Trusting God’s Promises

One thing that happens when you study the Bible is that you start paying closer attention to the context of Jesus’s teachings. Most people assume that His messages were all the same, but they aren’t.

Jesus did everything with intention. Mark 11 captures a pivotal moment in His ministry as He entered Jerusalem, cursed the fig tree, cleansed the temple, and taught on faith. They were not random actions, the revealed deep truths about faith, authority, and God’s unfolding plan.

One key theme in Mark 11 is the release of faith -faith that believes before it sees. When Jesus cursed the fig tree, nothing happened immediately, when the disciple leader saw it it had withered. I think this is an important lesson.

God’s actions are not always immediate. As human beings we are wired to have joy only when we see the outcome we desire. But real faith enables us to be at peace in the process, trusting that God‘s promises will come to pass even when we don’t see evidence yet.

True faith reaches beyond what we can gasp. Is the ability to trust God, before the manifestation happens, knowing that what He says will come to pass.

All faith originates from God. He speaks, and we respond, throughout scripture, there are stories of faith that always begin with God initiation.

• Abraham heard God’s promise before he stepped out in faith.

• Moses responded to God’s call at the burning bush.
• Gideon needed a word from God before he had the courage to lead.

The men and women of faith in Hebrews 11 didn’t generate faith on their own, it was given to them through God’s promises. Faith is not about manufacturing belief, it’s about responding to what God has already spoken.

The strength of our faith isn’t proven in comfort -it’s forged in difficulty. Hebrews 12 teaches that discipline and hardship our tools in God’s hands that shape us. When we are convinced of God’s promises, we are willing to endure challenges for the sake of what He has spoken.

God takes us through harder seasons because in those seasons, conviction, dependence, and strength are formed. You become someone different by walking through difficulty with God.

This is where the knowledge of God outweighs our feelings. Early in my faith journey, I relied on emotions to feel close to God, but now maturity comes by knowing the knowledge of God.

Paul said in Philippians 4:12, “I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound.”

For some their ability to trust God was shaped by their earthly parents.

As a child who was abused, it took me a long time to bleed that God could be good. Someone with wonderful parents might have a more natural trust than I did. A good image of God as Father can be shaped by our earthly parents, but ultimately all faith comes from God.

This is why faith isn’t just for us, it impacts the next generation. We passed down more than just habits, we passed down our fears and our faith.

The battle begins in our minds.

When Davidfaced Goliath, his confidence came from years of reminding himself of what God had done. A spiritually strong person has a good filter. They learn to separate their thoughts from truth. Faith isn’t about denying reality, it’s about anchoring yourself in what God has said despite of how things look.

Before something can become a strong hole in your life, it has to start in your imagination. Our imagination is designed for good, but too often we use it to dwell on fears, temptations, and anxieties.

This is why discipline in our thought life is crucial.

Many live on an emotional roller coaster because they don’t control their thoughts. But the Word of God (the Bible) gives us a way to take control.

James 3: 2-4 says the tongue is like a bridle, what we say steers our thoughts.

Speaking scripture over our lives changes the way we think. The combination of the Word and the Spirit brings transformation. As we meditate on God‘s truth, we start to divorce ourselves from unhealthy thought patterns, and align our minds with faith.

Faith is not a formula. I think one of the greatest themes in the Bible is that God often moves when it seems too late.

• Abraham and Sarah had a child when it was impossible.
• Lazareth was raised after being dead for days.
• Jesus rose after three days in the tomb.

Faith is not about formulas -it’s about trust. While God is working behind the scenes, our role is to remain faithful and keep trusting even when it looks too late.

Faith isn’t just built in church, it’s cultivated daily.

If we depend on church services for spiritual nourishment, we will be spiritually malnourished. We must crave our daily time with God, even if it’s for a few minutes.

Even five minutes spent with God is worth it. The more we make room for God, the more we will see Him move in our lives.

Faith is not passive -it’s an active trust in the character and promises of God. It enables us to endure when things don’t make sense, to trust in the waiting, and to walk through difficulty, knowing that God is forging something deeper in us.

Jesus get everything intentionally. His journey for lacrosse was not accidental It was part of God‘s divine plan. Just like the fig tree withering over time, just like the Kingdom being proclaimed despite rejection, God promises will come to pass.

Our role is to trust, to meditate on His Word, and you hold on to His truth, knowing that what He has spoken will be fulfilled.

Even if all you have is a mustard sheet of faith -hold onto it, it will grow.