Sabbath Services
Doubt is a faith killer. Doubt and lack of faith prevail in the end time. Be it not so with you. Do you worry about you and your loved ones’ safety? Your relationships with other people? Unclean foods? Impending war? Natural disasters? Financial burdens? What is it that weighs on you? God loves peace and unity, as we are told in Psalm 123. John 14 tells us, “Let not your heart be troubled.” What is it that robs you of your peace and joy? What fills you with fear and doubt? Anxiety is a major problem in and out of church. God has the answers. He tells us to be not afraid. We can trust Him with all our problems, knowing that He is in control and that all our trials have purpose. God wants us to grow. In Matthew 6, we see that some of Christ’s final words are an address to our sense of worry, imploring us to take refuge in God, to find peace in His plan. Worry is futile. It means we suffer twice. If the worrisome thing does not come to pass, we have suffered for nothing. If it does come to pass, we have but prolonged the agony. It is the fear of the unknown. Not knowing what will happen, that fosters an environment where fear can grow. Matthew 8 and Mark 4 show parallel accounts of Christ calming the storm and rebuking the disciples not to worry nor doubt. We cannot just say we trust God. We must show it. God promises protection to those who obey- unless by some exception it does not fit His plan. And even then, we will be rewarded in the next life for trusting Him. Our human minds cannot always reason around how and why God allows what He does but rest assured that all is to His master plan. He is in complete control, and nothing escapes His notice. There is nothing too big for Him to handle. Anxiety, fear, and worry are indicators of a lack of faith in God. We are temporary beings, from dust. This life is transient, but the decisions we make, the character we build, are lasting things. We are setting ourselves up for the next life in this one. We cannot get so sucked into the present that we lose sight of the future. God is mighty to save. With God on our side, we have absolutely nothing to fear. Rather than worrying now, focus on the hope of the future.
