June 3 I Sunday

2 Chronicles 19-20

John 13:21-38

“After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.’”   —Genesis 15:1

Abraham was a man whose faith coexisted with fear. For ten years he had been waiting for the son God had promised, the son from whom a nation would descend and take possession of the land of Canaan. Both he and his wife were beyond child-bearing years and none of this had come to fruition. Abraham feared he would not have a son and his destiny of becoming a blessing to the world would not be fulfilled. He began to question and doubt God.

God’s answer to Abraham was in effect saying, “I am your shield, Abram, so what are you worried about? I am your protector and the protector of your legacy, destiny and descendants. I am your very great reward, the guarantor of what is going to come to you.” Our circumstances should not be our focus, and our assurance of God’s promises must not ultimately lie in His actions because we often do not understand what He is doing. Regardless of our circumstances, our focus should be on who God is: totally trustworthy and utterly faithful.

Circumstances will often seem contrary to what God has promised, and when our focus is on our circumstances instead of God, fears and doubts will inevitably set in. But when we apply what we know about God to what we do not know about our circumstances, our focus changes and we begin to see things from a strengthened perspective. After seeing the stars and being reminded of who God is, “Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).

Faith isn’t not having doubts; faith is trusting God in the face of doubts. We will have moments where we question God and what He is doing. We may wonder why we believe what we believe, why God has placed us in particular circumstances, and whether God is actively working to fulfill His promises. The question is not will we face doubts, because we will, especially in times of sorrow and hardship. The question is how we will respond when doubts set in. It is natural to have fear and faith coexist, but we banish the fear when we plug the gaps of what we do not know about our circumstances with what we know about God.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” The more we get to know God, the more our trust and confidence in Him will grow. We will be able to face turbulence, darkness and confusion, knowing that when we believe despite our doubts, God will always prove Himself true and trustworthy. 

Prayer: Almighty God, it is because You are faithful that I know I can trust You. As I face doubts and difficulties, never stop reminding me of who You are. In Jesus’s name.