some of the darkest seasons of my journey.
The one fact that doesn’t retreat, doesn’t resist, doesn’t ask questions.
I adore my Father.
I don’t always understand him, but I adore him. I can’t always hear him, but I adore him. I may not always be able to see him, touch him, feel him or find him, but I always adore him. And because of that I adoration, I choose to bow to him. I choose to fall forward rather than backward. To look ahead instead of behind. To believe that today’s adoration is enough to carry me through to tomorrow’s continuation of the same, and that whatever agenda finds its way into my faith’s cultivation, it won’t be enough to shake my adulation of the Divine.
I may not have the certainty and surety of how this season in my life is going to finish, but I am certain of my adoration for the One who will finish it with me. And, perhaps, that adoration says more about my faith than I currently understand. Perhaps my faith is stronger, more potent and more vibrant than it currently feels.
Perhaps adoration is the precursor for exponential growth in and with Jesus Christ.
If so, then I’m on my way to something bigger, friends. Something grander. Something far beyond what my faith presently believes. Tonight, I’m anchored in my adoration for my King. I cannot escape my love for him; I can only give in to it and offer it to him as the best and truest witness of my heart. All else may burn to ashes, but my love for God remains.
From today until tomorrow. From this year until the next. From now until forever.
I adore my God. Thus, I pray…
Thank you, Father, for being so easy to love. For the certainty of my adoration toward you that weathers my faith’s cultivation. I cannot explain the depth of what I feel for you. It precedes sense and surpasses human understanding. I am thankful for its continuing anchor in my heart that solidifies my progression toward you and that answers all of the doubts I have concerning my refining process. Keep me to my adoration, to my love and to my worship of you, despite the many challenges to my faith. Faith, hope, and love remain, but the greatest of these (for me and according to your Word) will always be love. Let my love for you be the guiding light to lead me home. Amen.
~elaine
Copyright © December 2009 – Elaine Olsen
Elaine! I had no idea you were Spirit-filled and in love with God like this. How did I miss that? This post has really lifted my spirits and filled me with joy. I also love Bebo Norman, but I've been so out of the loop in Christian music ever since I got my ipod. It's time to turn on the radio again, I've been missing out.
Thank you for a refreshing time in the Lord!
This ministered to my soul more than I can say.
These words, "I may not like the “tests,” but I adore the One who allows them their work in me. I hang onto that truth when nothing else makes sense and the pain of it all nearly scatters my faith to the wind. Nearly. When my faith threatens its retreat, when it screams its resistance and its questions all the more, I cling to this anchor that has held me, kept me, grounded me, and sustained me through some of the darkest seasons of my journey." – these words reflect and stir my soul so profoundly – thank you Elaine. This was beautiful and I am moved.
Oh my friend, the Lord has me in refining fires. I poorly squandered the opportunity for faith's cultivation. I chose self over sacred and can't reverse the hands of time. I have repented and confessed and today is a new day. Today the welcome mat is out.
Like "travelmom" above, those same sentences grip at my heart.
Desiring some kingdom come in my life,
Joy
Elaine- this is an amazing post and such a testimony to your love of God and who He is. This season for me has been quite difficult too but I am holding on to my faith. "All things work together for His good"!!
Praying for you.
Jennifer
Such a fantastic post, blessings sweetie.
Your prayer became mine today as well. Thank you for articulating so well what I feel. Sometimes when we are in the middle of a test, it becomes hard to stand. But then God encourages us to continue to trust for as long as it takes. Your writing has done that for me today. I love Him, too; He saves, delivers, blesses, heals. May He touch your life in a special way for blessing others with your gift of encourgement.
Oh honey…this post was for me today. It does just all boil down to our love for Him, doesn't it? It IS what will lead us home.
Love you,
Melinda
Elaine, I relate fully! Different tests, different journey but thanks be to GOD we have the same Abba Father…an adoring faith.
I'm praying for you dear friend.
So beautifully put Elaine, & a big, hearty AMEN to everthing you have shared in this post! Amen to the surrender & the willingess to let go & let God. To trust that He is working for good through the bad & filtering it all through Sovereign fingers of love. I hold on to that & He delivers me. I stay seated with Him. Have a blessed day & thank you for the timely word!!!
Wylie
Your faith is such a thing of beauty. I am filled and uplifted just from looking on. I don't know what specific trials you're in now, but I know you will press on. I pray for the kingdom come to invade your world.
Christmas blessings my friend.
This is beautiful – and exactly what I'm walking through, too – this very moment. I learned something through this post: I've always wondered what people think when they look at our lives sold out for Jesus, yet always full of challenges – and you helped answer that question. They see faith being built upon faith, and I praise the Lord for that costly love and life of faith He is building in us. We are all the richer for it and because of Him.
