2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Luke 1:18-20 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Matthew 28:17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

1 Timothy 2:8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;

 

 

Psalm 31:22 I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.

John 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

2 Peter 1:19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

James 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

 

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Hebrews 11:1-40 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. …

Mark 11:22-25 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

 

 

Jude 1:22 And have mercy on those who doubt;

Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Luke 24:38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Romans 14:23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

 

James 1:6   But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Proverbs 3:5-8    Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Matthew 14:31    Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Mark 9:24   Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Luke 24:38   And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

James 1:5-8    If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Isaiah 41:10   Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

What does God’s Word say to those who doubt?

When we ask God to do something miraculous on our behalf, sometimes He is silent, and that causes us to doubt.

Have you ever wondered why God allows bad things to happen to good people? Suffering in our lives or the life of a loved one can cause us to doubt.

When there’s a contradiction between what we profess to be true and the way we live, we are not able to live with that dissonance for long. Either we will abandon our behavior, or we will abandon our beliefs.

It’s important to know what we believe and why we believe it. As 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always [be] ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.” If we never examine our faith, then we will not be ready when we’re confronted by something that challenges our faith. (Jeffress)

 

 

Isaiah 1:10-18    Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!  “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.  “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?  Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.  When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.  Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,  learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.  “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

A strange danger lies along the paths of Christians, the temptation to start going through the motions. It seems incredible that we would become desensitized to the sacred, but that’s what happened to the people of Israel. Isaiah accused them of going through certain rituals without mindfulness of their meaning or holiness.

We, too, can become so familiar with the “typical” things we do as Christians (like carrying a Bible, going to church regularly, or saying grace at meals) that their significance and meaning fades in our hearts. How easy to sing a song or share in a prayer while our minds wander!

To change all this, we need to cultivate a sense of God’s presence and remember the personal nature of our relationship with Him. We need to worship Him with our study of the Scriptures. During the coming year, make time every day to go to God’s Word, allowing it to fill your heart and mind with His truth. (Jeremiah)

Fill Thou my life, O Lord my God, in every part with praise, that my whole being may proclaim Thy being and Thy ways.

 

Luke 15:8-10     Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!” Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. ()

In Luke 15, Jesus told three stories with the same point, showing how happy God and all of heaven are when the lost are found. Jesus told the story of the lost sheep (Luke 15:4-7), the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10), and the lost son (Luke 15:11-32).

In the story of the lost coin, Jesus spoke of a woman who lost one of ten silver coins. One commentator connected this with a custom of those days, suggesting this coin was held with others on a silver chain worn round the head as a mark of a married woman. It was a precious ornament to the woman and made the loss even worse.

The coin was lost, but it still belonged to the woman and she looked for what was rightfully hers. In this sense, those who are lost to God belong to Him whether they know it or not.

In her search, the woman first brought light; then she swept and cleaned the house, all the time searching for the coin carefully and with deliberate intent. She kept looking until she found the coin.

Under God’s blessing, this is how the church, led by the Holy Spirit, will search for lost souls. First, they will put forth the light of God’s word, then sweep and clean their own place, then search carefully for the lost.

When the coin was finally found, the woman was naturally happy and told her neighbors, rejoice with me. In the same way, God is happy when sinners repent, in contrast to the religious leaders who complained when the tax collectors and sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him (Luke 15:1-3).

We don’t often think of God as rejoicing, but this passage tells us that He does, and in what gives Him joy. Other passages repeat this idea: As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you (Isaiah 62:5). The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).

According to William Barclay, many of the religious people of Jesus’ day believed differently and even had a saying: “There will be joy in heaven over one sinner who is obliterated before God.” Christians today must be careful that they do not give the same impression, especially in their often-appropriate zeal to speak out against culturally popular sins. God and all of heaven are happy when the lost are found – so also should we be happy! (Guzik)

 

Ruth 2:14  And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over.

Ruth 2:18   And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied.

Psalms 23:5    You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Luke 14:12-14     He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

 

These passages offers a deeply personal reflection on the spiritual fulfillment and satisfaction that believers experience when they partake of the “bread” given by Jesus. Drawing a parallel to Ruth in the Old Testament, who was satisfied with the meal provided by Boaz, think about how Jesus, as our gracious host, ensures that none of His guests leave His table empty.

Christ as the Satisfying Host

When Jesus invites us to His table, He provides not only for our physical needs but also for our deepest spiritual longings. Our minds are nourished by the truths He reveals, and our hearts find contentment in His incomparable love. The hope He gives is unwavering, as He becomes our ultimate treasure in heaven and the fulfillment of all our desires.

Abundance Beyond Measure

The reflection emphasizes that our conscience finds peace in Christ, our judgment is convinced of the certainty of His teachings, our memory is filled with His deeds, and our imagination is enlivened by the promise of what He will yet accomplish. Just as Ruth was “sufficed, and left,” so too do we discover that after deeply drinking from Christ’s abundance, there remains far more than we could ever absorb.

Infinite Merit and Love

The author acknowledges the immeasurable depth of Christ’s merit, which is more than sufficient to remove every stain of sin. Even after our hunger is satisfied at the feast of divine love, an overwhelming surplus of spiritual nourishment remains. This inexhaustible abundance is a testament to the infinite generosity and grace found in Christ.

