Doubting God Brings Lasting Trouble - Genesis 16-17 and Matthew 5:27-48
Think back to Adam and Eve. Eve doubted God led on by the serpent's tempting, and she ate the forbidden fruit. Then, Adam listened to her and did the same thing. This brought sin to humanity, and the sinful nature was passed down to all people since that time. In Genesis 16 Sarai doubted God could give her a son, so she gave her maid to Abram. Abram listened to her, and Ishmael was born. There has been conflict between his descendants and the descendants of Isaac ever since. It could have been the 10 years of waiting that caused Sarai to doubt God, but nothing good ever comes from us doing it our way, instead of trusting God.
In Genesis 17 God came to Abram 13 years later. He told him he would still have a son with Sarai. Abram laughed, but then he listened to God. He did not doubt God, but he acted in faith to circumcise all of the males as God said. His faith was the basis of a great lasting blessing , just as the doubt had caused lasting trouble. I pray that we will choose to trust God, instead of doubting Him.
As you read the end of Matthew 5 think of all of the times you have doubted God in these areas Jesus addresses. How many of us have given in to lust, divorce, and retaliation, because we doubted God, and we decided to do things our own way. How did it work out? Did the lust bring lasting satisfaction or trouble? Did the divorce solve the problems or bring lasting problems? Did the retaliation end the conflict or perpetuate it? The only way to bring lasting satisfaction is to believe God and do things His way. He designed us, and He alone knows the answers. We are fooling ourselves, when we think we know better than God.
Once we doubt God and bring on lasting troubles, He can and will give us grace to handle the troubles, if we ask Him. However, the consequences will remain, so that we will have a constant inspiration to trust Him the next time. He still loves us, and He will help us like He did Abraham and Sarah. He even gave them new names to show His faithfulness. However, it would have been so much better if they had trusted Him from the beginning, and the same is true for us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 18-19 and Matthew 6:1-18.
In Genesis 17 God came to Abram 13 years later. He told him he would still have a son with Sarai. Abram laughed, but then he listened to God. He did not doubt God, but he acted in faith to circumcise all of the males as God said. His faith was the basis of a great lasting blessing , just as the doubt had caused lasting trouble. I pray that we will choose to trust God, instead of doubting Him.
As you read the end of Matthew 5 think of all of the times you have doubted God in these areas Jesus addresses. How many of us have given in to lust, divorce, and retaliation, because we doubted God, and we decided to do things our own way. How did it work out? Did the lust bring lasting satisfaction or trouble? Did the divorce solve the problems or bring lasting problems? Did the retaliation end the conflict or perpetuate it? The only way to bring lasting satisfaction is to believe God and do things His way. He designed us, and He alone knows the answers. We are fooling ourselves, when we think we know better than God.
Once we doubt God and bring on lasting troubles, He can and will give us grace to handle the troubles, if we ask Him. However, the consequences will remain, so that we will have a constant inspiration to trust Him the next time. He still loves us, and He will help us like He did Abraham and Sarah. He even gave them new names to show His faithfulness. However, it would have been so much better if they had trusted Him from the beginning, and the same is true for us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 18-19 and Matthew 6:1-18.