The Shield of Faith

       "It is a hard decision because you have to really pray and figure out if this is something you want or God wants. That is the hardest part of this whole thing is putting your thoughts and feelings aside and only hearing God. I think if you are able to do that every thing else will answer itself. God is always growing us and changing us, and it is good not to be comfortable, because if you are comfortable you are not open to the change God could be making in you. God had just slightly changed the path he wanted me to walk down."
        "I know people hear this a lot but you must prayer. Sometimes we want the answers so fast we forget who to ask the question to. Pray for wisdom, guidance and for His Will to be done." I hope God put the answers on your heart......all in His Timing of course." - From a Friend

         I always look at this saying and think that it is very challenging. At the same time, every time I look at this saying God always teaches me something new from it. I could have have looked at this saying 3 years since it has been written and even 6 years since then and more but each time it has been a different situation in my life and each time I have learned something new from this saying. It is funny when one saying can keep pushing you to new levels of things in your life like this one does for me. What I am going to write about in this entry is what it means to mean when I look at it with the eyes of faith. If you want to know what it has mean to me other times, you can look back at some of my other entries because I know I have written about it before too.
         This last time that I read it I was going through a Bible study that taught us about the armor of God and it happened to be the week that we were studying about the Shield of Faith. That is why I am writing about it now because I say in in a whole new way. A Faith Way and it really stuck to me. Usually I would see it as "a you can get through this hard time in life" way  and "this is what I need at this moment of my life" way. I guess though, that it never really hit me where I needed it to hit me and teach me a certain word in life until that week of Faith. That is when it all came to me even after of 7 years of looking at this saying off and on no matter the season of my life.
            It really speaks full heartily about what Faith really is and/or what it should be like. I think this is the best way to describe it and I don't know if my friend thought of it that way when it was written. I asked my friend about a situation in college and this is the answer my friend gave me. I had to make a decision on something and didn't know which way to go. That's why it starts with "this is a hard decision". Then I liked how it said "you have to pray and figure out if this is something God wants or that you want". Isn't that what faith is all about? Seeing what God wants and then stepping out to do it? It is hard for us, humans, to put our feelings and thoughts aside and just listen to God and I would be lying if I said most of the time because it is all of the time at least for me it is.
          If we could all just put things aside in this world and listen to God, our lives would be much more fun and fuller then we ever would think of. If we are able to do those two things, then we should be able to follow God where He wants us.  My favorite of this saying and I always read this part and stop to think about it too, is: "if God wants us to change then He could be growing and changing us, it isn't good to get comfortable because if we are then we are not open to the changes that God could be making in us".
          I always have a hard time getting out of my comfort zone so that is why I love that part so much and why it has been really encouraging to me in the past years. Even if it is just sightly changed, it could make all the different in the world if we take it or not. God has a reason for making changes in our lives and we need to follow Him and do those changes. Have the faith to do those changes! Then it is PRAYER that my friend points out that is really important to and in FAITH. We can't ask the humans around us because they are just as bad as we are. We sometimes or all of the time need to ask for wisdom, understanding, and His Will to be done in our lives. We need to pray that He will show us what He wants us to do or to see.
          We are just in such a hurry these days here on earth that we don't stop to think about the answers or to actually listen to God. We go along with the answers we get from our friends, family, and the people around us. I understand that they might want to help us and try their best but something only God knows what is best for us. Then the last part is my favorite part that I will remember forever and that is......."God will put the answers on your heart..........all in His Timing of course. That is one of the things, probably the most important thing, that we need to remember throughout our lives. Everything happens for a reason and all in HIs Timing of course. It is all about putting your Faith in God and stepping out to follow Him. The End.