Faith Tank on Empty? God Can Still Move!

The gas gauge light had popped on again.

Have you noticed how much your faith tank levels can fluctuate, sometimes from moment to moment?

This week a friend sent me an encouraging text with the inclusion of Mark 11:22-24:

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (NIV)

It arrived at a moment in the morning when my faith level was at the red line (the gas gauge one). I thought, wow, I just don’t have the faith to move the mountains I see in front of me right now.

I felt rather deflated, a bit defeated. A short time later Ephesians 3:20-21 came to my mind:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (NIV)

God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we ask or imagine. He is able to do more than I imagine, than I can hope for? Yes! I was again filled with hope! Boom! Just that fast.

My son Joel has had a knee issue that has progressively gotten worse over the last few weeks. Standing in one place is killer; moving it is killer. He has been super frustrated with it. Yesterday after coming back from an appointment he and I were discussing knee issues in our family on both sides. I told him I had this terrifically painful condition when I was growing up that stymied the doctors for the most part though they deem it juvenile arthritis for a while. But as but the issue that had been so painful just suddenly went away with only bits of pain showing up here and there for a year or so afterwards.

We have been praying for healing for Joel but when something nags on it is easy to think, ya, I don’t know how this is going to play out exactly. About three hours after our conversation yesterday Joel tells me the knee pain is gone. Like gone! Later, in the evening he went for a walk, a long walk as he chatted with a friend on the phone. No pain when he came in. This morning there is still no pain.
It was a suddenly, a prayer answered that was answered when we weren’t exactly looking for it. Boom! Just, “Mom, my knee doesn’t hurt”…”Mom, my knee still doesn’t hurt”…”Joel, how is your knee this morning?”…”It doesn’t hurt.’

I wanted to share this with you because there are days our faith tanks are running on fumes. And God still moves! He answers our prayers and our heart’s desires. Boom! We need to build and encourage our faith all day, every day and keep our tanks filled up. But, when life happens and you don’t know how things will work out, remember that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than you ask or imagine. That my friends, is the Good News!

~Annette

(Photo: Southwest Pump Company)

(Thank you Joel for giving me permission to share this!)