by Susanne Scheppmann
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (NASB)
I pulled in the driveway grateful to be home after a five-day conference. I pressed the remote and the garage door rolled open. Bloodied water trickled toward me as I stepped from my car. I knew immediately what had happened - the freezer had gone out. All the meat had thawed and the bloody, watery juices had drained out of the freezer into a maroon stream that slowly ran toward the driveway. Yuck.
Mark, my husband, was out of town. I stood in my garage disgusted and slightly freaked out. Of course, I called my husband for help. I didn’t care if it was late and there was a three-hour time difference between us.
He patiently said, “Check the G.F.I.”
“The what?”
“The ground fault interrupter. It’s in the electrical outlet where the freezer is plugged in.”
Sure enough, the G.F.I. had tripped and in response the freezer shut down. Nothing was technically wrong with the freezer, except now it had hundreds of dollars of rotting food sitting inside it. Because of a tripped G.F.I., my evening turned from one of anticipated relaxation to hours of vexing cleanup.
Isn’t our faith sometimes like that, too? We are believing and trusting the Lord, when all of a sudden something unexpected happens – our own G.F.I (God Faith Interrupter) gets tripped. In response, our faith shuts down and we melt like a gallon of vanilla ice cream in a hot garage.
It’s certainly difficult to understand the twists and turns in our journey of faith. When a God Faith Interrupter occurs, we grope in the darkness for something to reassure us that regardless of our circumstance, the Lord is loving, merciful, and He will guide us. God Faith Interrupters might shake our faith. They can be scary. They certainly will be unexpected and uncomfortable, but the Lord holds the charge of power to uphold our faith even when it shuts down temporarily. We must turn to Him.
Express to the Lord your fear of a “God Faith Interrupter” tripping you up. Then thank Him that He will be with you, showing you mercy and loving-kindness, no matter what happens in the days ahead. Then resolve to stay plugged into Him, no matter what.
Dear Lord, I prefer those times when my life goes smoothly. However, I ask for an extra measure of faith when my life takes an unexpected twist. Teach me to trust Your sovereignty in my life, and to rely on Your strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
Birds in My Mustard Tree: For Those Who Struggle with Faith by Susanne Scheppmann
Sanctuary: A Devotional Bible for Women
Visit Susanne’s Blog
Application Steps:
Read Genesis 39. Note the G.F.I. in Joseph’s life. Consider how our Key Verse correlates with Genesis 39:20-23?
Reflections:
What G.F.I. (God Faith Interrupters) have occurred in your life?
Did you believe that God was with you throughout the ordeal? Why or why not?
Power Verses:
Jeremiah 31:3, “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (NIV)
Genesis 39:20b-21, “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” (NIV)
Psalm 57:1, “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” (NIV)
© 2008 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (NASB)
I pulled in the driveway grateful to be home after a five-day conference. I pressed the remote and the garage door rolled open. Bloodied water trickled toward me as I stepped from my car. I knew immediately what had happened - the freezer had gone out. All the meat had thawed and the bloody, watery juices had drained out of the freezer into a maroon stream that slowly ran toward the driveway. Yuck.
Mark, my husband, was out of town. I stood in my garage disgusted and slightly freaked out. Of course, I called my husband for help. I didn’t care if it was late and there was a three-hour time difference between us.
He patiently said, “Check the G.F.I.”
“The what?”
“The ground fault interrupter. It’s in the electrical outlet where the freezer is plugged in.”
Sure enough, the G.F.I. had tripped and in response the freezer shut down. Nothing was technically wrong with the freezer, except now it had hundreds of dollars of rotting food sitting inside it. Because of a tripped G.F.I., my evening turned from one of anticipated relaxation to hours of vexing cleanup.
Isn’t our faith sometimes like that, too? We are believing and trusting the Lord, when all of a sudden something unexpected happens – our own G.F.I (God Faith Interrupter) gets tripped. In response, our faith shuts down and we melt like a gallon of vanilla ice cream in a hot garage.
