1.11.11

Hebrews 11:11.... because she judged Him faithful, she was able to bear a son. This has become my favorite verse. I just i can't get enough of it. I want to remind myself of it daily so I never forget what can happen when I just believe what He says. I make it my email, my blog spot, my go-to verse when I lose my footing.... I do everything I can to ingrain it into my being. I talk about it, over and over, like a broken record, because this verse, it changed me. I read it one night and I have been studying it for almost 3 years now, and I can't find a verse that strengthens me more. You have to understand the context of the verse to really get the full effect. In Genesis 12 the Lord calls Abram to leave everything and travel to a new land, a land that his offspring will inherit. At this time Abram is 75 years old and has no children. Later, in Genesis 13 God tells him that his offspring will be like the dust of the earth, too many to be counted. Still, at this time, he is childless. Later God tells him again, in Genesis 15, your offspring will be like the stars in the sky, too many to count.  24 years (!) later, God changes his name from Abram, to Abraham, "father of many nations". God spoke to Abraham years in advance about a promise that was coming. For 25 years Abraham didn't see it come to fruition. 25 years is an extremely long time to wait, don't you think?However, in the midst of it, Abraham never lost hope. After 24 years when God told him, "in one year, your wife will bear a son"... it says that "Abraham believed Him". To me, this is completely stunning. Years and years of seeing nothing happen, Abraham believed that God would do what he said. It didn't matter to him that his wife was way too old to even possibly have a child, he didn't question it, he just believed. He didn't pick it apart and try to figure out all the details, he just trusted Him. Abraham made it seem so simple.

Hebrews 11:11 says that because they (Abraham and Sarah) believed God, because they judged him to be faithful, they were able to have a son. It stirs my heart. He is the God of the impossible. He isn't limited by time or money or resources. He can create life out of nothing. He can heal the brokenhearted. He can restore the broken family. He can change your life in an instant. He can set you free, entirely free. He can heal your body, your disease..... he can. The greater question, is do I believe it?

A few years ago my sister, Laura, was trying to get pregnant. She had been told by the doctors it would be really hard because of some underlying medical issues. I remember her calling me while I was living in California. She said she kept feeling like she was pregnant but all her tests had come back negative. She said she was getting her hopes up that God was blessing her, feeling like if she actually was pregnant, it would be a miracle. I don't know what happened in me at that moment, but this faith rose up in me. I told her, take another pregnancy test tomorrow morning, I think it's going to be positive. In the morning I got a text message with a picture of the pregnancy stick.... PREGNANT! 

I can't remember how many days later it was, that I got a phone call with Laura crying on the other end, saying the doctors thought she was having a miscarriage. Again, I felt this faith rise up in me. I felt like God told me, I can choose to agree with what the doctors were saying, or with what He was saying. He was saying life, they were saying death. He kept saying, who will you believe? Over and over, we prayed for life in her womb... We all had a choice who to believe. Who will you judge to be faithful? I'm so glad I chose Him. look at this beautiful promise fulfilled.

I remember this verse every single time I get to see Kaylee Grace, and how great is it, that on 1/11/11 I got to hug and kiss this little face. 

I don't care what it is you are going through or how long you have waited to see what He has been telling you will come, do not give up. Do not lose heart. He is faithful. He will do what he says He will.