servantheartedman: Can anyone tell me why three fingers on a hand is not a good metaphor?(Index is not thumb, but all stem from hand.  I can’t be the first to come up with this!) Ah, this graphic is better than that Venn diagram. The “three fingers” metaphor isn’t great because… God isn’t made up of separate parts? God isn’t incomplete without all “fingers”? Lots of hands exist, but only one God?

servantheartedman:

Can anyone tell me why three fingers on a hand is not a good metaphor?
(Index is not thumb, but all stem from hand.
 I can’t be the first to come up with this!)

Ah, this graphic is better than that Venn diagram.

The “three fingers” metaphor isn’t great because…

God isn’t made up of separate parts?

God isn’t incomplete without all “fingers”?

Lots of hands exist, but only one God?

The Names of God

El Shaddai:
The sustainer

El Olam:
The everlasting

Jehovah Jireh:
He will provide

Jehovah Rapha:
Our healer

Yahweh:
I am that I am

Jehovah shalom:
Lord of our peace

Jehovah Tsidkenu:
The Lord our Righteousness

Jehovah Nissi:
The Lord our Banner. Exodus 17:15

Jehovah Shammah:
The Lord is Present. Ezekiel 48:35

Jehovah Sabaoth:
The Lord of Armies. Isaiah 44:6

Jehovah Jireh:
The Lord will Provide. Genesis 22:14

Jehovah Rohi:
The Lord is my Shepherd. Psalms 23:1

Jehovah Mekeddeshem:
The Lord Who Sanctifies. Leviticus 20:7-8

Jehovah Adonai:
The Lord Our Master. Genesis 15:2

Jehovah Elohim:
The Lord Our Creator. Genesis 1:1

hammereddrunkwithfaith:

What would life be like if we truly believed (were fully persuaded of and absolutely convinced of) the following?

- Everything is possible with God (Matt 19:26)

- Nothing is impossible for them that believe (Matt 17:20)

- Nothing can separate us from the Love of God (Rom 8:38-39)

- If God is for us who can be against us (Rom 8:31)

- Nothing can by any means harm us (Luke 10:19)

- God works everything out for our good (Rom 8:29)

I dare you to ask God to help your unbelief on these things.

The sky really isn’t the limit.

Limits don’t exist.

You’ve never failed, and You won’t start now.

This morning I had coffee with my sweet friend Leah, who showed me this passage from Jeremiah 17 to encourage me about personal stuff that’s going on at the moment:

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
  And whose trust is the LORD.

For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
  That extends its roots by a stream
  And will not fear when the heat comes;
  But its leaves will be green,
  And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
  Nor cease to yield fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV)

Through everything I know that God is still God and He can use any situation for His glory! I will come out stronger on the other side. He will use my trials to sanctify me and He can handle my anger and questions and doubts.

“But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

Isaiah 43:1-3

Where I am.

I’m still here… I was here all along; just not writing anything, still keeping up with all of your blogs. I can’t remember when I last posted a proper text post… but I am here, finally. 

I’m not sure where to start, but maybe the best thing to write about is the thing that has taken up all of my thoughts recently: I am struggling with my faith. I don’t know when I started feeling this way, but over the last few months I  collected tiny doubts, unanswered questions, discrepancies and contradictions between the bible and church. My mind was so full of them, and I tried to push them aside for a while, until Sunday when I sat in church and all of a sudden became aware of the almost unbearable weight of them. 

This is where I am right now: I can’t feel God’s presence. I can hardly remember what it feels like. I feel like I am praying into the air and my words turn to nothing.

I believe in God. I believe in Christ. But I no longer understand why we do things the way we do. I don’t understand why we are happy to listen to preachers talk for an hour on Sundays and then carry on with the week, and nothing changes. I no longer understand why we aren’t doing greater works than Jesus did, like he said we would. I don’t think I ever understood. I have so many questions, but I’m not looking for explanations; I’m looking for change in my life and I have no idea where to start.

Right now I feel miserable, like I’m grieving for something, perhaps the old image of God I was clinging to. Even though I understand that I may come to a deeper knowledge of God through this, it hurts. My heart is broken, and I feel so far from God. 

Knowing that my sweet friends and my dude are praying for me is helping me to keep my chin up. This song, and this article by Peter Enns are encouraging me, and I am given hope by the thought that maybe God can use my doubt to strengthen and refine me.

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.