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Doubting Miracles
September 11, 2024
Hey Clawson Family!
Song:
Scripture:
Matthew 8:5-13
The Faith of a Roman Officer
5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer[a] came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant[b] lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”
7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”
8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.
2 Corinthians 6:14-17
The Temple of the Living God
14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil[a]? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:
“I will live in them and walk among them.I will be their God, and they will be my people.[b]
17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.[c]
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
Devotional:
Jesus performed many miracles while he was here on this Earth. He was able to heal many people. In Matthew 8, Jesus performed simply by speaking, and someone was healed who was far away from him. While it is incredible to hear about what Jesus did in this passage, what is just as unbelievable is the faith the Roman officer had. The officer was not Jewish, and he did not know the scriptures about how Jesus was the savior of the world, but he still believed in Jesus. He believed in Jesus so much that he trusted the fact that Jesus would be able to heal his servant by simply saying he was healed. That kind of faith is incredible.
If I’m honest, My doubts can hold me back from having faith. Have you ever let your doubts get in your way?
One way to protect yourself from doubt is not allowing people who do not share your faith in God’s ability to perform a miracle have influence in your life. The Lord has commanded us to love everyone, but at the same time, we have to set ourselves apart from others in order to protect our spiritual health.
You need to be built up. You need to see what God is doing in the lives of other believers. You need to hear their testimonies and encouragement. If you intend to live a life of faith (a necessary lifestyle if you want to see miracles in your life), you must set respectable boundaries between yourself and those who do not believe in miracles.
When you need a miracle, you have to plant yourself among people who can encourage you and sustain you as you pray and patiently wait for the manifestation of God’s power in your life.
Journal:
Today, we challenge you to bring your doubts to God. Remember, God can handle your doubts, and he wants to help you truly trust him. Be honest with God and write down in your journal your doubts, then be sure to pray and ask God to help you with those doubts.
Training:
Fill your life with positive thoughts and people who can help you get from where you are to where you want to be. Take some time to talk to someone else about those doubts. Don’t be afraid to let others help you process them, and don’t let your doubts get in the way of God moving in your life.
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