Counting Faith Seeds and blooming Grace ~#GraceMoments Link Up

Some days are hope catching days. The ones where we walk and walk and seek for that substance of our faith which reminds us to look not at the things we see but at the things He says. His Word provides these morsels for us to chew on, seeds that we plant in our soul in morning devotions, afternoon quiet times, and our evening vigils in prayer.

We pass time with these facets of our faith. The eagerness to know God and to testify of His goodness. To remind ourselves that what we say is what we believe and we look for the light of grace to step into and count down in our daily toll.

We count graces so that in the hard times and the good times we can remember faith is the substance of hope and the evidence of those things that we don’t yet see. It is the perception of the facts His Word clarifies as a truth  in the everyday reality of our now.

When we only get a glimpse we have to believe it is His best.

Sometimes I have to be reminded of this lesson from the book of Hebrews. I have to remember that we don’t get to see everything all at once, like He does. But we can trust Him.

And when God nudges us with the reminder in the midst of our valleys we need to take time to count His grace as we go.

Obedience is the virtue which deepens our trust and expands our faith. The faithful don’t walk by what they see but by who they know and we have to remember that He has our best in mind… all.of.the.time.

My heart is convicted by the lack of faith that sometimes permeates my day. I forget all too easily the way He has met me every single moment of this journey with a seed of hope to plant in the soil of my heart.

Moments when reflection points out the obvious, I stand in awe that the King of Glory bent low to pour into me. Those moments… which can all too easily fade in our memory with the next trial and difficult moment… are the makings of a faith walk that bears His image in every step. Those are the seeds we are supposed to be counting and collecting because they are a part of our stories. And we all need to revisit the miracles of our stories some days.

Sometimes we need the reminder that the journey doesn’t have to be glorious to be good. Sometimes we need to remember that answered prayer doesn’t always look like what we thought it should, and that is ok. Sometimes we need to release hope seeds as we travel because we make the way better for others and testify of His grace more fully.

• When we can speak of grace and our hearts are breaking, we shine bright for Him.
• When we can speak of hope and our souls feel parched and lacking, we imitate His selfless love.
• When we can speak of love and our circumstances look completely opposite, we exercise a walk of faith.

Hope and Faith multiply in Grace

Now Faith is the substance (the confirmation and title deed) of the things (we) hope for , being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality. [Faith perceiving as a real fact what is not revealed to the senses.] (amplified version)

When I look at these words, I see a powerful truth to cling to, a four letter fuel-word which pushes us to stand strong in the trials of life. It is the foundation that testifies of His fullness. Hope.

• Hope is a powerful promise we need to cling to when the everything else has a tendency to bring you down rather than lift you up.
• Hope is the chord of harmony which faith needs to plant and restore our hearts. Faith without hope lacks evidence, and that nullifies what His Word is telling us. Faith is nearly tangible when hope is abundant. It is touchable. It is real. It is visible. And because He is… Faith is founded on the eternal truth that will outlast all that we see.

What is Hebrews 11: 1 saying about faith here?

Let’s collect the power truths and deposit them in our grace basket today, because sometimes we need to look deep to find the graces placed before us. Sometimes, maybe not so deep as opposed to broad and wide. His Word is deep, His Word is broad, His Word is full. And we need to mine out the treasures that are waiting to be found each day. Especially when we are struggling to find grace in the moment.

Faith is…

Faith is substance.

The amplified says it is the confirmation and the title deed of the things that we hope for and the proof, the evidence… the conviction, of our very present reality.

Faith reveals hope.

Faith perceives facts but reveals that His Word is the truth in all of our situations.

Faith is evidence.

Romans 8:28 reminds us that He is working everything out for our own good. Even the trials and the hard things, especially those things.

So, why is it that we forget this truth? Why do I get so focused on today and tomorrow instead of the right now obedience He is asking me to step into?

What are you hoping for friends?
Big things, small things, everyday needs, mountain-moving-faith needs, heart changes, life changes, financial growth, enlarged opportunities…. the list goes on right?But God knows what we have need of long before we ask. If that is true, then we need to look for the way He provides… we need to count.

Grace for today is our promise.

We can rest in this truth, friends. His grace is sufficient to meet our every need today. That is what we can bank on. As we do, we collect the seeds of hope on our journey and we plant them in faith so that the substance we harvest is more than we can keep in our storehouses and the storms and trials of life can’t steal or blow away the blessing.

When counting is hard…Faith reminds us why.

Sometimes the counting seems like it has turned in direction. Rather than adding up the graces, I find myself courting IOU’s like velocity has no effect on inflation and there may not be a chance to cash them in. I was reminded of that today with my kids. They like to make sure we know just how well we are doing in the parent department, don’t they? And I force myself to collect graces with them at times because this living in real life together and surrounding one another in the glaring realness of authentic living can be overwhelming. I mean teenagers and 20-somethings are scary people, y’all. That’s all there is too it.

These lessons are real, they are applicable and they are authentic. They create space for grace to make our heart habitable and welcoming.

Grace litters hope wherever it goes.

There have been some hard spaces taking up residence in my little world lately, but I was reminded that His goodness is abundantly more. I needed to settle into the validity of that truth this week. I need to remember that the struggle is not mine alone. And that, friends, is a grace moment worth collecting.

Prayer is our grace seed of hope in the sea of impossible.

Are you standing in a sea of impossibility? Pray Big, Count Grace, Trust.
Are you seeing the difficulty instead of the God-moment? Find Hope, Plant Faith, Lean.
Are the words other are becoming your reality? Write His Word, Speak His Word, Believe.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart: and lean not upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.-Proverbs 3:5-6

Sometimes our hearts break a little and we find ourselves stepping back to the point that we feel a little lost. Today I was reminded to step boldly into the light of grace. Some hard words were a part of my reality today, words that never get any easier to hear, but God was there, quick and sure, to catch the rebound of my bouncing heart. He reminded me that He is the One who is ever always in control and He is trustworthy. I am so grateful.

Where are you trusting in faith, leaning in hope and believing truth this week? Where are you counting grace as your inheritance?

I’d love to hear about your grace moments. If you have a blog, share your grace moment in the comments, link up a blog post, and visit a neighbor with a cheer of encouragement. We all need a gentle nudge of grace to count in our days.

IT’S YOUR TURN TO BE A GRACE COUNTER!  SHARE YOUR GRACE MOMENT IN THE COMMENTS BELOW AND THEN COUNT GRACE WITH A FRIEND WITH COMMENT ON A BLOG OR TWO.

If you are a blogger, link up here with  a post about finding grace moments in your life or one of your favorite inspiring and encouraging posts from this week. Share your thoughts in the comment section telling me about the #Grace Moments you experienced this week. *(only 1 post per link please)*

Take time to visit your neighbor next to you, and if you want visit a few more friends on the journey. We all need a little encouragement and affirmation as we travel together.

If you don’t have a blog, you can connect with me via my Journeys in Grace FB page by sharing a photo or a comment.  Or you can join the party by sharing your images on Instagram with #Gracemoments hashtag.

Each week I will  try visit as many of your amazing  posts as I can.This is a safe place to sit and dwell in grace together, friends. I can’t wait to pour a cup of friendship with you and take in the grace moments you have to share. Don’t forget to leave a comment below, I love to hear from you.