By Doug Creamer

Do you like going to the beach? I do! I like walking the beach and allowing the waves to wash up around my feet. I also enjoy sitting close to the water and allowing the waves to rush up under my chair. The sound of the waves crashing onto the beach in such a rhythmic way helps to erase stress and clear the mind.

Those are waves I like. I don’t like heat waves like the one we are enduring now. I think it is unusual to have a heat wave this early in the year. I have a few days off and was planning to get some work done outside. That’s not happening in this heat. My new plan is to enjoy plenty of ice cold drinks and the air conditioning.

What concerns me about this early heat wave is its impact on local farmers and small gardeners like me. How do we keep the fruits and vegetables alive in the extreme heat? I know we need to water, but the heat is hard on all the plants. I need to do some weeding in the garden but it’s too hot for that.

The heat and humidity is draining on us. I was hoping to do some reading on my front porch, but that is not going to happen, either. I went for my walk the other day in the early evening. It was still warm but we have lots of trees in our neighborhood, which helped.

We all know this will not be the only heat wave of the summer. I am hoping for a little cooler weather for our Fourth of July celebration. I guess summer heat is here to stay. The air temperature is not the only challenge we face in our lives. Many of us are feeling the heat in other ways, like struggles with relationships, finances, broken down cars, air conditioner repairs, health issues…and the list goes on. This kind of heat can challenge our faith.

God wants our faith to grow and become strong. The only way for that to happen is for us to face challenges where we find ourselves dependent upon God to come through for us. I am not suggesting we purposefully put ourselves in difficult places to make God come through for us. Life will deliver plenty of challenges that will make us run to God to help us through our situation.

The key word that I have been thinking about is the word through. We serve a God who wants to see us through life’s challenges. Naturally, we would all prefer God to move quickly and instantly. Who wouldn’t be excited when God heals someone? We all would love to see our problems instantly solved. Simple solutions. Easy every time!

When we see God move in the miraculous it builds our faith in His mighty power. It builds our faith to go back the next time with an expectant heart that God will come through miraculously again. There are miracles that happen around us all the time and we need to tell those stories to build each other’s faith. We need to believe in His goodness and kindness for us and in His miraculous power.

The problem with the instant results is that there is no opportunity for our faith to grow through perseverance. Do you remember the parable about the widow who wearied the judge with her request? The judge gave in because of her perseverance. God wants to see us persevere in the same manner.

I believe that God sometimes chooses not to move miraculously because He wants to walk with us through our circumstance. He is the God who sees us through the fiery trial. He is the God who brings light into our darkest moments. He is the God of hope that can help us endure. He wants us to learn more about His character. He wants us to learn to trust Him when we can’t see our next step. He wants to build that child-like faith in us.

I want to encourage you in two ways today. First, I want to encourage you to believe in God’s miraculous power. He still does miracles and we need to pray and believe for them. Second, if you feel yourself struggling because God didn’t move miraculously for you, then know that God is going to see you through. He wants to take you into a deeper relationship with Him. He is drawing you closer. Challenges are opportunities to get to know God better. Heat in our lives gives us the opportunity to build faith in an awesome God.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or doug@dougcreamer.com