Doubt divides our mind into what we believe, and what suddenly we’re uncertain about. It causes us to question, which leads to wavering, which leads to apprehension, which leads to anxiety, which leads to fear. Doubt is like a cold, hard hailstone that the devil lobs our way, hoping it will freeze us up with fear. That hailstone of doubt will turn our belief into disbelief, and our trust into mistrust. Doubt comes first, and if allowed, fear will follow.
Tag: Matthew
Matthew 7:11 ” If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”
Have you asked Him? Yes, God knows your needs better than you can…but have you asked Him for things on your heart? What keeps you from asking…is it fear, doubt, or indecision? God wants you to ask, for in James 1:17 it says, ” Every good and perfect gift is from above…” He’s wanting to give you gifts that are over and above what is necessary or expected…all given graciously and freely from your loving heavenly Father. All you need to do is ask.
Matthew 6: 34 ” Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
For some of us worrying is a full-time job. We even like to fret over things we have no control over – like the weather. Then we wonder at the end of the day why we’re so exhausted from worrying over dumb things. Each 24 hour period has enough drama in it…we shouldn’t have to go searching for more. The Lord told us to cast ALL our cares on Him…let tomorrow worry about itself.
Matthew 6:21 ” For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Where are your riches stored up? Are all your desires and affections towards the things of the world, or is your heart right before God…passionately desiring Him first and foremost in your life? Your heart lies where your treasure is.
Matthew 6:19 ” Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”
Earthly wealth is fleeting and temporary…it can be wasted and squandered away in the blink of an eye. All our cherished riches here will eventually wear out, decay, break down, or be stolen from us…leaving us with nothing to show for it.
Matthew 25:40 ” Jesus replied, ‘ I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ “
Sometimes when I’m dealing with a particularly surly, angry, or overbearing person, the Lord will quietly remind me that it may be Himself, in disguise, wanting to see how I’ll conduct myself. Will I repay evil with evil…or will I show compassion and understanding? Or if I see an elderly person struggling with groceries in the parking lot…will I go to their aid or walk away? We never really know when He may be checking on us.
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Our bodies need food and water on a very regular basis, we can’t eat once a year and live. So it is with our relationship with the Lord…we need to spend time in the Bible daily, being filled with His Word. That Holy nourishment is every bit as important to our well-being as food and water. That’s why He extends the invitation to “Come all that are hungry and thirsty, for you will be filled.”
Matthew 18:14 ” In the same way your Father in Heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”
Jesus’s passion was for the lost…it showed every time He spoke about them to His Disciples. What are you passionate about? What do you have great enthusiasm, fire and intensity for? God can take our passions and use them for His good everyday. For me, my passion is cooking and baking…you could call me a real “Foodie”. I will admit without shame that I have a library of cookbooks, plus 6 binders of collected recipes from the last 30 years. My poor long-suffering husband never knows what he’ll be eating, for I’m always trying new recipes out on him. But the Lord has me using this passion to bake cookies, birthday cakes, cupcakes, and cheesecakes to surprise and bless many, many people. He has taken my passion and focused it outward to bless others…He can do the same with yours.
Safetypinlove 