Appointed To Bear Fruit: A 90 Day JourneySample

Trust in God

Everybody knows the way to their parents’ house. I remember when I was young, our family would visit my father’s village. Even though we were still far from the village, my father would tell us that it was only eight more turns until we arrived at my grandparent’s house. After eight turns and 30 minutes, we would indeed arrive. Jesus returned to His Father’s house. He knew the way too. If His disciples were told to return to their homes, they would also know the way back to their villages without any difficulties. But Jesus was not going to the homes of His disciples; He was going to His Father’s house. Jesus’ statement about going to His Father’s house to prepare a place for them should have given them confidence. Instead, it only added to their restlessness. The disciples had no idea how to get there. You can almost feel the sense of panic in Thomas’ question.

As followers of Christ, we must live by faith. There is no other way. Those willing to serve Christ with humility and self-denial do so, because they believe that everything will happen just as Jesus said it would. Every day we go out into a sinful world that rejects the gospel. It’s easy for us to grow weary and become discouraged. At our weakest moments, Satan is there to tempt us to doubt the promises of God. That is what Satan did with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He told them, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:4-5). The Devil planted doubt in Adam and Eve’s hearts so they would not trust God’s Word, and in the end, they chose to go against God’s will.

Now Thomas was panicking. He didn’t want Jesus to go. But if Jesus didn’t go, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have come down to us. Jesus had to depart, because it was God’s will. Thomas could only think of himself at this time. The disciples should be coming alongside Jesus and strengthening Him as He prepared for death on the cross, but they failed to do so. Instead, they sought to only take care of themselves. It’s disappointing to see how little they understood God’s will and how little they were willing to trust the Father. Jesus was full of peace as He faced the cross, because He was confident in the Father’s plan.

You have been sent by Christ to be His witness, and Satan knows that many will believe in Christ because of your testimony. Satan is diligently working to destroy your ministry, and one of his most effective weapons is to keep you from focusing on heaven by making you think this world is most important. Since the beginning, the Devil has been destroying God’s work. Every time you hear Satan say that you should not seek first the Kingdom of God and only take care of yourself, you need to return to God’s Word and be confident that all He has promised will certainly happen. Don’t let your emotions guide your heart. Our emotions must be overcome with God’s Word. Every day we must choose God and not the Devil.

Scripture tells us many things: don’t let your heart be troubled; believe in Jesus; He is going to the Father’s house; He will come back again to take us to Heaven; Jesus paid the price to get us there; you will go directly into God’s eternal presence—and you can confidently carry out your ministry based on these promises. As you abide with Christ, you will better understand what God’s will is for your life. If you believe in Him and all His promises, you will be able to face your ministry challenges without a troubled heart. 

Application:  Today, you are facing an important choice: Will you trust God and faithfully serve Him, or will you let Satan prevent you from doing God’s will?