Gift of Faith

Ya know people are often telling me what great faith I have but I gotta tell you it makes me giggle cause the truth is it depends on the day. Some days I have great faith and other days I'm asking myself if I have lost my mind? You may ask, then what gives me the courage to keep going? Good question, glad you asked.
The thing I do have great faith in is God's faithfulness. His reality and plan for my life doesn't change based on my emotions for the day. Thank you Jesus. God's not in Heaven one day saying Gena has strong faith today my plan for her life is moving forward and the next saying ooops she's feeling weak today stop the plan til further notice. His promises and mercies are new each day. Again not based on my ability to believe but His faithfulness.
With that said I want you to look at the other side of my story. On God's faith in His other children to be obedient which in turn grows my faith.
When I was out of work for 2 years and living in a foreclosed house and had NO source of income I had to rely on God's provision. Now we all know there are times the Lord uses miracles like when He healed the leper, brought the dead back to life or turned water into wine. I'm all for miracles and have experienced them personally.
I had a blood clot on my lung when I was 5 months pregnant with my last child. I was told by doctors to get my affairs in order. That's a nice way of saying your gonna kick the bucket. That's another jewel. however, the Lord did a miracle and healed me. My point is miracles occur all the time but you usually have to really NEED a miracle. Your situation has to be totally out of your control. I'm grateful for the miracles but I don't want to need like that everyday. I do want to know all my daily needs will be met.
During that 2 year period I needed food and money and I started what I called a Ravens List. It recorded all the ways God met my needs. I was going to include it in the jewel but it was way too long. As I was looking at all the post I realized that each of these individuals had to be obedient to do what God put on their heart. Some were small amounts in the worlds eyes like ten dollars. I think that was for those whose obedience walk just started. Others were larger like one hundred dollars, this was for people who understood it was from God and He would bless them for their obedience. One time there was a surprisingly large blessing.
I had a dream and in the dream I was given a beautiful package. It was wrapped in pretty paper and I was so excited about it. I was also given an envelope and inside of it was a large amount of money. That's all I remember about the dream.
A few days later I got a call from a friend to stop by her house. I had other plans but when she asked a second time the Holy Spirit moved in me to go see her so I did. When I got to the house we were talking about general stuff nothing life shattering and I wondered why the Holy Spirit sent me there. A moment later my friend told me she had something for me from her and her husband. She handed me a beautiful wrapped package and inside was a tea cup, I drink a lot of tea. On the inside of the cup were the words “an angles job is never done” with a picture of a cute flying angel. I was so surprised and excited cause it wasn't my birthday or anything and I love getting gifts. My friend then handed me an envelope and inside of that was FIVE THOUSAND dollars. I was blown away by the amount of money she and her husband were giving me! I don't know if I ever told her about that dream.
The thing is Gems it took just as much faith and obedience on my friends part to give me this gift as it took for me to believe God would provide.
We both had to be obedient to do what God told us to do.
Over the years I have been blessed by so many people who gave from their heart not from my request. I say that because that's how I gauge if I'm hearing things right from God. I believe if it's His will He will be the one who provides without me asking for it. My job is to seek His kingdom and His job is to provide.
Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
It's like Pastors. They are being obedient to the call of ministry and feeding Christ sheep but they are trusting that the sheep will be faithful to tithe so their needs can be met.
I want to take the time to thank everyone who has sown into Gena's Jewels and my life in general. Thank you for your obedience to the Lord. Thank you for what may seem the smallest gift like words of encouragement to the largest gifts weather money or material things. I have been so blessed by your obedience and your faithfulness to our sweet Jesus.
I am thankful for the miracles in my life and I'm honored to serve the One who performs them and my prayer is to be a blessing to someone else who is waiting on the Lord for something. For now it's usually my time because finances are low but that doesn't mean it is any less an offering of praise to my Heavenly Father.
Gems we have all been given the gift of faith we just have to choose to use it. The more you do the more it grows on the inside of you. Remember it doesn't change God's abilities or His relationship with us. It's not how much power He has it's how much of His power do I want to tap into. I'm hooked, the more I get the more I want.
My prayer for you Gems is that you will be obedient to whatever God calls you to do. Weather it's to give a smile, a hug, a word of encouragement or a financial blessing. We can all choose to give the gift of faith and in turn help someone else's faith grow.