Tag: believing the Word of God

Answer of Prayer in the Middle of the Storm

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Very often what we consider to be the worst situation, is not what God thinks. God sees many things we do not see, and that is the importance of knowing that. In Mark 4:38, we see how the disciples were thinking of death, while Jesus was thinking of rest. Jesus knew he had a complete control over the storm and the waves, so he did not even consider it or think about it, but decided to sleep.

But the disciples were jumping all over the place. How often we are faced with situations in life, where all we see is the ‘storm’ and can not see the help which is provided from God. Do we think that God will let us enter into the storm of life, in a certain situation, and be without him, in that stormy situation? No, he is always there, right in the middle of the storm with is, just as Jesus said that he will never leave us, or forsake us.

The help the disciples of Jesus needed during the storm, was right there in front of them, but they did not recognize it. God’s help for us is already prepared for us from God, even before we enter the stormy situation of life. God knows any future storm we will face, so he prepares the help we need, even before we enter that situation. Confidence and faith, go to bed and sleep, and just chill and relax, in the eye of the hurricane.

Fear on the other hand, worries for things, which many times, do not even happen. What if? Even for our ‘What if?’ in our life, God has the answer. We all have destinations, somewhere in life to go. Jesus had a destination, to take the disciples on the other side of the lake. Jesus knew the destination where he was going, even through the storm.

Jesus knew that no storm, no enemy, nothing will stop the plan of his Father, about going to the other side of the lake, with the disciples, to do what he saw and heard from the Father. ‘Even if I walk through the shadow of death, You are with me’. We all want a smooth sailing through life, but God sometimes, has something different in plan for us.

He wants to test our faith, to see how it is doing, and usually, the test is not easy, but no temptation will face us, more than we can bear, as He has promised. God wants us to be like a surfing man, to ride above the waves of the storm, in order to arrive, to our God given destination.

The one who created the storm and the waves, Jesus, was right there with them, with the disciples, and he is with us always, to help us ride the waves, instead of drown.

Abraham the Man of Faith-Doubted

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Genesis 12:1, 2, 3, 12

Abraham was not very different in a sense, than we are in our faith in God, because although he had a strong faith in God and his promises, he had an occasion, where he really did not believe what God had promised him, and he was afraid, that he will lose his life, as we read, in the book of Genesis chapter 12.

Now, when we read Genesis 12:1, 2, 3, we can see very clearly, that God had already promised Abraham, that he will make him into a great nation. And then, we go to verse 12 in the same chapter, and we see the fearful Abraham, who was in Egypt with his wife, and was scared to death, because he thought, the Egyptians will kill him, and take his wife for themselves.

Now, that kind of fear in the heart of Abraham, displays only one thing, lack in trust in God’s protection, and lack in faith, in what God has already promised him, in Genesis 12, 1, 2, 3. If Abraham really believed the promises of God, which are written in Genesis 12:1, 2, 3, then he would certainly, not be afraid about losing his life, and his wife too, because the very promises of God, would encourage him to continue to believe God, that everything will be fine, with himself and his wife.

In contrast, we can read in Romans 4:18-21, that Abraham is displayed, as the great man of faith, who believed the promise of God, that his wife will have a child, in her old age. That description of the strong faith of Abraham, in the promise of God, is powerful. And yet, although Abraham knew his God and trusted him, he had his moments, of doubting the promises of God which were personally for himself, and was afraid of losing his life, in Genesis 12:12.

So sometimes if we catch ourselves, doing a similar thing like Abraham, doubting the promises of God for ourselves, let us not beat ourselves up, and let us not feel miserable and hopeless, but let us remind ourselves that there is always chance for us, to start believing God for his promises, just as we should.

No Handbrake for Your Faith

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Mark 6:4,5,6 God is sometimes wondering, even today, just as Jesus did, thousands of years ago, about our lack of faith, in him, and his Word and promises.

In Mark 6:5 Jesus was amazed, about their lack of faith. Jesus wanted to do miracles in that place, just as he wants to do them everywhere and also today. But those people in Mark 6, pulled the handbrake of their faith, and placed a Stop sign, in front of Jesus, to confirm their unbelief. They did not believe him, because they knew him, his parents, his relatives, his brothers and sisters, and they knew the man Jesus, but completely omitted Jesus the Almighty God, the Creator of everything.

And so Jesus choose not to tolerate their unbelief, by not doing many miracles there.

You see, God honors our faith in him, and he will always support a genuine faith in his Word, by even doing miracles, signs and wonders, if necessary, but he can not, and will not tolerate our doubt and unbelief, because, if God answered our prayer full with unbelief, when we ask for something from him, that means he will stimulate us to continue in our life, praying prayers full with unbelief.

We will just think to ourselves, that God answered our prayers, and did a miracle for us, even when we were doubting him and his Word, and we can think, that we can carry on in our life in the future, in the same way.

Jesus always responded to the faith of people, by doing a miracle for them, because he said that it was their faith that healed them, or did something else for them.

Matthew 8:34

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They were concerned more about their pigs and their business, rather then the eternal life, Jesus could give them.

They did not realize, that Jesus is the source of their provision and business.

They thought Jesus is ruining their business. They did not realise, the eternal value of believing in Jesus.

They thought that they provide everything themselves, and missed the real source of provision and eternal life, by asking Jesus to leave them.

Today, there are people, who do not want to give their life to Jesus, because they think it would be necessary for them, to leave many things in their lives, which they find valuable.

But God never wants to take anything which he thinks is valuable for us. Just the opposite, God does give us many valuable things, and he never wants to take anything valuable from us.

God’s Ways are Mysterious-Matthew 2:13

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We logically would think that the angel would protect Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus from Herod but no, he instead told them to go to Egypt. Could not the angel supernaturally stop Herod killing baby Jesus? Yes he could. But that is not the way God wanted to happen. Most people would assume the angel supernaturally would protect the Son of God.

But God’s ways are mysterious for us humans to understand, because his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. It is similar in many ways for many things happening in our lives. We think that this way is better or the other way, but somehow, God has a different way and choice for us, which could appear to be not the choice we would make, but nevertheless, he makes the best choices for us, even when they seem mysterious.

Trust God-Not People

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Psalm 22:11

Very often, when we are in difficulty or suffering, we tend to rely on people for help first, and if we do not get help from people, then we think about going to God, asking him for help and trusting him, to help us.

For example, we often tend to go to the our Doctor first, for healing, if we are sick, and if it does not work, then we go to God, asking for healing.

But, we are commanded in the Bible to trust God, for he is our help, and to love people.

Let us not be preoccupied with trusting in people! We are commanded to love people! We are not commanded to trust them! We are commanded to trust God. 

When there is no one to help us, God is always there, because Jesus promised that he is always with us, and will never leave us or forsake us!