I Believe

IN PREPARATION TO SPEAK TWICE on faith at a women’s conference, I reviewed my bulky binder full of notes on the subject. Faith was one my first speaking topics, probably because life’s challenges forced me to learn all I could about trusting God. And I’m still learning. It’s an ongoing challenge to apply the truths of faith to the realities of life.

I learned the most about faith from my husband. Bob’s life illustrates walking by faith and trusting God for His purpose and His plans, and he has influenced more people than I can count to do the same. Bob’s faith has impacted our family in ways I cannot express in words. We’ve watched him live what he believes about the God he serves, and his faith has not wavered since his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

After I spoke about faith on the first night of the conference, I woke up much too early Saturday morning and grabbed a pen. I can’t explain it, but I sensed the Lord enabling me to write the poem below. Initially my goal was to inspire my audience, but I quickly realized that “I Believe” was for my husband and for all who need encouragement to keep walking by faith, even when life is hard.

I Believe

When life seems more than I can bear

And I question, “Does anyone care?”

When the burden’s so great

That I bend from the weight—

I believe.

When waves of doubt envelop me,

Can I trust a God I cannot see?

When I’m tempted to sin,

To give up and give in—

I believe.

When storm clouds hide the sun,

I lose a race I should have won.

When there’s heartache and fear

And no one to cheer—

I believe.

When the enemy whispers lies

And the world screams, “Compromise!”

When I’m weary from the fight,

With no relief in sight—

I believe.

When my dreams go unfulfilled,

The cynic’s voice cannot be stilled.

When they tell me I should dread

The road that lies ahead—

I believe.

When my strength is nearly gone

And I struggle to go on,

When I stumble in pain,

Will I get up again?

I believe.

I believe Jesus died for me;

Faith in Him has set me free;

And I’ll never walk alone

On my path that leads me home.

I believe.

I believe my hope’s secure

And life’s trials I can endure,

Because heaven’s a real place

Where sin and pain He’ll erase—

I believe.

No matter how long we’ve been Christians, we all have moments when we struggle to trust God. In Mark 9, we read about a father who came to Jesus with his son, who was afflicted with a spirit that frequently threw him on the ground and made him unable to talk. The disciples had tried to cast out the spirit but failed. When Jesus told the father that all things were possible for those who believe, the father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Most of us can relate to the father’s candor!

The Lord may not right every wrong here on earth, but faith enables us to trust His plans for us. And like the father in the story, when circumstances are overwhelming and our faith wavers, we can be honest about our struggles and cry out to the Lord, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

REFLECTION

What do you do when your faith is shaken? God can handle our questions, frustrations, and doubts, and He wants us to run into His spiritual arms rather than turn away from Him. In His presence, we are free to ask Him to strengthen our faith. Find Bible passages to encourage and inspire you to trust God. My favorites are in the Psalms. This week, choose a different psalm to read and meditate on every day. Underline a special verse or passage, or write one on a note card to help you recall that God is trustworthy!