Grow Your Faith with God and Believe Big
Over the holidays, I received a book from my long-time friend and mighty prayer warrior, Sue. The title of the book in big bold gold letters read: BELIEVE BIG. When I saw the book was written by one of my favorite go-to authors for biblical resource and studies, Marilyn Hickey, I knew this was part of God’s timing, encouraging me to walk into a season of believing big and thinking big.
As I flipped through the pages of book, I began to quietly say, “Of course we should believe big because, with God, all things are possible for those who believe.” I put the book aside to read in the coming days.
The days flew by and became weeks that quickly filled with new projects and to-do-list items.
The other afternoon, after closing my computer down, putting away files, and penning my to-do list for the next day, I glanced over to the stack of books I had set aside to read.
The first book on top of the stack: Marilyn Hickey’s BELIEVE BIG. I giggled softly and quietly said, “Wow, I really need to do this, don’t I?” Weeks had gone by since I received the book. I thought I would have started to read it sooner. But then, God’s timing is not our timing! I began to recite one of my heart-memorized Bible verses from Ecclesiastes 3:11 that helps to guide me always: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
As I read through the biblical stories and testimonies of people putting their full faith and trust in God, the message was clear. In doing so, one can experience miraculous outcomes beyond one’s imagination. As it says in Romans 12:1-2 (The Message), …Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Giving all of our heart to God and putting our total faith and trust in Him allows us to experience His ultimate love for us. He awaits us with great patience to fulfill His dreams and His purposes for us.
The glow of the afternoon sun was softening under the evening’s blanket of violet and grey clouds. It was time to close the book and prepare for tomorrow’s one-day getaway with my husband. We decided to take a short road trip to the desert to take in the peaceful winter scenery and visit our family friend, Liz.
Once we drove through the mountain pass, leaving the flat highway scenery, a spectacular painting from God emerged. A majestic mountain range appeared, brushed in a sheer veil of soft blues and purples with small cascades of snow on the mountain peaks.
In the silence of the drive surrounded by the awe-inspiring mountains, I found my thoughts dancing in joy from the taking–in of the beauty of God’s creation while reflecting upon my morning bible study in the book of Hebrews, 11:1-3 (TPT) entitled The Power of Bold Faith.
“Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. This testimony of faith is what previous generations were commended for. Faith empowers us to see that the universe was created and beautifully coordinated by the power of God’s words! He spoke and the invisible realm gave birth to all that is seen.”
I could almost hear the voice of Marilyn Hickey in her writings from BELIEVE BIG, as though she were speaking directly to my heart: “You can truly change the circumstances of your life; God’s Word is the key; faith is the power; and speaking the word is the way.” It’s really about our faith to believe in God, to really open our hearts to have big and wide faith in Him and his way for our lives.
When we approached the floor of the desert, I glanced over the vast land. Hidden treasures began to emerge like a single tree or scrub with one small flower. I began to think about the watercolorist and 20th century missionary, Lilias Trotter. In her heart she had Big Faith to Believe in Her calling from God. She served for many decades and touched the lives of the unwanted in Algeria by sharing the beauty of God’s love in all things. Though her life was not always easy, she managed to find a moment of “joy” in each day. Through her writings and the simple expression of her delicate brush strokes, I realized that Lilias Trotter’s secret to finding joy every day was the depth of her faith in God for all things. I found myself once again understanding how the depth of one’s faith can move mountains as it says in the book of Matthew 17:30 (NIV). “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Source: liliastrotter.com/a-blossom-in-the-desert/ After a wonderful visit with Liz, we followed God’s beautiful brush strokes of pinks and violets to a magnificent sunset that guided us on our travel home. I quietly began to praise our God for His beauty and constant guidance to encourage us to Believe Big and grow our Faith. “Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.”
Psalm 111:2
Thoughtful Reflection
What did you discover to tie into your faith today?
2. What took place in your life today to encourage you to have faith?
3. How did you lean on God to have faith in him?
4. What leap of faith did you take today to Believe Big? (Or maybe it was a small step to following your heart or to do something different?)