Faith's Journey: Trusting God's Promises and Timing

Devotional

Day 1: God's Unwavering Love for Israel

God's faithfulness to Israel is a profound testament to His enduring love and promises. Despite Israel's historical rejection of the Messiah, God's covenant with them remains unbroken. This serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of praying for Israel and trusting in God's ultimate plan for His people. The trials and tribulations faced by Israel, a nation often misunderstood and persecuted, highlight the depth of God's love and His unwavering commitment to His promises. As believers, we are called to intercede for Israel, recognizing that God's faithfulness to them is a reflection of His faithfulness to all His children. [35:28]

"For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy." (Romans 11:29-31, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate praying for Israel into your daily prayer routine, and what specific promises of God can you hold onto as you do so?

Day 2: Overcoming Fear with Faith

The story of the twelve spies sent to Canaan illustrates the power of faith over fear. While ten spies focused on the obstacles, Joshua and Caleb saw the potential for God's glory. Their faith was not in their own strength but in God's promise, teaching us to trust in God's ability to overcome our giants. This narrative challenges us to shift our focus from our limitations to God's power, recognizing that faith in His promises can conquer the fear of obstacles. By emulating Joshua and Caleb's trust in God, we can find strength in His power and assurance in His promises. [47:13]

"Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, 'We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.' But the men who had gone up with him said, 'We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.'" (Numbers 13:30-31, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a current fear or obstacle in your life. How can you actively choose to focus on God's promises rather than your limitations today?

Day 3: Faith as the Foundation of Understanding

Faith is described as the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It is through faith that we understand the creation of the world and the actions of biblical figures like Noah, who acted on God's warning despite the absence of visible evidence. This understanding of faith challenges us to trust in God's work in our lives, even when we cannot see it. By embracing faith as the foundation of our understanding, we can find peace in the knowledge that God is at work, even in the unseen aspects of our lives. [49:54]

"By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." (Hebrews 11:3, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a situation where you struggle to see God's hand at work. How can you remind yourself of His unseen presence and trust in His plan today?

Day 4: Faith in Action

Faith requires action, as James teaches, and our faith must be accompanied by works. This involves stepping out in trust or waiting patiently for God's timing. The call to exercise faith in our lives challenges us to believe in God's existence and His rewards for those who diligently seek Him. By turning everything over to Jesus, we can trust that He will meet our needs and guide us through life's challenges. This active faith is a testament to our trust in God's promises and His perfect timing. [01:01:13]

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror." (James 1:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific action you can take today to demonstrate your faith in God's promises, whether it involves stepping out in trust or waiting patiently for His timing?

Day 5: Trusting in God's Perfect Will

Sometimes, God's answers to our prayers differ from our expectations. We must trust that His will is perfect, whether it involves healing or taking someone into His loving arms. This trust in God's will challenges us to surrender our desires and accept His plan, recognizing that His ways are higher than ours. By trusting in God's perfect will, we can find peace in the knowledge that He is in control and that His plans for us are good, even when they differ from our own. [01:12:34]

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where God's answer to your prayer was different from your expectation. How can you practice trusting in His perfect will and finding peace in His plan today?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound journey of faith, drawing inspiration from the experiences of Israel and the biblical figures who exemplified unwavering trust in God. We began by reflecting on the trials and tribulations faced by Israel, a nation often misunderstood and persecuted, yet deeply loved by God. Despite their rejection of the Messiah, the promise remains that they will one day accept Him. This serves as a reminder of God's enduring faithfulness and the importance of praying for Israel in their current struggles.

We delved into the story of Israel's exodus from Egypt, highlighting the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground. This event, often minimized by skeptics, stands as a testament to God's power and the necessity of faith. The narrative of the twelve spies sent to Canaan further illustrated the challenges of faith. While ten spies focused on the obstacles, Joshua and Caleb saw the potential for God's glory. Their faith was not in their own strength but in God's promise, a lesson for us to trust in God's ability to overcome our giants.

Faith, as described in Hebrews 11, is the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It is through faith that we understand the creation of the world and the actions of biblical figures like Noah, who acted on God's warning despite the absence of visible evidence. Faith requires action, as James reminds us, and sometimes it involves waiting on God's timing or accepting His will, even when it differs from our desires.

The message concluded with a call to exercise faith in our lives, to believe in God's existence and His rewards for those who diligently seek Him. We were encouraged to turn everything over to Jesus, trusting that He will meet our needs and guide us through life's challenges. The testimony of personal experiences and answered prayers served as a powerful reminder of God's presence and love in our lives.

Key Takeaways

1. lqfY&t=2128s'>[35:28]
2. The Power of Faith Over Fear: The story of the twelve spies teaches us that faith in God's promises can overcome the fear of obstacles. Joshua and Caleb's trust in God exemplifies the strength found in focusing on His power rather than our limitations.

