Trusting God and Obeying Him Through Life’s Miracles

Oct 11, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Painting Door Frames with Ordinary Obedience

God’s miracles often begin with simple, tangible acts of trust. The Israelites faced death but were spared by smearing lamb’s blood on doorposts—a messy, illogical act that required no special skill. Their obedience wasn’t about understanding the full plan but responding to God’s specific instruction. Like them, believers today are called to “paint door frames” through practical obedience in daily life. Miracles unfold when ordinary people do what God says, even when it seems insignificant. The power lies not in the act itself but in the God who honors faith. [30:52]

And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
(Exodus 12:22–23, KJV)

Reflection: What “door frame” has God asked you to paint this week—a practical step of obedience that feels small or strange? How might trusting His instruction open the way for His intervention?

Day 2: Holding a Stick Over Impossible Waters

Moses stood trapped between an army and the sea, holding only a shepherd’s rod. God’s command to raise the stick seemed absurd, yet that simple gesture became the catalyst for a parted sea. Faith requires acting on God’s word even when His methods defy human logic. Miracles happen not because of our resources but because we lift what we have—however unimpressive—in surrendered trust. The Red Sea still parts when ordinary believers choose obedience over panic. [36:58]

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
(Exodus 14:21–22, KJV)

Reflection: What “stick” are you clutching—a simple act of faith God is asking you to take—amid an impossible situation? How does His past faithfulness encourage you to lift it today?

Day 3: Marching When Walls Don’t Fall

For six days, Israel circled Jericho’s walls with no visible results. Their marching and silence required persistent trust in an unseen plan. Faith often means continuing obedient routines when breakthrough feels delayed. God’s timing is not ours, but every step taken in obedience weakens strongholds. The walls fell not because they shouted louder on the seventh day, but because they kept showing up, trusting that God’s promise would prevail over their frustration. [44:50]

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
(Joshua 6:20, KJV)

Reflection: Where are you “marching” obediently without yet seeing results? How can you shift your focus from the wall’s size to the faithfulness of the God who commands your steps?

Day 4: Hanging a Cord in Unlikely Faith

Rahab, a marginalized woman, hung a scarlet cord from her window—a bold declaration of trust in a God she barely knew. Her past didn’t disqualify her; her obedience did. That cord marked her household for salvation amid Jericho’s ruin. God often uses flawed people and simple symbols to accomplish His purposes. Miracles are not reserved for the spiritually elite but for those who risk everything on His promise. [49:39]

Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee. And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
(Joshua 2:18–21, KJV)

Reflection: What “scarlet cord” of faith is God inviting you to display—a visible step that testifies to your trust in Him, regardless of your past or present doubts?

Day 5: Trusting the God Who Parts Seas

Moses’ story reminds us that miracles are God’s work, not ours. The Israelites didn’t part the Red Sea; they walked through what God opened. Faith is not about mustering strength but moving forward in the path He creates. Today’s challenges, like the sea, are opportunities to witness His power. When we obey, we don’t just hear about miracles—we walk through them. [58:19]

By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
(Hebrews 11:29–30, KJV)

Reflection: What “sea” are you facing where God is asking you to stop striving and simply step into the way He has prepared? How can you fix your eyes on His power rather than the impossibility?

Sermon Summary

Hebrews 11 puts four Old Testament miracles in front of God’s people and keeps saying the same thing: “By faith.” Faith pleases God, steps out of comfort zones, requires sacrifice, overcomes fear, and lets ordinary people participate in what only God can do. God remains the same God who worked in the Bible, and God still desires to work through lives that trust Him and obey Him.

The Passover shows Moses and Israel doing something very simple. God commanded a spotless lamb to be sacrificed and its blood painted on the door frame. The blood pointed forward to Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice conquers death for all who believe. Israel did not understand every detail, and painting blood on a house probably did not make much sense, but obedience put them under God’s protection.

The Red Sea shows Moses trapped between the water and Pharaoh’s army. Moses told Israel to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, yet God also confronted Moses for crying out in fear. God told Moses to lift up a rod over the sea, and Moses obeyed. The stick held no power, but God parted the waters, dried the ground, delivered His people, and destroyed the pursuing Egyptians.

