Pastor Lindell Ballenger

    Life will always be filled with mysteries and questions we cannot answer. We will always face tests, circumstances, and situations that challenge the very core of our confidence and stability. There will be times when we will encounter moments of fear, despair, hopelessness, and confusion that will give birth to doubt that renders us helpless and immobilized. Life will bring us the unexpected and the unbelievable, sending shock waves through our traditional convictions and causing us to wonder if there really is a loving Creator who cares about our plight.

Life will many times hit us from the blind side with obstacles and pressures that have no pattern. In essence, for each of us, life is an earthly journey that does not come with a map. I have come to the conclusion that we were created to live by trust and explore the unknown with the compass of faith. To live effectively on this earth we must accept the fact that we will face opportunities to doubt and that everything we believe will be challenged. This is the nature of life, and if you live on the planet, tests and trials will be common and normal.

If you accept the reality of trials and tests as the nature of life on earth, then you will be neither disappointed nor overwhelmed when they arrive. In fact, the best weapon against trials is to see them as tools in the hands of a skillful Sculptor dedicated to the task of unveiling from the block of your existence a perfected image of the real you. I challenge you to trust the divine Sculptor and have faith in His vision of who you really are. May you live a life that embraces the spirit of the words of the apostle James who declared,

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).

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12).

Listen to the words of Peter, who reiterates the same sentiments in his statement: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

The apostle John further injects this spirit of faith, giving us the secret to overcoming every obstacle in life: “And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:3-4).

The writer of the Book of Hebrews sums it all up in these words:

But My righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, l will not be pleased with him (Hebrews 10:38).

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

So I challenge you to live a faith-filled life. May you rise to every occasion and face the future with a confidence that intimidates trials and embarrasses the skeptics, knowing that nothing can stop the power of your belief. May you live by this motto: “When in doubt…have faith.” Be always mindful that you have the image and nature of your Creator, a nature that is fearless, bold, and stronger than death and life. As long as you believe, you win. Protect your capacity to believe knowing that everything except your destiny is temporary. Doubt is not an option, and faith is a necessity. Live and walk daily by faith. FAITH OVERCOMES THE WORLD – GUARANTEED!