Thanks for always leading us to Jesus~
Jennifer
I, too, adore the Father, and really want to get to know Him better. I've had my share of "growth tests" in the past and I know there will be more in the future. But especially this month, I want to focus on adoring the Father and worshipping His Son. Thank you for the nativity song"Come and Worship". Donna
Amen and amen. We are going through the refining fires too Elaine. I so want to experience the kingdom of God. I'm so encouraged that every time God calls me to repentance and faith, His Word says the kingdom of God is at hand. I want to touch it, live it, experience Him.
In our current fire, God is calling me to thanksgiving. He has allowed what we are going through. You have a beautiful way of voicing your heart. My spirit just echoes amen.
With thanksgiving to the LORD for you,
Lora
Thanks, Elaine, for your transparency. I can certainly relate and appreciate your encouraging words. Love you!
I know what you mean about asking for more…
When God start to shake things up a bit, I hold and tell myself that good things are about to happen.
love and hugs~Tammy
Elaine,
The love of God is indeed what keeps us going. Love NEVER fails.
I'm reminded of a portion of this beautiful song:
The love of God
is greater far
than tongue or pen
can ever tell
I really needed to read this. I have been struggling as of late.
I can feel the fire…
Oh – when the heat gets turned up it's not fun – but it's worth the gift that comes forth in the end!
The heat has to be turned up – for the dross to rise and be skimmed off! Aren't you glad it gets skimmed off GENTLY – rather than sucked out of us intolerably?
Through it all – the Father loves us beyond measure. This is a beautiful Spirit-led post – and edifying to our Father above!
thanks for sharing…
Choosing JOY, Stephanie
" … you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9
And with your adoration, we follow you into that wonderful light – the one that leads us home, and into His Kingdom of Light.
Blessings,
Kathleen
I want some kingdom come in my life, too, friend.
Thank you for these words of adoration and faith. They have blessed me and encouraged me more than you will ever know.
I'm so glad we're on this journey together!
Love,
Beth
I needed to read this tonight…through tear filled eyes…thank you for reminding me Whose finger is on the thermostat….
Elaine – wow. This is just awesome and it really speaks to my hearts cry tonight!
I too adore Him. Sometimes it is hard to put into words how I feel, but you sure summed it up correctly.
Love you so –
"Let my love for you be the guiding light to lead me home." What a great line — and a great aspiration. Lord, give me a heart to love you even more!
I, too, adore my Father…and the awesome thing is, He adores me. It is hard for me to fathom, hard for me to wrap my mind around, but He does.
Leah
Elaine, I loved these words from your heart: We can squander them, or we can throw out the welcome mat to them believing that their entrance into our lives is good training ground for kingdom come.
I want to become more and more like Him and to continue forward. To continue learning and loving and sharing that with others as an encouragement to how awesome our God is, and that He loves us, are we willing to love Him? Lovingly, Yolanda
I heard the call to "come" here this day and I am so grateful that I listened.
Weary and burdened by life is my recent. It is escape that I have secretly begged for and yet, a way I have not been given. And here, now, I read, "To believe that today’s adoration is enough to carry me through to tomorrow’s continuation of the same, and that whatever agenda finds its way into my faith’s cultivation, it won’t be enough to shake my adulation of the Divine."
With tears I pray that I too can carry this adoration through the now and beyond the future into His loving arms.
Thank you, my friend, for this gift you share. I needed this reminder – a hug of words from a friend.
Now, off to fix the makeup….(smile)…
Shalom,
Denise
"Perhaps adoration is the precursor for exponential growth in and with Jesus Christ." That's powerful, Elaine.
Luke 3 says "the winnowing fork is in His hands…." Clearly God is refining and separating the wheat from the chaff in many of our lives. Painful, yes! But in the end…maturity and completeness. Christ formed in us!
wifeforthejourney:
It is good to share life's challenges with you, you are not only filled with the Spirit, but filled to overflowing! You have given us a good word to encourage and direct us in a season that is needs our daily pause.
Thank the Lord for His mercy and grace, and the way He uses you in my life!
Love,
~ Billy
Love you
Elaine,
You are always an encouragement with the beautiful way you put prose to the blog page. Thank you so much for the word today, because dear one, it WAS a word!
I especially love the note your husband left. He seems like a great guy–just like my hubs! 🙂
Prayers and blessings,
Rebecca
"And, perhaps, that adoration says more about my faith than I currently understand. Perhaps my faith is stronger, more potent and more vibrant than it currently feels."
I believe this is true!
Oh come let us adore Him!!! Adoring faith!!!
I laughed and laughed when I read your comment… Blogger kept telling me I had a cookies issue and that it didn't work…
Loved it too~
Wow! So many things running through my mind right now.
Elaine, this is so beautiful. I agree that I definitely don't like the tests right now; but even in the midst of such suffocating pain I am truly experiencing a relationship with God that I didn't even know was possible when I firt accepted Christ such a short time ago. It is truly amazing, and glorious, and heart-wrenching.
Thank you for your continued words of wisdom and encouragement; they truly mean the world to me, and help me see an end….not to trials or circumstances or pain, but an end to my trying to bear those burdens without God.
Love,
Lindsey