Not Hard - Just Different

Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power

and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. Jeremiah 32:17

Have you ever heard a song that brought back a memory to you? Maybe a love song that reminds you of your parents, or a crazy song that reminds you of your teenage years, or better yet a worship song that takes you back to wonderful experiences you've had in God.

I recently heard a song that took my mind back to a lesson I was taught years ago that is one of the best lessons I've ever learned in regards to faith. I was privileged to take voice lessons with a master vocalist for a time. She was fun and a little eccentric - everything a voice teacher should be. She took me through crazy exercises to strengthen my voice and help me achieve some goals I had in singing. One goal (that I believe she actually decided) was that I was going to learn to sing an octave higher than I had been singing. I had sung since high school and knew I had a very low voice and normally sung in the alto 2 section, which was the lowest female voices. I could with a little stretching reach up and help the alto 1 section now and then, but that was my limit.

So, our goal was for me to have the ability to sing as a second soprano - only one step down from the highest female voices. When she announced this goal I have to admit I thinking - "I can't do that!" She must have read my mind because she said something that has stuck with me for almost 20 years now. "Debbie, don't think about singing higher as hard. The higher notes are not hard, they're just different." Wow - that was a revelation. I had always seen higher notes as too hard to reach, something that was simply beyond my ability. Yet someone was telling me that it wasn't hard and I could do it if I changed my way of thinking. She knew how to do it, and she was going to help me get there. She had the ability I needed and as a team we were going to accomplish our goal.

Did you get that... pretty sure I just saw a few lights go on and the word "Bingo!" pop into someone's head. So often we look at life through the eyes of what we think we can do. We may have never even tried something, but because of past experiences or the opinions of others about who we are and what our abilities are, we simply step back and say, "That's too hard. I can't do that." Why? Because thats what we think and believe in our hearts. The unfortunate fact is that if we believe we can't, we are right, we won't be able to do it. If I believe I will never lose those extra pounds, then I won't. If I believe I'll never find the right mate who will love me the way Christ does (especially if I had a bad marriage before) then I won't. If I believe that my income will never increase because I don't have the "right skill set", then it won't. Wow - Deb - that's not good news! No, it's not, but it's the truth! We will never go further than the point to which we have developed our faith.

The Bible clearly teaches us that we accomplish the will of God in our lives by and through faith. Hebrews 11 is filled with folks who did great things for God, and they all did it the same way - by and through faith. That's the good news! If we begin to deal with the heart of the matter, study and meditate on what God has said we can do and begin to act on it, then we will begin to accomplish more in life than we ever imagine. It's true - we really can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us! We can lose those pounds. We can find (or ladies, be found) by the right mate - even if it's the second time around. We can believe and experience a fresh love and passion in our marriage. We can have financial increase no matter what our skill set or education is.

How? By faith! You may not even realize it, but you've already worked the faith process. When you got born again, you did it by faith. Romans 10 tells us that in order to be saved, we had to believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, and confess with our mouths that Jesus was the Lord of our lives. That was it...that's faith in a nutshell! I must believe the Word of God no matter what, and I must be willing to act on what I believe. If we did that to receive salvation, then we can keep working the same process to receive ANY promise if God. All of the promises of God are received this way - believing what the Word says and then acting on it.

Often the greatest act of faith is simply saying what the Word of God says is true. If we really spend enough time getting the Word in our hearts, so that it becomes natural for the Word to come out of our mouths - even in private moments of frustration and pain - then we will be able to change our circumstances with the Word. If I feel sick or the doctor has given me a bad report about my health, what do I do? I must believe what the Bible says; I must believe that I am healed by the stripes of Jesus. I must search out the scriptures and find the ones that show me that through what Jesus has already done for me I am already healed - right now. I must listen to people anointed to teach and preach about healing. Then I must intentionally believe that and say only that - no matter what.

What if it looks like it's getting worse? Believe and speak healing anyway. What if my doctor says I'm going to die? Believe and speak healing anyway. What if I'm scared? Believe and speak healing anyway. What if I knew someone else who didn't get healed. Believe and speak healing anyway. Never live on the way you feel, the reports you are receiving, or the experience of others, but rather choose to only live by the Word of God.  I must keep myself surrounded with the Word of God and not let anyone or anything talk me out of it. This is called the faith process - intentionally believing and acting on what the Bible says is true in any area of life. When we understand how to work with  the Word - the Word will work for us - and it will work for us every single time.

Was it easy to get saved? Yes! God made it easy for us to receive salvation. There may have been challenges along the way, but we knew it belonged to us. Is it easy to receive healing? Yes! We receive it the same way. There may be challenges along the way, but if we continue in faith, we will win! I am not saying you're not in a fight - but if you want to prevail you must know and believe it is a fight you are going to win!! If God can rescue you out of the kingdom of darkness and change your heart for eternity - there is nothing He can't do for you! It doesn't matter what promise of God you need to receive right now - stop looking at it as hard. Nothing is too hard for God. This fight isnt too hard for you and God together. Remember, it's not hard - it's just different.

And yes, to this day, I can sing the part of a second sorprano. How about that! :)

Remember you're a winner!!

Debbie Beck