Beyond Belief

I thought I was done with my rough draft on Miriam—book #6 on Moses’s sister. It was 9pm on a Saturday night, and I had typed the last sentence:

Yahweh, in His infinite wonder, would undoubtedly keep stretching her ________________

…I couldn’t think of the right words to end that sentence. I’d written almost 100,000 words, and I only needed a few to describe how Yahweh would continue to work in Miriam’s life. But they had to be perfect. They had to encapsulate the entire theme of Miriam’s experienced from this book—as I’d learned it from Scripture and through research.

A Lot to Ask of Words

Beyond belief…came as a whisper, so I filled in the sentence:

Yahweh, in His infinite wonder, would undoubtedly keep stretching her beyond belief. 

But what did that mean? As I pondered Miriam’s story, this is what I found in her journey:

Miriam had lived her first eighty-six years in childlike belief of the ancient stories. Creation, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. El Shaddai was so real to her that the Hebrews deemed her a prophetess. Miriam believed without question in the God of her fathers and served Him with her whole being.

But when Moses returns from a forty-year exile in Midian, he brings word of God’s new name—Yahweh—and a promise of deliverance from Egypt. Miriam cries out to her God and hears nothing but silence. The foundation of all she’s known is shaken, and changes swirl around her, threatening the only life and family she’s ever known. Miriam must choose: cling to the bondage of her beliefs or embrace this yearning for Yahweh that makes her heart ache.

God’s Blessing of Yearning

An aching heart hardly seems like a blessing, but how else do we know we’re alive? Please don’t misunderstand. Believing God is good—it’s essential.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”        Hebrews 11:6 (emphasis added)

See that last part—earnestly seek Him? That’s what happens beyond belief…that’s the yearning. It walks hand-in-hand with living and vibrant faith.

Easy belief is the quickest way to kill a relationship with Jesus. When struggles end, passion wanes. Yearning comes through need, and need is truly a gift from our God whose grace is sufficient. When God grants us the blessing of yearning, He draws us to Himself—the greatest blessing of all.

Targeted Yearning

Not all yearning is created equal, however. I must confess I sometimes yearn for a dog to keep me company. I yearn for chocolate cake and in the next moment I yearn to lose thirty pounds. Yearning can become an addiction—called greed, lust, pride—and lead us to any number of sins.

That’s not the yearning we’re talking about.

As believers, we’re told to bridle our yearning. Take charge. Our thoughts guide our hearts, and our lips reveal the overflow of our hearts. It stands to reason, then, that what I think about most will likely come spewing out of my mouth—good or bad.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”           Philippians 4:8

What I yearn for most will almost certainly fill my thoughts, my heart, and my conversations.

Lord God, let it be You I yearn for…I want to live beyond belief.

Tweet-A-Licious!

• Yearning walks hand-in-hand with living and vibrant faith.
• Easy belief is a quick way to kill a relationship with Jesus. When struggles end, passion wanes.
• Yearning comes through need, and need comes as a gift from our God whose grace is sufficient.

Today’s Question:

• Is there something specific you yearn for in your relationship with Jesus?