In our daily Group Bible Study devotionals, we are focusing on Increasing our Faith. Our goal is to Learn to Walk in God’s Power. Let’s jump in:
As a child, I started working weekends as a commercial fisherman with my father. He would stand me on a box so I could see and steer his boat, the Why Worry, while he worked on deck to gut the fish on the way back to the harbor. Steering a commercial trawler wasn't as easy as it looked. So many unknown factors came into play. The port of Harwich on the East Coast of England can be very windy, blowing the boat in different directions, and the tidal flow could sometimes be five miles an hour. It could be challenging to judge the tidal flow when we came alongside the quay to unload the fish. There were many things to learn about maneuvering a fishing boat. And then, of course, there were no brakes! Putting the propeller in reverse was the only way to stop the boat.
My dad was always ready to step in and take the controls when the wind and tide conditions made it difficult for me to bring the boat alongside the pier. When I was scared or nervous, all I had to do was call, and he came quickly to my side.
Learning to Trust the Heavenly Father's Guidance
Our heavenly Father is like that. He trains us in incremental steps, starting small, to reach out to Him. When we know that Abba (our Father) is with us, we know we can't go seriously wrong because we can call on Him for help. He has promised, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
Twice in the Scriptures, the Lord stood alongside Paul the apostle at critical times in his life, giving him strength and encouragement (Acts 23:11 and 2 Timothy 4:17). We may not see Him with our natural eye, but He is always there with us. The Lord watches over all who love Him (Psalm 145:20). Everything the Father asks us to do is in concert with Him; we are called God’s fellow workers (2 Corinthians 6:1).
As the perfect model, Jesus said, “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear…” (John 5:30). In another place, He said: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19).
Resting in God’s Power Over Human Effort
If the Son of God could do nothing without the Father leading Him, it is even truer for you and me. The more this truth sinks into our spirit, the more we can rest in God, knowing it is His ministry, not ours. This means that all the Father asks of us is our obedience! When we pray for a sick person to be well, it's okay to leave the results with God if we don't see Him at work. Sometimes His healing happens at night, when the person is alone with God. We do not have to make God look good, and we don’t have to make ourselves look good. If Christ “made himself of no reputation”(Philippians 2:7), it must be the same with His servants. We take a step of faith in obedience to the Father and believe He will work, but the results are His. Our part is to listen, obey, and trust His power, authority, and timing. This trust in God takes a burden off our shoulders. Remember, His yoke is easy, and His burden is light!
When we sincerely give our lives to Christ, we enter a close relationship with Him through a blood covenant—a solemn, binding commitment in which we become spiritually united with Him (Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 6:17). When I gave my life to Christ, I may not have looked much different outwardly, apart from a bigger smile and fewer lines on my forehead, but something decisive had changed in the unseen part of me: God had made me “alive with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:5).
This covenant is our foundation. Those who belong to Christ are not only forgiven; they are transferred into His kingdom, taught to walk under His leadership, and called to represent His authority on the earth. — Keith Thomas
Practical Steps to Release the Burden
· The "Obedience Over Outcome" Walk: Take a 15-minute walk through your neighborhood, workplace, or school. Instead of striving to fix problems or feeling pressure to make things happen, practice listening. Ask God, "Father, what are You already doing here?" Speak simple words of blessing over the spaces you pass, consciously leaving the results in God's hands.
· Release the Reputation Burden: Identify one situation where you feel heavy pressure to produce a specific spiritual or relational outcome. Pray a simple prayer of release: "Father, this is Your work, not mine. I release the outcome to You and choose to simply listen and obey."
Prayer: Father, increase our faith and lead us step by step into all that You have prepared for us. Teach us to rest in Your presence and trust Your timing. Amen.
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Deepen Your Faith & Group Bible Study Resources
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· Read the full study online: God’s Authority to Rule
· Series: This excerpt is taken from the series Growing Faith in God
· Visit the Keith Thomas YouTube Channel for more teachings.