Faith

   Earlier this week I had a really good conversation with someone whom I had never met but who had been following my story since the beginning. In talking with her she was marveling at my faith, and she confessed to me that she often wondered if she would be able to have that kind of faith and not lose it, becoming bitter should the Lord put her through a similar situation.

   I said to her, "If you had asked me two years ago before the accident if I thought I would be able to have this kind of faith after facing this trial, my answer would be 'I don't know'". The reassuring thing is that I do not have to know because God has promised us that he is not going to let us go.

Isaiah 43:1-3 says,

"But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you.

 O Israel, the one who formed you says,
"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

 And listen to how this Chapter closes out in verse 13 with a great and staggering spiritual truth: “From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done."  And no one means, NO ONE, not even me!

    I have my faith because God gave it to me, not because I had anything in myself or some secret super hidden inner strength that allows me to have faith no matter what obstacles I face. The Bible says that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed that you can move mountains. I don’t think that means that we are able to move mountains on our own but that if we believe and trust and have that faith in the Lord, he can take even the tiniest bit of faith and do something amazing with it.

Matthew 17:20
"...Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.^[a]”

  

     That is what I know I have: That little mustard seed faith that God has been able to use and do something incredible with. What is in me is what God has given me. If you have faith and trust in the lord Jesus Christ as your savior, that doesn’t just mean that he is only your Savior from hell, but he is also your Savior while you’re here on earth. So, don’t be worried or concerned about losing faith should God send a you a significant trial. He is your Savior and he will save you no matter what you face.

Our faith, my faith is not in-and-of itself, ALL faith must have an object, and the object, the person in whom we place our faith is the Lord and his word.

The writer of Hebrews explains it like this...
“Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.” –Hebrews 6:16-20

 This passage binds God to his own oath and promise! It all ties together in the end with Christ as the guarantor, the payment of this promise. God can only deal in one currency when it comes to promises and covenants, and that is blood. The blood of his son, Jesus, was the only acceptable currency to secure these promises. And when Jesus was raised from the dead, we can now say with full confidence, “The check has cleared!”... Wow, what an amazing God we serve!
To Him be the glory!
Chelsey

ITB Therapy pump NEWS!

   Something new, and very exciting! As some of you know, one of the things I battle with due to my injury is severe spasticity. This effects my recovery in the following ways: it causes my muscles to stay tight and not be flexible, it makes my muscles contract (even though I'm not consciously telling them to). This makes me have to fight my own body to be able to move, and it causes continual pain(especially during the night) from my muscles cramping up.

     I've been taking an oral medication for this, but it simply wasn't working, given the dosage I am able to take by mouth. But great news! Just yesterday I had a successful trial for an ITB Therapy pump! "What the heck is that?" you might be asking yourself. Well, let me refer you to their very helpful, and informative website: http://www.medtronic.com/patients/severe-spasticity/therapy/index.htm . Please check it out because there is no way I could explain what it is and how it works. All I can say is this device is, Lord willing, is going to dramatically change my quality of life, and allow me to accomplish much more physically!

"Look and be amazed!

For I am doing something in your own day,

something you wouldn't believe

even if someone told you about it." -Habakkuk 1:5

To Him be the glory,

Chelsey

We are weak but HE is strong!

"Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so, little ones to him belong they are weak but he is strong."

Earlier this week I was blessed to have had a very heartfelt visit with a very dear friend. During which she really opened up and shared with me about a time in her life where she was weak. She'd only shared her story with a few close friends because she was worried people would view her differently and not see her as a strong enough person to be able to have overcome this weakness on her own.

Well, this really got me thinking and praying, and the song "Jesus loves me" came to my mind. "Little ones to him belong".  God wants us, no-he commands us to be like little children. In Matthew 18:1-4 we read,

“About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

I look at my own child (who is now 4!) and think on the attributes that make him a child. He is completely dependent on my husband and me to meet his needs. He is weak and helpless and he is totally and completely dependent on us and trusting in us. For example, without hesitation or warning he'll just leap into my husband's arms, certain that his daddy won't let him fall. This is exactly what God wants for us, to know that we are completely helpless without him and trust that he will take care of us. In the Psalms David writes:

“I love the LORD because he hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!
Death wrapped its ropes around me;
the terrors of the grave overtook me.
I saw only trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"Please, LORD, save me!"
How kind the LORD is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!
The LORD protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
Let my soul be at rest again,
for the LORD has been good to me.”  -Psalm 116:1-7

"They are weak but he is strong". So often we see weakness as a negative or undesirable trait, but God wants us to face the reality that we are weak, helpless and unable to do anything in-and-of ourselves. Jesus could not have stated it any clearer: “For apart from me you can do nothing”. (John 15:5b) He brings us to this place of weakness and humility so His strength can shine though us:

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” -2 Corinthians 4:7

 I have seen God do that in my life in remarkable and, yes, painful ways. Lord, break me and make me SO weak that any strength people see in me will reflect all glory back to you. He receives ALL that glory because there is no way that any of it is me! The ONLY reason I'm able to even move, despite my injuries, is GOD! And, the ONLY reason I've been able to have a good attitude and thankful heart through this trial is GOD!

It brings God glory when we are weak and helpless. So rejoice in your own weakness, and know that when you are weak you are strong because of God’s wonderful grace!  

To Him be the glory,
Chelsey