“Does He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law,
or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness?
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.”
Galatians 3:5-7
How easy it is to fall into the trap of thinking there’s a certain formula I must follow to receive the blessing of God. To make sure He hears me.
I get caught up in wanting to be sure and do the exactly right thing, pray the right way, maintain the right focus, make the right choices, figure out what I need to do to “fix” myself in areas I perceive need work…it’s exhausting and discouraging to try and always get everything right.
Because we can’t.
I can’t.
And that’s ok.
Life in Christ isn’t about getting it all right. It’s about faith. We aren’t righteous because we did the right things. We aren’t blessed as a result of meeting some set standard. We aren’t healed or cleansed or made whole due to our efforts to fix ourselves.
Christ is our righteousness, not the law or the rules we set for ourselves.
Blessings come from our Father of lights, because we are His and He loves us.
Our healing, cleansing, and wholeness come from the work of the Spirit He has supplied.
Faith is all that’s required of us. Just knowing and believing our God. Believing who He has said He is, and who He has shown Himself to be throughout the generations. Believing that He will do all He has promised. Believing that He knows what He’s doing, and everything will be accomplished in flawless, beautiful timing. Believing that He is sovereign over all the details, and we aren’t big enough to mess up His plans. Believing that everything in our lives, every season, is filled with purpose and covered with His goodness and grace (even if it just looks like a big mistake, unnecessary pain, or wasted time). Believing that He will complete His work in us – that He is able to do so, and that He is the one who completes it; it isn’t up to us.
Believing Him. Believing His words. Believing His commands are there for a reason. Believing He gives us the strength to live this life. Believing He won’t leave us. Believing He goes before us. Believing He really is in control.
His Spirit dwells in us, sealing us for His redemption and His purposes, simply because we have believed in Christ. Our God works miracles among and within us, simply because we believe that He can. It’s just faith in our great, matchless God of steadfast love and immeasurable wisdom.
I pray that this will lighten your steps today. That it will lighten mine. Because there is freedom in this truth, from the pressures that weigh so heavily. Have faith. And your God will come through.
In Pleasant Places 