Whose Report Will You Believe?

In the many battles of life, one very important question will arise. “What do I believe?” Circumstances shout loudly “This is too big!” or “It is impossible!” The so-called facts may be daunting but we have learned with experience that nothing is impossible with the true and living God.

Early on in this adventure, we girls learned that circumstances are subject to change, just like the ever changing wind. We learned to stop looking at the circumstances. Almighty God is the only One who can be trusted. He never changes! We look at Him.

Every one of the girls have had trial after trial come our way, demanding each time that we make a choice. Whose report would we believe? Committed Christians we are but we are also very human. We have feelings. We battle fears. We hate the unknown. I guess that is why people say that “faith is blind.”

But faith is not blind, not at all. Faith is real. It is concrete. The Bible says so. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11 KJV Yes, the very thing you are believing for is built out of faith. The God-kind of faith. That was a principle we came to unswervingly believe in.

We Were One Hot Mess!

As we said in our “Who Are The Girls?” introductory post, we were not on solid faith-ground when we first turned to God for our disheveled marriages. On the contrary, we were one hot mess! Fear ruled and reigned. Our mouths were out of control as we repeated the gory details of our marital crime scene to anyone who would listen. We were betrayed. We were embarrassed. We were deeply wounded and our children were hurting bigtime.

Nothing we had tried to do to fix our homes had worked. It got darker and more dismal by the day. And we were really scared. What would our future be? How could we get our marriages healed? Yet, we had made a commitment to stick with them forever? We knew we could not do it alone. In fact, we were quickly coming to realize that we could not do it at all. Wise counsel had not helped us. We had tried this formula and that idea and it all had failed miserably. So, now what?

My personal story started before I met any of the other girls. The Lord made sure of that. I had looked for so many sources of hope, someone to lean on, pushing aside His call to trust in Him alone.

So, He isolated me. I had even worn out a prayer ministry that I used to call every day. They documented hundreds of calls from me that were always the same desperate plea for God to rescue our home. They had compassion but they were also starting to wonder if the devil had sent me to torment them!

Kindly, they wrote me a letter suggesting that I turn to my church for help, seeing that they had done all they could do. They asked me to please stop calling.

The Lord Shut Me Down!

I laugh about it now but it was a real problem. I was in a rut. So, the Lord shut me down. As I sunk to the floor with their “goodbye letter” in hand, I actually heard God’s voice.

Oh my goodness, I actually heard GOD’S VOICE!!!

He said to me “Daughter, you can keep doing what you have been doing and watch your family fall apart or you can let Me teach you how to do this right.” His sweet voice in my heart was ever so clear. With rivers of tears streaming down my face, I surrendered saying “Please, Lord. Show me how to do this.”

It Was Like The Fishermen in the Bible

Within hours – I kid you not – HOURS … and again and again over the next days, more information came to me than I had ever imagined could just “come.” It was like the fishermen in the Bible who had “‘toiled all night and caught nothing.” Luke 5 NIV But then the Master said, “lower your net on the other side of the boat.”

Yes, God knew exactly what I needed. I didn’t look for it. It found me! There were books, tapes and articles and none of them were the standard self-help material that I had been trying. It was all about faith: Mountain Moving FAITH!* Matthew 17:19-20 NKJV

Now, before I fall into the trap of trying to teach you every lesson I have learned over some 38 years of standing on the Word of God, let me share the two dominant lessons that were the first and biggest course-correction that Jesus made for me.

He taught me:

1. Your husband is not your enemy, satan is!
2. You must firmly agree with what God’s Word says and not your circumstances, no matter what.

If the battle you face is not marital, I guarantee that something or someone is acting like an enemy. But, trust me, whatever it is, you are looking in the wrong place.

What is the problem you are facing? The IRS, your horrible boss, your unruly kids, a deadly sickness or disease, a mountain of overdue bills, the crazy state of the nation? Whatever it is, that is not your enemy.

Here is your enemy …

The devil is your enemy and he is using those circumstances against you. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. John 10:10 KJV But the devil is a defeated foe. John 3:8b MEV Jesus Christ is Lord and through Him we have all authority over the evil one (and those ungodly circumstances.) You are “more than a conqueror through Him who loves you.” Romans 8:36-39 NIV

Our words have power. Faith filled words, based on God’s Word, have the power to change bad situations and circumstances. The choice is ours. Are we willing to faithfully stand on His Word and speak in agreement with Him, no matter what? You are? OK, then … let’s do it!

Ten Guys You Do NOT Want To Be Like:

Are you familiar with the 12 spies that Moses sent to check out the Promised Land? Numbers 13 &14 NIV They found the land to be exactly what the Lord said it would be, a land flowing with milk and honey. The produce of the land was rich and plentiful. The only problem was there were giants (Nephilim) already living there.

It was a faith-test. They all knew what God could do. They already went through the Red Sea together. Exodus 14 NIV They should not, at that point, have been novices. Nevertheless, ten people failed the test. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, passed it with flying colors. Ten said that the giants were too big for them and that God’s people were like grasshoppers in their sight. Joshua and Caleb saw those same giants but their reaction was totally different. They kept their eyes on our VERY BIG GOD and knew that they were well able to take the land. Same circumstances. Same evidence. Totally different response.

Sadly, the ten spies and the multitude of people who let fear take over, believed the negative report and, for their lack of faith, all had to die in the wilderness. Without encountering the giants, the giants still defeated them – on the battlefield of their minds. After that whole generation passed away – forty years later – Joshua and Caleb lead the next generation into the Promised Land and they had victory after victory.

There were many times in our prayer group that one or another of us let frightening or discouraging circumstances get us down. Thankfully, when one of us was down, another was up and able to bring life-giving encouragement. We regained our composure, asked the Lord to forgive our moment of weakness and got back on track. Little by little we practiced walking by faith and found out that FAITH WORKS.

In my own case, after 11 years my husband came home. That was 24 years ago and we are still going strong! Yes, 11 years is a long time but I am so glad that I didn’t give up. And please don’t let my story discourage you; many of the girls have seen results much sooner than that. But whatever the time frame, short or long, or whatever your personal battle may be, as it says in Galatians 9:7-9, trust God and do not give up!

My best advice is to train yourself to not consider the circumstances but, instead, ask “what does the Lord have to say about this?” Next, go to the Bible. Write down key scriptures like “With God nothing shall be impossible.” Mathew 19:26 NIV or “I am the the Lord that healeth thee.” Exodus 15:26 KJV that will build your faith. Put them on index cards, keep them handy and start speaking them aloud over and over again every day.

Your faith will build as you practice. Pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus and present your petitions to Him according to His Word. Believe that He hears you and the answer is on the way. He always honors His Word. And be sure to forgive. Unforgiveness hinders our prayers. If you are having trouble forgiving, ask Him to help you. He will!

Finally, pray in the Spirit a lot. The Bible says that praying in the Spirit (in other tongues) “builds you up in your most holy faith” and “keeps you in the love of God. ” Jude 20,21 As you pray in the Spirit, you pray perfect prayers written in heaven. God always answers those prayers! And you actually get stronger in faith as you do it plus it keeps you in God’s love. “Faith works by love.” Galatians 5:6

Are you born again?* If you are, but do not yet have your prayer language, you can ask Him to baptize you in the Holy Spirit with the supernatural language of tongues right now. It is His secret weapon and a gift to us all. The Bible says that He gives it to any of His children who asks.* Luke 11:13 KJV

So, now that we have talked a bit … whose report will YOU believe? Be like the disciples with that miracle catch of fish. Believe God. Miracles are on the way for you, too!

Love ♥ from one of …