{"id":44226,"date":"2019-10-16T22:44:30","date_gmt":"2019-10-16T19:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=44226"},"modified":"2025-05-06T00:19:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T21:19:26","slug":"still-havent-understood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2019\/10\/16\/still-havent-understood\/","title":{"rendered":"STILL HAVEN\u2019T UNDERSTOOD?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the most transformative works of the Holy Spirit<\/strong> in a believer\u2019s life\u2014especially after surrendering fully to follow Jesus Christ\u2014is delivering them from the fear of life<\/strong>, particularly the fear of the future. Many believers, especially in the early stages of their faith, find themselves overwhelmed by uncertainty: \u201cWhat will happen tomorrow? Will I have enough? How will I survive next month?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

This anxiety is common to human experience. As we mature, a natural concern for survival, provision, and success emerges. But when this concern becomes consuming fear, it enslaves us. The fear of tomorrow robs us of joy today and places us under mental and spiritual bondage.<\/p>\n

However, God never intended His children to live in fear.<\/strong> That\u2019s why the Holy Spirit leads believers through a process of inner renewal\u2014teaching us to trust God completely<\/strong>, not just with eternity but also with our daily lives.<\/p>\n

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1. The Fear of Tomorrow is Not from God<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:7<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

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\u201cFor God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Fear does not originate from God. While caution and planning are part of wisdom, paralyzing anxiety about the future is contrary to the Spirit-led life. Fear diminishes faith and keeps us from fully depending on God as our Provider (Jehovah Jireh \u2013 Genesis 22:14).<\/p>\n

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2. Jesus\u2019 Disciples Struggled with This Too<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In Matthew 16:5\u201312<\/strong>, the disciples forgot to bring bread. When Jesus warned them, \u201cTake heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,\u201d they assumed He was speaking about literal bread. They began to worry. But Jesus rebuked them:<\/p>\n

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\u201cO you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?\u201d<\/em> (vv. 8\u20139)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Jesus reminded them of His miraculous provision. If He had fed thousands with a few loaves before, why wouldn\u2019t He provide again?<\/strong> The point wasn\u2019t the bread\u2014it was their lack of trust<\/strong>. Jesus wanted them focused not on scarcity but on the abundance of God’s faithfulness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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3. Trust in the Father Who Knows Your Needs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the Sermon on the Mount<\/strong>, Jesus addressed these same fears head-on:<\/p>\n

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\u201cTherefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?\u201d<\/em>
\u2014 Matthew 6:25<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Jesus used simple illustrations: the birds of the air, the lilies of the field. They do not toil, yet God feeds and clothes them.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAre you not of more value than they?\u201d<\/em> (v. 26)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He concluded with this powerful directive:<\/p>\n

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\u201cBut seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.\u201d<\/em>
\u2014 Matthew 6:33\u201334<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is not a call to recklessness but to trust<\/strong>. We are to prioritize God’s kingdom<\/strong>, trusting Him to meet our needs in His timing and in His way.<\/p>\n

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4. Faith Requires Remembering God’s Past Faithfulness<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One reason we fall back into fear is that we forget what God has already done for us. In the Old Testament, God frequently reminded Israel to remember His mighty acts\u2014especially after deliverance from Egypt (Deuteronomy 8:2). Similarly, Jesus reminded the disciples about the loaves and fishes.<\/p>\n

Likewise, when we face lack or uncertainty today, we must recall our testimonies<\/strong>: the times God provided, healed, or opened doors in ways we never imagined. That memory is a weapon against fear.<\/p>\n

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5. God\u2019s Silence Isn\u2019t Absence<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sometimes, we expect God to hand us a five-year plan the moment we accept Christ. We want full security\u2014how much we\u2019ll earn, where we\u2019ll live, what we\u2019ll have. But often, God doesn’t reveal everything at once.<\/strong> Instead, He leads us one step at a time to build our faith.<\/p>\n

He may allow a dry season<\/strong>\u2014not to punish us, but to prepare us, humble us, and deepen our trust in Him. As Paul says:<\/p>\n

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\u201cAnd my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.\u201d<\/em>
\u2014 Philippians 4:19<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

That promise doesn’t always mean immediate surplus\u2014but it does mean provision in due time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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6. God is a True Father, Not a Distant Overseer<\/strong><\/h3>\n

God isn\u2019t a stepfather or an indifferent ruler. He is Abba, Father<\/strong> (Romans 8:15), a loving and faithful provider. He does not delight in your suffering. He sees, He knows, and He cares<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLet your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, \u2018I will never leave you nor forsake you.\u2019\u201d<\/em>
\u2014 Hebrews 13:5<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Even when we feel forgotten, we are never abandoned.<\/p>\n

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7. God is Just and He Cares About Your Wellbeing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In Lamentations 3:36<\/strong>, the prophet writes:<\/p>\n

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\u201cTo subvert a man in his cause\u2014The Lord does not approve.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This means God is not indifferent to injustice, need, or human suffering. He is a God of justice, mercy, and restoration.<\/p>\n

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Final Encouragement<\/h3>\n

So if you find yourself in a difficult place\u2014where resources are low, and tomorrow seems uncertain\u2014don\u2019t lose heart<\/strong>. Remember what God has done. Rehearse His faithfulness. Lean into His Word. And when doubt whispers, hear the voice of Jesus asking:<\/p>\n

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\u201cDo you still not understand?\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Matthew 16:9, paraphrased<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Let faith rise again. Walk forward, not in fear, but in the confidence that your Heavenly Father holds your tomorrow<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Lord bless you and keep you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n