Thursday - June 2, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study

THURSDAY

BIBLE READING:  Hebrews 4:16

MAIN IDEA: 

Looking Back Helps Us Look Forward

DISCUSSION

You're driving down the interstate at the max speed allowed (and then some if you're honest), and just as you top the hill going down into a valley you notice a sea of red and blue flashing lights. Cars, trucks, and ambulances are packed together and are rapidly approaching as you begin the decent into the valley. You step on your brakes without hesitation and with full confidence believing that this mechanical system will enact the pads to grip your wheels and slow your car to a stop before you plow into the oncoming maze of idle vehicles. When you saw all the red and blue flashing lights, without thinking, you knew exactly what you had to do--step on the brakes! It was instinct. You didn't even give a thought to the fact that your brakes might not work. Why not? It was because you had used them so many times in the past and they worked perfectly. Each and every time you applied your brakes in the past, they worked to stop your car. So, at this moment, you had no reason to doubt they would work just as they had in the past. Right?

Well, many times in our lives we come upon crises in our lives. We are traveling down life's road at warp speed and without warning, boom! You're told you or a loved one has cancer, or you are fired from your job, or you find out that your spouse has been unfaithful, etc. What do you do at that point? Do you get down and give up? Do you blame God? Do you complain to everyone you know about how you were wronged? Do you rebel and seek to get revenge? What do you do?

What we should do is to remember that just like the confidence we have in our car's brakes, we can have confidence in our God. If you look back over your life, you will see that He has brought you through and over so many obstacles in the past. Remember that healthy child you have? God did that. Remember that meal that was delivered to your house when you were sick? God did that. Remember that friend that stopped by and cheered you up by laughing and telling of old stories? God did that too.

We can have the same confidence in God that we have in other areas of our lives. Our faith and confidence in our faith is fueled by looking back at our lives and reminding ourselves of how God has helped us in the past.  So, the next time you apply your brakes in your car, let that be a reminder to you to trust God. If we can put that much trust in something that is man-made, we can certainly put that and more trust into our Lord knowing that he has and will continue to care for us, his children.

Application:  Make a list of 3 answered prayers and keep a copy in your purse/wallet.   Whenever you start having doubts, take out the list and remind yourself of God’s faithfulness.