The walls of Jericho show the difference between faith and wilderness complaining. The wilderness generation saw God provide manna and water, yet their hard hearts and constant whining kept them from participating in His work. Joshua and Israel received a battle plan that sounded crazy: walk around the city, stay quiet, blow trumpets, shout, and watch God work. God brought the walls down after His people obeyed, even while nothing seemed to be happening for six long days.

Rahab shows how wide God’s grace really is. Rahab was a prostitute, a Gentile, a Canaanite, and an Amorite, yet she feared the God of Israel and received the spies in peace. God preserved her house when Jericho fell, and God later placed her in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Grace reaches anyone who receives it by faith, no matter what their past has been.

Faith does not make people incredible or give them power to force miracles. Faith trusts God enough to paint a door frame, hold up a stick, take a walk, hang a cord, speak to a neighbor, pray for somebody, care for somebody, share the gospel, or give when obedience does not seem logical. God asks for obedience, and God gets the glory when He works.

Key Takeaways

1. Faith obeys before everything makes sense Faith does not require a person to understand every reason behind God’s command. Israel painted the blood on the door frame because God said to do it, not because they had every answer. Obedience often begins where human logic runs out, and God honors trust placed in His word. [30:52]
2. God’s power is not in the method Moses held up a stick, but the rod did not part the sea. Joshua’s army walked around a city, but their footsteps did not knock down the walls. God uses simple acts of obedience so nobody can confuse His power with human ability. [37:45]
3. Complaining keeps hearts from participating The wilderness generation saw God provide, but their constant whining revealed hard and disobedient hearts. Complaining can leave a person close enough to see God working while still missing the joy of being used by Him. Faith refuses to let every difficulty become an excuse to distrust God. [39:28]
4. Grace reaches unlikely people by faith Rahab’s past did not place her beyond God’s mercy. Her fear of the Lord led her to receive the spies, and God preserved her when judgment came upon Jericho. God’s grace does not minimize sin, but it truly restores those who turn to Him in faith. [46:52]
5. God asks for the next obedient step God does not ask His people to fix every financial problem, family problem, health problem, or impossible situation. God asks them to trust Him and do what He has put before them, even when that step seems small. Obedience gets out of God’s way and lets God work as He chooses. [52:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[25:12] - Hebrews 11 and Faith for Miracles
[29:46] - The Passover and the Painted Door Frame
[32:30] - Moses and the Red Sea
[38:10] - The Power of Trusting God
[38:40] - Jericho and the Wilderness Generation
[42:10] - Walking Around Jericho by Faith
[45:53] - Rahab and God’s Wide Grace
[51:00] - Ordinary Obedience, Amazing God
[53:39] - Obeying When It Does Not Make Sense
[55:26] - Prayer, Care, Share, and Simple Faith
[58:19] - A Miracle in Uruguay
[1:00:37] - What Step of Obedience Is God Calling For?

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Hebrews 11:28-31
“Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” [25:12]

Exodus 14:13-16
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.” [34:59]

Joshua 6:2-5
“And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.” [41:43]

Observation questions

In Hebrews 11:28–31, what repeated phrase connects the Passover, the Red Sea, Jericho, and Rahab?
What did God tell Moses to do when Israel stood trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army? [35:31]
What instructions did Joshua and Israel receive for Jericho, and how long did they follow those instructions before the walls fell? [41:43]
What actions did Rahab take to help the spies, and what sign marked her household for preservation? [48:28]

Interpretation questions

The Israelites painted blood on their doorframes without fully understanding how it pointed to Christ. What does this show about the relationship between faith, obedience, and understanding God’s purposes? [30:52]
Moses told the people to stand still and see God’s salvation, but God also commanded Israel to go forward and told Moses to lift his rod. How do these commands help believers distinguish between trusting God and refusing to take the obedient step in front of them? [36:12]
Israel’s marching around Jericho looked unproductive for six days. Why might God sometimes ask His people to keep obeying when they cannot yet see any visible results? [43:46]
Rahab’s background did not keep her from receiving God’s mercy. What does her place among the people of faith show about who can come to God and be changed by His grace? [47:00]

