Simple Faith...

It is interesting to me as I read God's word how he weaves the stories and verses together to help me to understand more about Him. I typically read from five or six books every morning. I always begin the day with a chapter in Psalms. Then I read a chapter in Proverbs and then I go where my bookmarks are located! I began the Old Testament over again a few months ago and right now I am in Exodus. I read the New Testament in two different places and right now I am in John and Hebrews. I am also reading a chapter in Lamentations everyday, as well. Today as I was reading about Moses and Aaron going to Pharaoh and ordering the plagues that God was sending, I kept thinking to myself, "God could have simply softened Pharaoh's heart as opposed to what the Bible says when it says He hardened his heart." It would seem simpler to me, but then again, I'm not God. And the older I get and the more trials and sufferings I have in my own life, the more I realize how powerful and mighty God is to save. It is through my trials that I realize His power. I believe that is why He allows them. To show me how mighty He is to save. Exodus 10:1-2 says, "Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD." Pretty simple, really. God hardened Pharaoh's heart so He could demonstrate His might and so the children and grandchildren (and me) would hear of what He did and know that HE IS THE LORD. I guess I am really always amazed at how the Israelites saw all those miracles and still grumbled and complained and worried over what would happen to them. As I was reading in Hebrews this morning, after I finished in Exodus, God made something very clear to me. Hebrews 3 mentions those Israelite children who witnessed miracles and plagues performed on the Egyptians and were sent to roam in the desert for 40 years. Actually, God declared an oath that they would never enter His rest....never see the promised land, because of their unbelief. Hebrews 3:19 says, "So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief." What did they not believe? They simply did not believe God. They didn't believe His promises. They worried and complained because they simply did not believe. What an easy concept to understand....but a difficult concept to obey in my own life. When trials come and heartaches are overwhelming and I have prayed for the job I desire for months and see no end in sight and financial worries are overwhelming, what do I do? I begin to doubt. I begin to fear. I begin to worry and fret. What does that mean for me? I am no different from those Israelites. I am not believing God. I am not believing that He will provide. He will deliver. He will restore. I, like the Israelites, can look back and see where God has been faithful....every single time He has been faithful. I have nothing to fear. I can simply pray, trust and BELIEVE. I do not want to hear the Lord say of me, "You are not able to enter because of your unbelief."