“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NLT
“God delights to increase the faith of His children. We ought, instead of wanting no trials before victory, no exercise for patience, to be willing to take them from God’s hands as a means. Trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats, are the very food of faith.” -George Müller
Finding Faith in the Pit
About a year ago, I received a phone call from my husband, who said the dreaded words no wife wants to hear: “I lost my job today.” My heart sank, and my mouth became so dry I was unable to speak. We were in a deep, dark pit, and all I wanted was for us to be out of this stressful time and back in our comfortable ways.
Losing a job is tough. It affects our husbands more than we can ever understand. They lose a sense of their identity and feel helpless. It was a very low time in my life and my marriage. Maybe you have been there or are living this life right now, and we had been there before. But this time, we knew God had a path for us. Rather than trying to solve the dilemma as quickly as possible and jump into a new job as fast as we could, putting a Band-Aid on our problem, we approached it differently than before- we prayed big-time! We took an inward look at our sinful lives and really did some soul-searching. We went through a “pruning” period, which was extremely hard, but as any gardener knows, after a good pruning, the next harvest produces plenty of good fruit (John 15).
While in that season, the Lord called me to His Word and filled me with hope. The hope I felt was not just a hollow desire, wishing for a good or quick outcome. Instead, it was a deep certainty, rooted in the depth of our souls and shrouded in “confident expectation.” I have learned that this kind of hope gives us a confidence that no earthly definition of hope can reach (Romans 15:13 NLT). As I began to read my Bible daily, I was reminded to persevere (Romans 5:3-5; Hebrews 10:36; James 1:2-12), find new confidence to walk in God’s ways (Romans 12:12; 15:13 NLT; Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 10:35), and discover a renewed trust to rely on Him (Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 17:7-8). Nowhere did I find the Bible saying we should give up, rush through our problems, or prove to the world we could survive on our own. Most important, I didn’t find verses saying it was even possible to live a comfortable life free from hardship.
Throughout our trials, I was continually drawn to Hebrews 10:19-12:3. These chapters talk about suffering, holding onto our promises, and the ancient people who were known for their great faith. Many of them suffered deeply and did not even receive their promises, yet still they were living by faith when they died (Hebrews 11:13, 39). By choosing to activate their faith, they walked in obedience, trusting God would lead them. I believe God was leading my husband and me to a new place too, and this place would be rooted in Him and prepared in advance, just like the Isrealites (Exodus 23:20-23). We also quickly began to realize that our obedience and discipline were of utmost importance to our Father (Hebrews 12:7-11). Now, we start every weekday praying together while he drives to work, and we check to see how the other is doing – if we’re still walking in God’s will for us, leaving our old habits behind. We support each other by standing firm together and keeping each other accountable!
Whatever pit you may be in right now, do not give up. Instead, seek God’s path for you- ask Him to lead you- and allow yourself to trust Him. The truth that He is always with us and goes before us makes breaking out of the pit possible! Release the grip on your fears and anxieties and let God direct you (Matthew 11:28-30). Don’t be grabbing those burdens back either, acting like you know best, but rather trust His process for your own growth. Our faith isn’t something that is always recognizable or measurable, but know that God sees our faith. He goes ahead of us and prepares the way, a home in His kingdom, just as He led our ancestors to victory! Sister, let’s build our faith by walking in confident hope- knowing that through our trust in God, He will be faithful in all situations and scenarios we face.
Blessings and Love,
Kristall Willis and the Help Club for Moms Team
Faith-Filled Ideas
Write your own “by faith” statement about yourself. Reflect on your life and think about how God would describe your walk of faith. When have you responded purely out of faithfulness and obedience to Him? Reference Hebrews 11 for examples.
For example, mine would say, “By faith, Kristall, when God tested her, stood by her husband and trusted God’s ways were better. She stepped aside, disregarded worldly wisdom, and trusted God to use her husband to lift their family out of the pit.”
This writing comes from our book “The Help Club for Moms.” You can find it HERE!
I am blessed to be a stay-at-home mom with a working background in graphic design. I am from northern Virginia, and our family moved out to Colorado in late 2013 to be close to family. I graduated from the University of Arizona in 2005 with a BFA degree in Visual Communications and my passion is for design. The Lord has called me to create designs for Him, and therefore, I am so grateful to be a part of the Help Club for Mom's ministry, where I can serve the Lord and connect with fellow moms all at the same time! My favorite verses are from Psalm 139:13-16.
- Mom to Mom with Kristall - October 28, 2023
- Replacing Lies with Truth - October 20, 2023
- Finding Faith in the Pit - October 1, 2023