Application questions

Is there an area of life—perhaps a family situation, financial burden, health concern, or ministry need—where the desire to solve everything has made it difficult to simply trust God? What might the next obedient step be? [52:17]
What is one command from God’s Word that may be clear but difficult to obey because it does not seem practical, comfortable, or likely to make a difference? What makes that step hard?
Complaining can reveal a heart that is focused on the problem more than on God’s faithfulness. What situations most often bring out complaining in a person’s life, and how could that complaint be turned into honest prayer and trust? [39:28]
Is there someone nearby—a neighbor, coworker, family member, or friend—who needs prayer, care, or a gracious gospel conversation? What is one simple and specific way to take a step toward that person this week? [55:28]
Rahab’s story reminds believers that no past places someone beyond God’s grace. Is there someone who seems unlikely to respond to Christ, or someone a person may have quietly given up on? How can the group pray and act with greater hope for that person? [47:15]
When obedience does not lead to the outcome a person hoped for, how can they keep trusting God without treating faith as a way to demand a miracle? [57:14]

Sermon Clips

34s

#TrustAndObey

“Are we willing to say, God, I don't understand how this is gonna work. I don't understand why you want me to do this. But, god, I believe this is what you've called me to do. And I don't see how it fixes it. I don't see how it's gonna cause the Red Sea to part, how the walls are gonna fall down. But, god, I'm just gonna obey. And when we step out in faith and we trust God, it is when in those moments that we can see God do great and mighty things.”

26s

#FaithInTheBlood

“Obviously, the blood in and of itself didn't have power to prevent the death angel from entering the homes. But the sprinkling of it was commanded by God, and it was an act of faith and obedience by these Israelites. The blood was a symbol we know today of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and it conquered death for all who believe in him.”

26s

#TrustGodForTheMiracle

“Are you in a situation right now where you need a little bit of miracle space? Where you need God to work, you need God to perform something because you find yourself in a situation you can't resolve on yourself. Maybe it's a financial situation. Maybe it's a health situation. Maybe it's a family problem. And you said, I've tried everything I know, and I can't fix this problem on my own.”

25s

#ShareYourFaith

“You don't know. Maybe God is asking you to go speak to your neighbor. You think they've been so mean to me. They've been so harsh to me. They've been so unkind to me. They're never gonna listen. I mean, they go to a different church. They go to a different religion. They go to something different. They're never going to listen to me. And God's saying, that's all I want you to go do. Just go speak to them.”

32s

#GodOfMiracles

“In each of these miracles, we see an amazing God do incredible things through ordinary people just by participating with God and simply by doing simple things. Have you ever seen God do a miracle? Have you ever participated and just been in a situation where you needed God to do something incredible and you didn't do anything special, but you watched God intervene? You know, God is a God of miracles.”

42s

#PassoverFaith

“God would want them to do that. But they knew this is what God was calling them to do, and so they obeyed. Well, that night, the angel of death passed through the land of Egypt, and he killed the firstborn of every home, even the firstborn of the great pharaoh. Neither Moses nor the Israelites did anything special to avoid the angel of death that passed through that night. They simply trusted God, and they did what God told them to do. They painted the door frame with the blood of the lamb. And as they obeyed, they saw and they participated with God in doing miracles.”

33s

#WalkWithGod

“Do they see God accomplishing great things through our lives? Or do they see us wandering through the wilderness complaining about everything in our world today? Oh, I can't believe how bad everything is. I can't believe how my neighbors are. I can't believe how politicians are. I can't believe what the church is doing here. I can't. This is so bad. This is so awful. Everything bad is happening here. But they don't see anyone who is walking with God, trusting God, believing God, and just doing what he asks us to do.”

30s

#GodCanWorkThroughYou

“And I think back to that. And I think, you know, if we, as a church family, wouldn't have trusted God, wouldn't have taken that simple step of obedience, I wouldn't have that story. I wouldn't... My faith has grown so much as a result of that story. I look back to that often. I think, look what my god can do. And god wants to work through our lives.”

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