It’s certainly difficult to understand the twists and turns in our journey of faith. When a God Faith Interrupter occurs, we grope in the darkness for something to reassure us that regardless of our circumstance, the Lord is loving, merciful, and He will guide us. God Faith Interrupters might shake our faith. They can be scary. They certainly will be unexpected and uncomfortable, but the Lord holds the charge of power to uphold our faith even when it shuts down temporarily. We must turn to Him.
Express to the Lord your fear of a “God Faith Interrupter” tripping you up. Then thank Him that He will be with you, showing you mercy and loving-kindness, no matter what happens in the days ahead. Then resolve to stay plugged into Him, no matter what.
Dear Lord, I prefer those times when my life goes smoothly. However, I ask for an extra measure of faith when my life takes an unexpected twist. Teach me to trust Your sovereignty in my life, and to rely on Your strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
Birds in My Mustard Tree: For Those Who Struggle with Faith by Susanne Scheppmann
Sanctuary: A Devotional Bible for Women
Visit Susanne’s Blog
Application Steps:
Read Genesis 39. Note the G.F.I. in Joseph’s life. Consider how our Key Verse correlates with Genesis 39:20-23?
Reflections:
What G.F.I. (God Faith Interrupters) have occurred in your life?
Did you believe that God was with you throughout the ordeal? Why or why not?
Power Verses:
Jeremiah 31:3, “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (NIV)
Genesis 39:20b-21, “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” (NIV)
Psalm 57:1, “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” (NIV)
© 2008 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
4 Comments:
This is so appropriate for me and speaks volumes to me. I am in the middle of a life transition. My youngest is now in school (preschool) and I am about to head back into the work force. I have always wanted to pursue a career in early childhood education. I have loved the time God has granted me to stay at home and teach my child, and wanted to teach other youngsters. My previous career was as a Registered Nurse. Though I enjoyed it, it wasn't my favorite. Contemplating for the last 2-3 years about what direction to go in, I finally turned to God and asked for direction. Only I thought becoming a preschool teacher was the door that would open. It did not. opportunities arose, only the doors kept slamming shut. the door that opened, was the one that leads me to pursue nursing. Thsi was a huge GFI for me. it really tested my faith. But I've come to realize that God holds my future in His hands and that He directs my steps. I've come to embrace this new role and career as a mission that God has me on for His purpose. If only to reach one soul and introduce them to Christ, it will all be worth it.
God Bless
Tracey
I just had a gfi that shook me emotionally for a moment just two days ago but I asked a Christian friend to pray for me and she did and I was able to continue on in the Lord's work without dissolving in tears. I praise the Lord for showing me His love thru my friend and the comfort of His Presence with me.
How timely are these devotionals. Sometimes they are like lifelines for the present struggles I am struggling. This devotional struck to the core, and I am relating to it very well. I am presently struggling with a G.F.I., and I am very grateful to read this devotional. It is definitely a God Faith interrupter. It certainly wasn't welcomed by me. It shook me to the very core that I wasn't able to concentrate on my earlier morning devotions. What I ought to do is print today's devotional to remind me of God's faithfulness, and also in the event that I'm reminded of this GFI in the future. Thank you for your encouragement.
Thank you for the devotion. It speaks straight to my situation. I am struggling with a GFI, buying a house in an area which in my thinking is a bit far away from everything'. The decision has caused me anxieties, worries and struggles in my marriage with me resisting. I struggled as I tried to understand why we have to go that far. Like the first writer now I say "If only to reach one soul and introduce them to Christ, it will be all worth it".
Your devotion says a lot to me. To trust in the Lord. Jesus' words "Oh ye of little faith, why do you doubt me" constantly echo in my mind. I pray that I be able to let go and let God. For who am I to plan for God or to stand in the way of God's plans.
Thank you for the devotion and God bless
Post a Comment
Home