My Anchor Holds!

For any Christian, faith is a journey.  We gain ground and then we lose some.  As God proves Himself faithful, again and again, we learn to trust Him even when we don't understand.  Many of you here know the story of my dad's passing and the story of his faith.  You can read it on my FB page if you want.  As I was meditating on Scripture the other day, I stopped for awhile in James.  It reminded me of my dad's response when I shared with him the doctor's prognosis of terminal cancer.  With a steady assurance he set his face toward his new destination and replied, "So be it. My anchor holds."  His faith helped to increase our faith in the last days of his life. His faith inspired this art-journaling entry.

James 1:6 warns us against doubt.  I've read so many posts where people elevate doubt...as the norm for the Christian life.  Faith is a growing process but our growth should be a general incline from the first days of our salvation.  The believer is not to have doubts.  Doubting God is mistrust, and mistrust is sin.  That may be a bitter pill to swallow, but we must recognize our doubts and times of mistrust for what they are, confess them to God and ask Him to build our faith. 

I'm reminded of the story in Mark 9 where a father brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus for healing.  He wants Jesus to help him if he could.  That launches Jesus into a teachable moment to share that anything is possible with God.  The father is confronted with his doubt and confesses it to Christ, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"  Don't we have moments like that?  We simply have to come the Father will a full confession that we have doubted.  God is the author and finisher of our faith.  He gives it to us.  We don't manufacture faith.  He will willingly supply all the faith we need.  It was evident He well supplied my father as he faced his last days on this earth. 

Our faith is what anchors the soul.  Faith will see us through the storms of life.  It keeps us from being tossed about and becoming shipwrecked. 

When we learn to trust and not doubt our faith becomes bigger than we are.  It becomes a supernatural faith supplied only by the God of the universe.  Christ's faith through His Spirit comes to abide with us.  I believe THAT is faith enough!!

My father's faith was anchored in the Savior whom he loved more than life.  In his final days he trusted in his Lord and while dreading some of the physical experiences of dying, his faith in God did not falter.  

I want my faith to grow everyday.  I don't want to ever doubt the goodness and wisdom of my God. I know my Savior is with me and will complete my faith to the end. 

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I used a Sweet n Sassy Stamp, Choose Faith, for the left page.  I used SU ink pads for the sponging and Prismacolor pencils to color my hand-drawn images and to color in the open letters of the stamped word, FAITH.