I‘m shoulder to shoulder with you in this muddy trench.

I don’t know why life looks like it does today. But there are two things of which I’m sure—

We are not alone, and we are not helpless.

Faith itself is a gift from God, but we get to participate.

So when the flames of your faith feel small, it’s time to move closer to the fire.

Start recalling God’s past faithfulness in your life and thanking Him for it.

Trot out a list of 10 reasons to thank God.

God lit His initial fire in our life when He called us to Him. But we get to help fan the flame.

Before I knew it, my written list grew into pages and pages of recounting God’s past goodness to me.

God met me there. By the time I was finished, I could have run through a wall.

My faith felt like a bonfire–which was nothing to do with my faith and everything to do with our mighty God.

Return to your rest, my soul.

The Lord has been good to you.

His track record is flawless.

Move in closer to that fire.

Go over God’s history in your life.

Remind yourself of God’s blessings this past year.

Stoke that fire.

Recall God’s unchanging qualities.

Preach to yourself.

Fan that flame.

Review God’s grace in your life just today or even this past week.

Thank God for how He’s working.

Keep fanning.

God will meet you here.

Those faith flames, ignited by your gaze fixed on Jesus, will engulf you and the mountain in front of you.

Is faith work? Absolutely.

You get to participate, however, and you never do it alone.

But you will never increase that fire by fixating on your faith instead of our faithful God.

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.’” Lamentations 3:21-24 (NIV).

“Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” Psalm 116:7 (NIV).

“For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NIV).

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