Unexplored Riches in God’s Word

There are truths and blessings in Scripture and fellowship with Christ that we have yet to experience. Like the disciples to whom Jesus said, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now,” believers recognize that there are heights of communion and places of nearness to Christ still to be attained. Every spiritual banquet leaves behind “baskets of fragments”—unexplored treasures awaiting us.

Conclusion: Magnifying Christ’s Generosity

Ultimately, the passage calls us to magnify the liberality of our glorious Jesus Christ. His provision is never meager; instead, it is marked by boundless generosity, overflowing grace, and endless opportunity for deeper communion. Let us rejoice in the fullness we have received, and look forward with anticipation to the greater things He has yet to reveal to us. (Surgeon)

 

 

Mark 6:5  And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.

Jeremiah 2:11     Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

John 9:30    The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.

Isaiah 59:1-2   Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

God’s Proclamation and Invitation

The passage highlights the many ways in which God reaches out to humanity, inviting us to experience salvation and reconciliation with Him. Through proclamation, invitation, entreaty, command, oath, the giving of His Son, and the testimony of believers, God makes His intentions clear: He desires that we should come to Him, believe in His Son, and be saved.

The Accepted Time and Day of Salvation

The proclamation, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation,” emphasizes the urgency and availability of God’s grace. It reminds us that the opportunity for salvation is not distant or uncertain, but present and immediate. God’s invitation, “Look unto me, and be ye saved,” is extended to all, regardless of background or circumstance, urging us to respond without delay.

God’s Entreaty and Command

God’s entreaty, “As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God,” demonstrates His earnest desire for our reconciliation. This is not a passive offer; it is an active pleading through His messengers. The command, “This is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ,” makes faith not merely optional, but essential. Belief in Jesus is the foundation upon which our relationship with God is built.

Assurance Through Oath and Pledge

To further assure us, God has sworn an oath, guaranteeing the reliability of His promises: “That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation.” In giving His Son as a pledge—”whosoever believeth on Him shall never perish, but have eternal life”—God demonstrates the depth of His commitment and love. This pledge stands as the ultimate assurance that His offer of salvation is trustworthy.

The Testimony of the Saints

The testimony of all God’s saints serves to reinforce these promises. Throughout history, countless individuals have experienced the transformative power of faith in Christ, bearing witness to the reality of God’s salvation and faithfulness.

The Marvel of Unbelief

Given the abundance of evidence and assurance, it is no wonder that God marvels at human unbelief. The passage urges us not to excuse our doubts, but rather to confront them directly—pleading and praying against unbelief until it is conquered. Faith is not merely a passive acceptance, but an active struggle against doubt, sustained by God’s promises and the support of fellow believers.

Conclusion: Responding in Faith

In light of God’s proclamation, invitation, entreaty, command, oath, pledge, and the testimony of the saints, the call to faith is clear and compelling. Let us not delay or make excuses for unbelief, but earnestly seek to overcome it through belief, prayer, confession of sin, repentance, reliance and trust in God’s Word. Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation. Let us respond with faith, embracing the assurance and hope that God so generously offers. (Smith)

 

 

Philippians 3:13-15    Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

 

The Apostle Paul did not think that he had arrived, and neither should we. We are all in need of change. Liu Shao-chi said, “Men should regard themselves as being in need of and capable of being changed. They should not look upon themselves as something unchanging, perfect, holy, and beyond reform… Otherwise men cannot make progress.”

The trouble is that most of us resist change in ourselves. We are desperately anxious to see others change. Their personality quirks annoy us and we wish they would reform. But we are either oblivious to our own idiosyncrasies or satisfied to perpetuate them. We want to remove the splinter from someone else’s eye but rather admire the pole in our own. Their faults and failures are hideous whereas ours are darling.

The problem lies in our own will. We can change if we really want to. If we face up to the fact that we have some sins and undesirable traits in our character, we have made a start toward becoming better persons.

But how can we know what changes are needed? One way is for us to let the Word of God act as a mirror. As we read and study it, we see what we should be, and how far we fall short of the standard. When the Bible condemns something of which we are guilty, we should face the fact bravely and determine to do something about it.

Another way to learn ways in which we are unChristlike is to listen carefully. The Holy Spirit will speak to our heart and soul through God’s Word, relatives, or friends. Sometimes these revelations about us come in the touch of a soft velvet glove; sometimes they come like a blow from a sledgehammer. Whether these revelations about ourselves are soft or hard, we should seek to understand and get the message and accept it gratefully.

In fact, it is a very good practice to cultivate a heart that seeks and desires to have God expose what is not pleasing in us so that we can confess it and repent (turn away) from it.

It is sad to think of people who go through life, never asking God to refine them. But are satisfied with a very shallow existence and witness for Jesus Christ. They are blind to the issues they cause in the church, in the home, and in society, just because they saw no need for further growth and awareness of their own sinfulness or they were not willing to change.

If only we would seek God with a heart that wants to continually grow and mature in ways that Honor and Glorify Jesus Christ through our thoughts, words, and actions.