In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,

with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Ephesians 6:16

My heavy heart with a weight/that can only be laid bare/

in its own introspection/requiring a stillness/and silence/only God can penetrate.

~Marcie Bridges
©November 4, 2012

Sometimes my brain feels like it is pacing back and forth. The burdens on my heart fill my mind and I cannot decide which way to go with the things I have become privy to.

Lately my heart has been so heavy I almost felt like I was caving inside. But I have to believe God is doing a good work. And the work He is doing will only come through putting my beliefs in action.

I was reminded this weekend of what belief is. Yes, I know we talked about this just a couple of weeks ago. But it bears repeating. Faith is belief in action.

I want to focus on the word “belief” though. Belief is what you know to be true. It doesn’t mean you have faith in it; it just means you believe in its existence and it could happen.

As I was trying to decide what to write about, I decided to read a devotion from one of my favorite Beth Moore books, “Portraits of Devotion”. It just so happens for today’s reading we are in Ephesians 6:14-20. As she goes through each part of the armor of God, I am struck by her description of the shield of faith:

“The shield of faith is our protection when Satan tempts us to disbelieve God. A big difference separates doubting what God may do and doubting God. Even when you have no idea what God is doing, your protection is in never doubting God is God. We’re not called to have faith in our faith. We are called to have faith in God and never doubt Him.”¹

Over the weekend I found myself wandering about Walmart saying internally to God, “Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief.”²

Then, Sunday evening as I sat by my husband watching and listening to Sandi Patty up on the stage, she told us about a recent time when she was pouring her heart out to God and while she proclaimed her belief to Him, she said she felt Him say to her, “It’s great that you believe. Now act like it.”

Sounds like putting belief and faith in action. Does it not?

So dear sisters (and brothers), shields up!

From My Heart to Yours,
Marcie 🙂