3. Faith as Assurance and Evidence: Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It is through faith that we understand God's creation and His work in our lives, even when we cannot see it.

4. Faith Requires Action: As James teaches, faith without works is dead. Our faith must be accompanied by action, whether it is stepping out in trust or waiting patiently for God's timing.

5. Trusting God's Will: Sometimes, God's answers to our prayers differ from our expectations. We must trust that His will is perfect, whether it involves healing or taking someone into His loving arms.

** [35:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:14] - Our Journey of Faith
[35:28] - Praying for Israel
[36:55] - Israel's Historical Rejection
[38:12] - Israel's Current Struggles
[40:40] - Crossing the Red Sea
[43:10] - The Twelve Spies
[45:00] - The Report of the Spies
[47:13] - Joshua and Caleb's Faith
[49:54] - Understanding Faith
[52:53] - Faith in Action
[55:16] - Personal Testimony of Faith
[58:16] - The Necessity of Belief
[61:13] - Faith and Works
[72:34] - Trusting God's Will

Sermon Clips

1) "I wouldn't want to do life without the Lord. I'm so helpless without Him. I have no faith without Him. He is and in Him is our faith. My subject title today is Our Journey of Faith. Before we go to the scripture I would like to mention once again the flags that are out here and Brother Ryan wanted each of you to take one if you would. They're right below the parking lot on this slope and if you would like to get one as you leave today we want to have prayer for Israel." [34:14] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2) "Israel is probably it's probably nothing I guess it's probably no doubt hated by more people than any other nation and it's the nation that God dealt with from oh Oh, all the way from Abraham, that God has dealt with this nation. It wasn't always good how they treated the Lord. And sometimes the Lord let them walk alone. But when they would cry out to the Lord, the Lord would hear their prayer and deliver them. They have suffered many things." [35:28] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3) "Israel, by the mighty hand of God, was delivered out of Egypt. They crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. I can't remember who sang the song. But talking about Israel crossing the Red Sea, kicking up dust, is amazing to me. Do you know what? The Bible said they crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. And some have tried to minimize that miracle by saying that they didn't actually cross the Red Sea on dry ground. They just crossed at a real shallow point. And it really wasn't any miracle to it. They just crossed on a very shallow point. But isn't it a miracle that God just drowned all those Egyptians in that ankle-deep water?" [40:40] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4) "Israel could not believe that God would help them. They could only see the opposition. But two of these men that was with them there, they could see all of the glory that God was going to do for them. They could see His hand, manifested in Israel. And if they had gone in, they could have possessed the land then. But instead, they wasted 40 years of their life. Oh, I might add that all of them above 20 years of age ended their life in the next 40 years." [51:30] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5) "By faith, you know. Have I ever seen God? Not as I see you this morning. Has He ever spoke audibly to me? I don't think so. Well, how do I know He exists? By faith, I know He exists. Because I believe He does. He created the world. How do I know? By faith, I know He created the world. By faith, everything you see around you is because of God. Now faith is a substance, our assurance, of things hoped for. Faith is the evidence of things not seen." [52:53] (64 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6) "For without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is You come to God, you must believe that God exists, and you must believe that He will reward those that diligently seek Him. If you come seeking the Lord, you've got to believe that He's going to reward you and fill your position, your petition to Him." [58:16] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7) "Let me tell you, sometimes God, like He said to Noah, I'm going to destroy this world. You can believe me, it's going to happen. In Noah, God told him to build an ark. If he hadn't believed God, he would have never started work on it. And he worked on that thing a long time, and it didn't rain. Brother Thorne, it didn't rain because he didn't have the ark ready." [01:01:51] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8) "I'm going to tell you something. You can pray for the mountain to be moved, but sometimes God says, get a shovel. Sometimes we have to put works with our faith. But I think he was probably talking about such as they had just faced with this demon possession and that mountain when we pray if our faith is as a grain of mustard seed, it'll be done." [01:04:31] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9) "Faith comes by hearing hearing by the word of God and it's our faith as we see all the things that God is doing and what he's doing as we look at those things where faith builds and builds and we say God can do this, God can do this, hallelujah to come to Jesus you must believe that he is help us Lord one other passage." [01:09:22] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10) "When God does something for you, tell it, tell it. Because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Oh, Jesus. I was preaching at a church in our community. When I was pastoring at Chapel Hill. I was preaching at another church. And before I preached, they had a testimony service. And there was a man stood up in the congregation. And he said, well, the doctors have told me cancer's come back on me. And he said, now, I don't have a doubt that God can heal. But if he chooses not to heal me, it's just a short step to glory from here." [01:22:22] (96 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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