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Today, I was reading up a blog that spoke about how kids fear getting injections. It struck a very old chord with me and got me thinking about my experience with needles. My father was a doctor and a very good one; all his patients would vouch for that.

As a kid I was his pet, the apple of his eye, to the point of spoiling. He always bought me fabulous toys that other kids my age would drool over. The only thing wanted to run ten miles away from him when I was sick. I suffered from bronchial asthma, chronic allergies and a very weak immune system from birth until my teens. Many a times, my father saved my life with his vast knowledge of emergency medicine. However, emergencies came with needles 😦

It took a lot for me to allow anyone with an injection to come even a way bit close to me, and more often than not, I needed an intravenous drip; this was as scary as a nuclear bomb to me. I remember this one instance, when daddy would hold me in his arms and reason with me. Knowing that I had this need to prove myself strong, he would say, “You are a strong girl. You can take this. You think daddy would harm you? Trust me, just one mosquito-bite like poke and you will be fine. Now where’s your hand.” There reluctantly, yet with full trust, I let the nurses administer the injection to me. All this while dad said relax your muscles, it will hurt less. I listened to him. What do you know, it did hurt less!
Since then, I was not scared. Never have been scared of injections after that. Some nurses have even marveled at my calmness and ‘just-get-it-over-with’ attitude. Not sure if its true, but as a kid, the nurses would say I was their best patient and a very good girl 😛 I would love to believe that’s true!
What is the point of this memory you ask?

All this is very applicable to Our Heavenly Father. Who knows what’s best for us. Some times what is truly best for us may seem very wrong like an injection, but it may be something that we urgently need.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

– Romans 8: 28-30

Trust is an act of love. I have learnt this one thing over the years – Love is an action. Trusting someone is the evidence that you love a person. People treat love as a noun; they personify it. However, love is a verb that two people act upon. There are many kinds of love; a really good friend of mine got me to look up four kinds: Agape, Phileo, Storge and Eros. These are based on one element – TRUST.

Recently, I faced one of the biggest disappointments in life. I had prayed for this certain situation to turn out a particular way for 10 years. The longest I have prayed for anything. I fasted, I prayed, I cried. Of all things in my life, I really wanted this to work out in a particular way. However, God worked it out a completely different way. Not a very nice way, mind you. I was broken, afraid, shattered. I have no words to describe the pain I was in. Thankfully, my comforter, guide, counsellor and friend, the Holy Spirit was working on me. Edged me on to trust the Father in Heaven and glorify Jesus, even in the storm. I sang songs to myself, read scripture and focused on all that He had done for me. I realized and I know, God is good. Now, I understand the context of:

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

– Romans 8:37-39

Faith is not just believing that your prayer is answered, it is trusting God when your prayers are not answered your way. It is trusting God.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

-Hebrews 12:1-2

FURTHER PLEASE READ:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Faith at the Dawn of History
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; [a] for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Faithful Abraham
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child[b] when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

The Heavenly Hope
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them,[c] embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

The Faith of the Patriarchs
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”[d] 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children ofIsrael, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

The Faith of Moses
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.

24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in[e] Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.

32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted,[f] were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Faith does not always seem pretty, but it ends always in glory. So, what mountains do you face? What crisis is bogging you down? What sickness is keeping you from doing the things God called you? Rise up oh warrior of the Most High! Pick up your sword, the Word of God; the shield of faith; intercede for your fellow soldiers; put on the armour of God. Come on, come on, RISE UP I say. The battle is waging on. Don’t be idle and be caught by sin like David when he lazed around and was tempted to lay with Bethsheba. Rise up I say! Because, DADDY, Our Abba Father, knows best, so don’t fear, march on!