“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught [Peter], and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?””           Matthew 14:31
RECOMMENDED SCRIPTURE READING PSALM 69:1-3 “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.² I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.³ I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.”
COMMENTS: Trusting God requires faith, especially without a safety net.  When consequences are greater.  But consider this, when we accept Christ as our Savior, receiving His forgiveness for our sins and His promise of an eternal home with Himself in Heaven, we are also accepting redemption from eternal judgment and from judgment to hell.  The bible speaks of the torment of hell and separation from God.  Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the rich man give a visual image of what hell is like and how good heaven will be.  This parable is told in  Luke 16:19-31 “¹⁹ “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and ^[a]fared sumptuously every day. ²⁰ But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, ²¹ desiring to be fed with ^[b]the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.²⁴ “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’²⁷ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ””

So, if we are willing to trust Christ with our eternal future, why is it so difficult to trust Him for something far less too?   But then again, why are most willing to trust their future on their own abilities and hope they can earn their way to heaven by their own good deeds when scripture tells us we can’t.

“⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know^[a] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”” John 14:6

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9

Truth is, we doubt the bible or only believe some parts.  But it is very dangerous to not embrace and believe the Bible.  IT IS GOD’S WORD AND IS TRUER THAN ANYTHING ELSE WRITTEN BY MAN.  Believe it or not doesn’t change truth it reveals to us.  We need to judge truth by it and not it by what others write or say.  

Likewise, trust Him doesn’t mean blind faith but informed faith.  Walking in front of a bus or walking on a tight rope without a net is not exercising faith in Him.  One preacher said if walk in front of a bus believing you can’t die until God says it is your time is not exercising faith.  That preacher responded “if you walk out in front of a moving bus, it will be your time”.   God permits our will to prevail (both wise and foolish choices) along with consequences of those choices.  But He also uses both to comply with His will and interweaves both into His Will.  That doesn’t mean He wills our foolish choices and their consequences.  He prefers we always choose wisely and avoid the pain of tragedy of those consequences.  He can and often erases those consequences but likewise will soften or delay those consequences.  But God is sovereign and we can’t understand His ways and timing, BUT HE IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL AND WORKS TO OUR ETERNAL GOOD AND ETERNAL GOOD OF ALL WHO PUT THEIR FAITH IN HIM!

Well, we can and should trust and have faith in Him, but only should take associated risk of stepping out in faith after He confirms to us by scripture and wise council of trusted Christians and confirmation directly by the Holy Spirit.  He doesn’t expect us to blindly follow Him but wants us to follow Him. 

What does that mean and what is the difference between doubting Him and seeking confirmation to make sure His direction is genuine?   What kind of fleece is honest seeking confirmation and what type of acts of faith tend to require more confirmation than other choices?  Well, big life changing choices like choosing a wife or husband qualifies.  Choosing a career or moving to a new place can qualify.  Choosing a church to commit to should qualify. Even planning a family should as well.  Such choices require us to draw closer in fellowship and devotion and worship so we are more open to hear from Him and to listen to His Small Voice.  Such is always a good thing to do whether we are seeking Big Answers or just guidance for the day.

So, such Big Choices should signal us to take some time before deciding to seek council from Christian friends we trust and who example Christ well.   We should take time in prayer and in His Word seeking as much council as we can.  After all, we should commonly do so in order to build strong relationships with other Christians as well as with Christ and a familiarity in His Word and in Prayer as well.  Good habits are a benefit when our thinking is clouded or distracted by emotions.

But then again, less life changing choices may not motivate such disciplines because the consequences of poor choices are less severe.  Choosing a car or a short-term job or planning a schedule for next day would apply.  BUT THEN AGAIN, spending time in prayer and devotion in His Word before we start each day and as reflect on day at end of day, only services to open our minds and souls to choose better tomorrow. 

God desires and is able to abide with us through His Holy Spirit but we desperately need to let Him do so.  Reflect back and how often small poor choices come one after another before creating bigger problems.  Likewise, reflect how more commonly they came as we neglected our regular time with Him. 

So, what should we learn and practice.  A daily and regular time of worship and fellowship and praise with Him in prayer and study of His Word.  The Bible is a living book since God’s Holy Spirit abides in it’s Words and in the soul of those who read it with a seeking and open mind and soul. 

He is there to respond to our cries for HELP!  But He would much rather accept His Help long before desperation and crisis engulf us.  AMEN?  AMEN!

“I never have any difficulty believing in miracles, since I experienced the miracle of a change in my own heart.”  Augustine