Brave Enough to Believe: Trade Your Doubts for Brave FaithSampel

Day 4—A Set-Up

Life often feels like one big lesson in trust. The circumstances surrounding our choices may change, but the core question remains: Do I truly trust God? Sometimes, He asks us to trust Him and move forward through uncharted territory and unexpected shifts. Other times, He asks us to be still and wait. We can trust Him whether His answer at the time is yes, no, or not yet.

In John chapter 11, we find the second encounter between Thomas and Jesus. We will discover a divine setup for God’s glory and Thomas’s growth. Jesus received an urgent request to return to Judea, an area filled with tension surrounding His ministry. Their friend, Lazarus, was gravely ill. When it made sense for Jesus to go, He stayed. Then, when it was too late for Lazarus, Jesus expressed His desire to go.

Because the apostles didn’t know or understand the purpose behind His decision, nearly all became the voice of opposition. We, too, can struggle to truly understand Jesus and His ways. Our limited knowledge threatens to obscure our ability to believe that God wants the best for us.

We may doubt God’s love when we think He’s late. We may begin to question His character when it seems He didn’t show up in the way we thought He should. We may become disheartened when a delay causes the death of a dream or our hope. Or we can be brave enough to believe that while we wait, God works. Our questions about God’s timing are opportunities for God’s glory. He wants us to wait—not on an outcome—but on Him. When we seek God’s glory above all else, we leverage adversity for our spiritual growth.

Anytime God makes His direction clear to us, we are faced with the choice to be brave enough to believe and go with Him no matter what. When we obey, even when we don’t understand, the outcome is supernatural.

Question:

Do you tend to lag behind or rush ahead of God’s timing? How do today’s verses from Philippians help you experience the peace that while you are waiting, God is working?

Personal Prayer:

Jesus, help me to trust Your timing, even when I don’t understand. More than anything, I want to see Your glory through my life and decisions.