Faith, Hope, Trust and Love

Faith, Hope, Trust and Love

Faith is denial
defeated by devotion,
strengthened by sureness
in the yet unseen.

Hope is heartache
wrapped in healing,
treated with the balm
of undying faith.

Trust is worries
yielding to worship,
conquering chaos
with jubilant joy.

Love is sacrifice
surrendering self
for the sake of
a cherished child's soul.

And the greatest of these is love.
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I am Peter, strolling on the sea, focused on my Savior, ecstatic in the moment . . . and then I realize I am doing the insanely impossible. My heart suddenly goes spastic! Taking my eyes off where they should have remained, I find myself spitting and spewing, gulping muddy water as I sink into the darkness of the deep.

I am not trying to walk on water. I am just trying to stay afloat within the sea of everyday life. With so many blessings, why is it so hard to keep my eyes faithfully on Christ? Everyday struggles threaten to drown me and you in a sea of despair. Yet, Jesus wants to pull us up from the depths if we will only put our hope in Him with complete faith and trust. How can we have that complete and pure a relationship with Him? Perhaps it is as simple as talking more often . . .

How many times have I heard, "Don't worry; just pray"?  The Bible does tell us after all to pray about everything. Consider this. In the New Testament, the word Abba is used as another name for God. The translation is closer to "Daddy" than the stricter sounding "Father". Why do I tell you all of this? Because this word conveys a close intimacy between father and child and what loving parent doesn't want to talk to their children? Can you imagine what you would feel like if your child rarely (or never) spoke to you?  Abba wants to hear about our day and - unlike some others - He doesn't tune us out. God cares about the argument with our coworker, the bill collector's call and Johnny's report card. He also longs to hear about Seth's home run, Sarah's solo in choir and praise for the beautiful sunset you drank in on the way home.

I believe in the beginning, we pray hoping the Lord listens. I know the more we pray, the more our faith increases and this hope becomes trust that God hears every word. The more faith and trust we have, the more we see how much our Father (Abba) loves us and that He will always reach out a hand to lift us out of the sea of struggles - right into His loving embrace.
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Loving Abba - Let my mornings always begin with, "Good morning, God!" and my nights end with, "Thank You for this beautiful day." Though my struggles seem to surround me like a turbulent sea, they are so much smaller than the burdens others bear. As I bring them before You daily, let me always remember to praise You for the blessings that embrace me as well. I trust You, Lord, though the world around me be raging. I trust You, Lord, though my life is perpetually changing. My faith remains strong knowing no matter what, You are in control. Thank You for my blessed life and your never-ending love! ~ Amen