Thursday, March 30, 2006

God is so Good!!!!
I tell you the truth, 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.
Matthew 17:20-21

So, we left Tulsa, Oklahoma around 4:30 on Saturday evening to return home. By we, I mean Scott Gampp, Sam Mcdonie, Eddie Mcdonie, and myself, I know -- I know, I must have been nuts. (Kidding guys) As soon as we were out of town on I-44 the temperature gauge on my truck began to rise. It moved to about ¾ of the way to overheating really fast. We stopped and checked the engine coolant, but it was fine – so the other consideration was the thermostat. Since we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and if we could’ve found a garage it probably would’ve been closed – we traveled on. But not without praying! I couldn’t imagine traveling and not praying – let alone traveling, having car trouble and not praying.
I believe God should be involved in every part of life, I’m not saying I do that well – but I know it’s true. So the next several hours and the next several hundred miles were spent having a blast with the guys, listening to great Christian music, and staying in constant prayer asking God to bless our trip home, and that He not allow us or my truck to be damaged on the way.
The temperature gauge stayed about ¾ of the way to really hot, though it fluctuated from time to time, going a little higher, then a little lower. It was a really good thing that Scott knew the trick of turning the heater on full blast to take some heat off of the engine – it really worked! We were really hot – but it helped keep things in-check a little. Yeah, I know, I don’t know too much about the workings of cars/trucks. I know a little, but not much.
Anyway – on we traveled through Springfield, Cuba, and St. Louis, Missouri. Then we plowed through the great state of Illinois, not much to see there – especially at night. After that we headed to and through Indianapolis, Indiana. (Sorry Colts fans -- from a Steeler fan.) Several hours and several hundred miles and all is going well – the gauge has raised a little but it’s still not spiked yet. After Indianapolis we drove to Columbus, Ohio to pick up Scott’s car – then a few hours south to Minford/home. Approximately 920 miles and around 14 ½ or 15 hours later and we’re home safe. What a God! I’ve had times when car trouble means you are stranded immediately . But by His power that thermostat worked well enough, or He just kept the engine cool enough to go that great distance without being stranded and without any damage to the truck. The next day I took it to the garage to see just what the problem was. The mechanic checked it out, replaced the thermostat, and said all was fine. We serve and are loved by and amazing God!

So, what do you expect when you pray? Do you really believe that God will work in your life as you have asked Him to, or do you struggle with doubt? Maybe you think you are of little importance so why would God listen and answer your prayer. You may even think you’ve lived in such a way that God doesn’t care, and therefore doesn’t hear you, and if He did hear you then He wouldn’t answer your prayer just to punish you. No matter the case – if you struggle with doubt, think that you’re not important to God, or think God doesn’t hear you for other reasons; I have some really good news. There is great hope. God really is trustworthy, you are important to Him, and there is nothing you could do that could make God not care for or love you. Maybe that’s hard to believe, trusting is pretty hard for most people, especially when ask to trust even when you cannot see who you’re trusting in.

If you struggle with faith, you’re not alone… God knew we would struggle with our faith in Him. I believe that’s why He gave us His word, and packed it with rich stories of Him working in powerful ways in the lives of people who were also struggling in their faith. And it’s in his word you find that faith in Him is of utmost importance. If you’ve never read the Bible I want to encourage you to read it, it will change your life. If you are reading it please continue -- you’ll be blessed.

So, where does this faith in God come from? Faith in God is a reward or gift given to us as we come to know Him through His word, in prayer, and watching Him in the lives of His children. But ultimately faith is a product of being in His word. That’s where you come to know the heart of God. It’s the same in life, if you believe in someone, it’s because you’ve grown to trust them through time spent, and the relationship that developed through that. Faith in God is the same; we grow to trust Him by spending time with Him.