There is one battle that we fight every day. Multiple times a day. Probably hundreds of times a day. The battle is this:
Will I let my circumstances shape my view of God, or will I let the Word of God shape my view of God?
Every single day we encounter circumstances that fight to shape us and mold us and twist us. My tight budget tries to squeeze me into the mold of fear. My disobedient child tries to twist me into a sculpture of unbelief. My constant sickness tries to wrestle me into doubting God’s goodness.
Circumstances are always trying to shape our faith.
When Jesus’ disciples came face to face with a massive crowd of hungry people, they let what they saw with their eyes shape their faith, rather than letting Jesus shape their faith. They trusted more in what they could see than in the Son of God standing next to them.
That’s our temptation too. To let our faith be shaped by what we see rather than God’s truth and God’s character.
Today, let’s seek to have our faith shaped by the word of God. Period.
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Amen! I'm going through some trying circumstance right now, and thankfully I can see God using them to increase my faith in His plan and dependence on Him. They're shaping me to be better suited to show His love and I am grateful for that in the midst of what's going on. God truly uses everything in life to accomplish His ultimate plan and purpose in our lives – to make us more like His Son.
The most life-changing of all lessons in my life has been the reframing of my circumstances by God's character, instead of trying to find His character within those circumstances. Seems like a small thing, but it changes everything. Everything.