Belmont University - Freshmen First Forty DaysSample

Day 31 – Faith

Logically, a big hitch that always came to mind for me as a new Christian was whether it was worth giving up the things I loved doing in order to pursue something that couldn’t guarantee as much fun as I was having. It seems like what hindered me (and often still does) is what I was holding on to, always fearful of letting go: health, humor, habits, whatever! Committing to faith is way harder than it sounds, and it already sounds hard!

Luckily, Psalm 35:5 calms me down; “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” He will act. Right before this verse, David promises that God will give me the desires of my heart...so I’m in the clear, right? Maybe not. What is always interesting to me in observing how God is working is how those things compare to what I thought I wanted.

You often hear about God closing and opening doors and whatnot, but it’s more like God opening a huge stone door (think Mines of Moria in Lord of the Rings) that couldn’t be opened by anyone else (except maybe Gandalf). Jokes aside, Romans 8 says that “for those who love God all things work together for good” and you being at Belmont this fall is certainly no exception.

In fact, I believe even the trivial things work towards your good. Want to know how I know? “For your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). It’s almost like he’s just waiting for us to see what He’s done so we can sit there, awestruck. All things work together, y'all!

As you transition into your first semester at college, carve out time to be with God. The only way I ever learn from His work is through time dedicated to thinking about it and expressing thanks for it.

Remember, 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “God gave us a spirit not of fear,” because fear is the absence of faith. Faith is hard, but fear is harder. Be constant in prayer and giving thanks to the One who gave you and me exactly what we need: Life in Him!

Caleb Cunningham | Senior | International Business