June 21st, 2022
Have you ever felt like you wanted to trust God, but couldn't? Have you ever felt forced to blindly accept religious doctrine because you're supposed to "just have faith?"
Circumstances like these can make us feel distant from God when we long to feel closer. Maybe it seems like our prayers don't get answered, our good deeds don't get rewarded, and God may not have a perfect plan after all.
Let us encourage you with this truth: Faith is not a matter of will power, nor is it a matter of believing everything you hear whether or not you understand why you're supposed to believe it.
Faith is a matter of God's grace working through us. That means that we don't accomplish it-- He does. We have faith when we see that God is able, that He is faithful, and that He works all things out for His glory and our good.
God is able. We doubt God when we don't believe that He is in control of all things for all of time, including our daily lives. The Bible contains many wonderful testimonies of God's power and sovereignty including the creation of the universe; the deliverance and establishment of the nation of Israel; the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and the spread of the gospel to the world through the church. Meditating on the amazing works of the Lord in the past helps us to remember that the same God reigns today in power, strength and glory.
God is faithful. It doesn't help to know that there's an all-powerful God unless we also know that He cares for us. However, the Bible also shows us that the Lord is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Psalm 86:15.) We see the depth of the Father's love for us in sending the Son to this earth to be a holy sacrifice to take away our sin forever, so that we could be born again, be filled with Holy Spirit, and receive eternal life. God won't change His mind about you; instead, He keeps His promises despite our failure to keep ours.
God works all things together. Trusting God when everything is going well is easy enough. Trusting Him in trials and tribulations is much more difficult. But the same God who suffered on our behalf promises to work even our suffering for His glory. Many scriptures point us to hope and comfort for hard times. To list a few:
These are some of the many promises that God has given us to comfort us in suffering. When you're struggling in your faith, remember His promises and meditate on them. Ask Him for grace in time of need, and watch as He restores your faith in the process.
Please join us for worship this Sunday to celebrate what our God has done and is continuing to do in His Kingdom. We meet at Artserve, 1350 E. Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, 33304. Doors open at 10:15 a.m., and service begins at 10:30 a.m.
We hope to see you soon!
Circumstances like these can make us feel distant from God when we long to feel closer. Maybe it seems like our prayers don't get answered, our good deeds don't get rewarded, and God may not have a perfect plan after all.
Let us encourage you with this truth: Faith is not a matter of will power, nor is it a matter of believing everything you hear whether or not you understand why you're supposed to believe it.
Faith is a matter of God's grace working through us. That means that we don't accomplish it-- He does. We have faith when we see that God is able, that He is faithful, and that He works all things out for His glory and our good.
God is able. We doubt God when we don't believe that He is in control of all things for all of time, including our daily lives. The Bible contains many wonderful testimonies of God's power and sovereignty including the creation of the universe; the deliverance and establishment of the nation of Israel; the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and the spread of the gospel to the world through the church. Meditating on the amazing works of the Lord in the past helps us to remember that the same God reigns today in power, strength and glory.
God is faithful. It doesn't help to know that there's an all-powerful God unless we also know that He cares for us. However, the Bible also shows us that the Lord is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Psalm 86:15.) We see the depth of the Father's love for us in sending the Son to this earth to be a holy sacrifice to take away our sin forever, so that we could be born again, be filled with Holy Spirit, and receive eternal life. God won't change His mind about you; instead, He keeps His promises despite our failure to keep ours.
God works all things together. Trusting God when everything is going well is easy enough. Trusting Him in trials and tribulations is much more difficult. But the same God who suffered on our behalf promises to work even our suffering for His glory. Many scriptures point us to hope and comfort for hard times. To list a few:
- More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)
- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
- Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19)
- For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. (2 Corinthians 4:17)
- When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2)
These are some of the many promises that God has given us to comfort us in suffering. When you're struggling in your faith, remember His promises and meditate on them. Ask Him for grace in time of need, and watch as He restores your faith in the process.
Please join us for worship this Sunday to celebrate what our God has done and is continuing to do in His Kingdom. We meet at Artserve, 1350 E. Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, 33304. Doors open at 10:15 a.m., and service begins at 10:30 a.m.
We hope to see you soon!
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