Over the weekend Dineen shared a fantastic post ~Big Faith… If you missed it, scroll down and take a minute.

So today I must follow up that post with a question. How do I develop BIG FAITH?

I was pondering this very question and the Lord answered. Isn’t that just like the Lord?

Sunday mornings, my church is studying from the book of Haggai. We finished the first chapter yesterday. I have to tell you, I’m astonished this obscure book in the Old Testament with a strange name contains so much wisdom we can apply to our life in 2011.

So here’s the gist…. Fifteen years have passed since the Israelite remnant returned from Babylon. The people have use the cedar logs meant for the temple to rebuild their homes and they failed to construct the Lord’s house. Can you see a parallel in 2011? Yikes

So God calls them out and says: “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

In these words I hear the Lord calling me out. Ouch.

I had my own dreams. I tried to build my house, my marriage, my career, etc. and I didn’t consult the Lord. I didn’t want to hear what He had to say about marriage to an unbeliever.

God, blew it all away. Why does God blow our dreams away?

Well, out of our dying dreams our opportunity to really trust God is born. We learn to put God (His house) first. We discover the truth of Romans 8:31 If God is for us, who can be against us?

God says in Haggai 1: 13 “I am with you,” declares the LORD.

These words shout to my soul. I am with you….. You are special. You are chosen. You are important to God’s plan. You are significant.

So today, I’m going to respond like the Israelites did. They got to work. They believed God and began to build. They left their mediocre past behind and embraced a new future. They lived believing that God was with them. They found a new dream.

Today, I am going to live as if Jesus is with me always. I am going to build my marriage up. I am going to breathe significance into my children. I will reject the lies of the enemy and tell anyone who will listen that my God saves.

I will build my faith through obedience just as they did. I will, because I know that I am significant to God. Therefore everything I am and everything I do is significant.

THAT is the beginning of BIG Faith. Live like Jesus is with you always.

Be blessed, Lynn

*Inspired by Josh Clark. Thanks Josh. Sunridge Community Church.