We Must Believe.

It changes everything! 🤍🕊️

Many years ago, the Lord called me to do something that I thought would be easy, but it became a journey of faith and God’s guidance that I want to share to encourage others.

God knew my heart at the time and how I would handle everything. He knew I would, at times, have fear. He knew I would have many questions. He knew I would have unbelief. He knew everything just as He does today.

There is a vast difference between me then and now.

In all of the questions I have had, He has always been there to comfort me.

In every moment that I had fear, He was always there to remind me that I could trust Him.

Having spent a great deal of time in church as a child, I have always found Jesus a very important part of my life. However, I have had my fair share of times when I wanted to live on my own understanding and have failed so often.

It all changed in 2006 when I met my husband.

He was blonde and attractive. My flesh caught a glimpse of that for sure. But what happened next changed my life.

This was the calling God gave me: to love him and keep this relationship pure, a divine purpose that transformed my life and faith.

Single for over 18 years, having a child at 34, and unmarried, I had no intention of getting married again. I loved my life just like it was. I felt safe. I knew that as long as I avoided marriage, I could protect myself from being hurt. I was very busy in my career, had everything the world offered in nice material things, and thought I was loving life.

I thought I was.

This call felt perfect because the second we met, I had a vision. The first one I had ever really had in this way. God showed me a man after His own heart. He showed me a humble man. He showed me the man that I had prayed for if I were ever married again.

God heard my prayer. I can’t tell you how confused I was at the time. Especially two days later, when Jimmy told me the real story of his life. This is exactly what he shared with me: “Martha, I know it looks like I am here doing ministry work and sponsorships, helping others in need, but God told me to be honest with you.

Jimmy was right; it certainly didn’t look like I thought it was — frantically leaving with the words, “I have to go pray!”

Jimmy didn’t know if he would ever see me again. I was certain we would not.

After much prayer, God said to me, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Matthew 8:26

You see, God knew from the beginning of our lives where we would be at that moment. He loved Jimmy, and He loved me.

We were married in 2007.

We once attended a marriage conference a few years into our marriage. Excited to be there, the first speaker began speaking; it felt a bit too worldly to us as we heard, “Remember when you both met and how in love you were.” We looked at each other and said, “ This one isn’t for us. Please understand, this isn’t meant to be funny at all. When we met, God called us out of the world. He began breaking us at that moment, and I must tell you many of those trials have been very hard, but each time we reflect on those seasons, we see where God was breaking off branches that didn’t bear fruit. John 15:2-6.

20 years later, we are still facing trials, but God continues to remind us how we get through them, why we are having them, and who carries us through each one. Jesus is the peace in the storm.

He promises we will face trials. James 2:2-4.

A year into our marriage, the Lord woke me up at 2 am and shared this beautiful verse with me. It was a profound moment in our lives, one I will never forget.

Ephesians 4:11-13

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

God has carried us through this journey one day at a time, and at times, when we didn’t think we would make it.

God called me later to leave my career to be a stay-at-home wife and homeschool mom.

This was a tough one.

I had spent my entire life believing that if I were in control, I would always be fine. If I finished at the top of my company in sales, I would always have a great financial life and be able to provide all the worldly things my daughter needed. I was lost. I was clearly living on my own understanding, and my faith was in myself rather than in God. After three months of long discussions with Him and much prayer, I surrendered to His calling for my life. Not my will, but His will be done.

Two weeks later, the company Jimmy was working for closed. His paychecks bounced, and we were both unemployed. Talk about being caught off guard. We both were, and we were both afraid.

Looking back, this was one of the best times of our lives together.

We didn’t lose anything but what God didn’t want us to have.

We lost a lot of pride, ego, and confidence in ourselves.

We gained humility, love, deeper faith, and confidence in our Savior alone.

After a year of this season, He began giving back to us. We remember the first time; we didn’t want it. We were afraid we would lose what He had given us in Him.

Oh, we still have very hard times, but in all of these seasons, God is moving us into a deeper level of faith and trust in Him.

After our children were in college, God had me write our story. I have always loved writing, but I never would have guessed I would have published books about our lives—a real story of redemption and the goodness of God. I am currently writing the third book in the series “When Jesus Sanctifies by Martha Gayle.

While writing my first book, When Jesus Calls,” God gave me the scripture John 11:40. I saw the scripture below of Lazarus being raised from the dead differently at that moment.

Like all of us, we are all lost until Jesus changes our hearts, removes the grave clothes, and sets us free in Him.

John 11:42-44

“I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me. When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Below are a few of our favorite scriptures that have profoundly touched our hearts.

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord. plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

John 12:44-48

“Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.”

Galatians 5:15-17

“If you bite and devour each other, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”

Revelation 3:16

“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

There have been times when we have felt lukewarm — God quickly reminded us of this verse during an unexpected trial.

Proverbs 9:10

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

The trials we face always bring us back to a place of humility in Him.

As a wife, I have spent much of our married life trying to fix my husband. I wanted Him to be a certain person, to live a certain way, and no matter how hard I tried, I failed.

God finally got my attention and, in a stern voice, said, “Get out of my way!”

I understand the meaning of this now at a much deeper level.

Jimmy has also tried to fix me.

This never works. We need to allow God to change the heart. We are called to love and pray for each other.

In our most recent trial, I begged God not to let me get in His way and to let His will be done, His will alone.

He allowed me to be still and trust Him fully.

Watching Him work out all of the details in His perfect timing and in His perfect way has been another beautiful blessing.

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Genesis 50:20

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

John 12:24-26

“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

John 10:10

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

We are still seeking to die to ourselves daily as we clearly understand that without Him, we are nothing. Without Him, we can’t live a life that pleases Him. We must stay connected to the vine.

John 15:5

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Our prayer is that, in some way, God will use us to help others, be an encouragement, and be a light in a dark world. My prayer is that whatever He calls us to do, we will surrender to His will.

We have to surrender our will to Jesus Christ daily and allow Him to do the work He has called us to do.

God makes everything beautiful in His time. Ecclesiastes 3:11.

Lord willing, we will be celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary in July.

To God Be The Glory!

May God’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

We are different people now because of Jesus Christ, and we owe it all to Him.

Please visit our website at marthagayle.com.

Thank you for your Prayers!

Always believe and never give up!

Martha Gayle ❤