Living by Faith
Living by faith is a necessary part of our life in Christ. God help us to know how to trust you.
I have insurance and contribute money to toward retirement. So, am I not trusting God?
Can we believe that God is in everything we experience?
God cares about us, and is involved in all our lives.
I came to China in 1991 by faith and 35 years later, I am married, raised three children and own a comfortable house. I have done my best to support myself and my family through all these years while not focusing on money. Further, I always wanted time with my wife and children – and with my God.
In all the trials of these years living in China as a foreigner, I can see how God provided. He has crushed me regularly and the result is I am a better person today.
Living by Faith is Not Easy, But it is a Path of Joy
I see so clearly that I get worse when things are smooth. God loves me enough to give me trials. In fact, the places where I was at the bottom financially or emotionally of even in faith are now the most precious to me. I felt the most abandoned at those times, but God was actually most with me during those times. Giving up on faith destroyed my family long ago.
Living by faith means I can say thank you at the bottom and at the top in my life experience. Being able to see God as He is at all times is a gift from God we need to hold firmly.
In 1992-93 in one of the darkest times in my life of faith, I was deeply disappointed in God and had a hard time believing his promises. I was deeply depressed. God helped me remember a verse I memorized at age 18.
In Chapter John 6, many disciples leave Jesus and Jesus asks if the 12 will leave to. They were all unhappy with Jesus.
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
You can feel Peter’s disappointment. He is dissatisfied, but he knows the truth. I felt, if the Apostle Peter can be unhappy with God, then I can stand with him here and not feel so bad.
Let us live by faith even in the hardest times. God sees us and will carry us through as he did me in those years. I will never forget how he chased me down in those years. He loves us so. Let us live by faith.
