The gospels reveal twice that Jesus was amazed, or that He marveled at something or someone; once, He marveled at the unbelief of Nazareth (Mark 6:6) and in Matthew 8:10; He marveled at the faith of a foreigner.
The gospels reveal twice that Jesus was amazed, or that He marveled at something or someone; once, He marveled at the unbelief of Nazareth (Mark 6:6) and in Matthew 8:10; He marveled at the faith of a foreigner. In Mark 6:6 it says Jesus could do no great works, not because He lacked the power, but because of their unbelief. Grace can get us so far, but at some point, the person has to receive in faith the work of Christ. Without this exercise of faith, there can be no great work. We must willingly receive. So I ask you; if we worry, which is a divided mind, and are chronically anxious, are we able to therefore receive from Christ what He has done for us?
On the other hand, in Matthew 8:10, the centurion came to Jesus requesting healing for his servant. When Jesus asked if the centurion wanted Him to go heal the servant, the centurion said (in paraphrase), “just speak the word.” That was faith. When many wanted Jesus to pray for them, lay hands on them, the centurion knew the power of the spoken word of Christ. He knew of His works in that time. We know of His mighty works, we are testaments of them. Our families, our lives, the heavens declare His glory! Even in the messy lives we live, His hand is evident!
These examples were the result of Jesus in the flesh, since, as a man, He experienced the emotions we experience. He was amazed. He marveled. But, He also talked about worry, and anxiety. This is not to suggest that Jesus “struggled” with any of these negative human emotions, but that he was merely exposed to them and overcame them as King of kings.
Maybe that is why He commanded us to cast our anxieties on Him? Maybe that is why He challenged the faith of Peter as he sank walking on water. Emotion. Maybe that is why He loves us so, because he knows the innermost parts of every aspect of how we are created. Again, emotion. Not just from the perspective of Creator, but also as a man. Look at Matthew 6:25-34. It’s almost like Jesus knew what our worries would be about, or maybe the same things we worry about today haven’t changed since the days He walked this earth. Don’t be fooled, He knew, He knows, He has us in the palm of His hand. The secret was must learn is surrender to His love, receive what He has provided in faith, and rest in His peace and provision.
Surely, our physical bodies will face a physical death, and in this life, we know there will be trouble. But Jesus came so we would not only be made more than victors, but be given peace and enduring power through all of the storms. Our souls have a promise of eternal life through a relationship with the Father by knowing Jesus as our Savior.
So today, what are you anxious for? What do you worry about? What occupies your mind, robbing you of your capacity to meditate on His word, His promises, His truths? What strategy of hell has attacked your life to rob you of the best of His goodness? Every fiber of your being is interwoven with the miraculous fiber of heaven, and in that, you were created with the inherited power of the living God, and to activate it, you must call on Him, you must surrender to Him, and you must know Him.
It’s easy to get caught up in the negative thoughts leading to chronic worry and anxiety. It’s easy to let the troubles of this world rob you of the joy He provides, but it requires total surrender to the Father, allowing the living Spirit of God to work in and through you, trusting He is in complete control over the circumstances you want to master. He is no liar; He is no failure, and He makes no mistakes. If you are burdened with worry now, I challenge you to refer to Matthew 6:25-34 and see what Jesus said. After all, He walked as a man, He died as a savior, and He rose as King. He mastered it all, including worry.
This was the result of Jesus in the flesh, since, as a man, He experienced the emotions we experience. Maybe that is why He commanded us to cast our anxieties on Him? Maybe that is why He challenged the faith of Peter as he sank walking on water. Maybe that is why He loves us so, because he knows the innermost parts of every aspect of how we are created. Not just from the perspective of Creator, but also as a man. Look at Matthew 6:25-34. It’s almost like Jesus knew what our worries would be about, or maybe the same things we worry about today haven’t changed since the days He walked this earth.
Surely, our physical bodies will face a physical death. But our souls have a promise of eternal life through a relationship with the Father by knowing Jesus as our Savior.
So today, what are you anxious for? What do you worry about? What occupies your mind, robbing you of your capacity to meditate on His word, His promises, His truths? What strategy of hell has attacked your life to rob you of the best of His goodness?
It’s easy to get caught up in the negative thoughts leading to chronic worry and anxiety. It’s easy to let the troubles of this world rob you of the joy He provides, but it requires total surrender to the Father, allowing the living Spirit of God to work in and through you, trusting He is in complete control over the circumstances you want to master. He is no liar; He is no failure, and He makes no mistakes. If you are burdened with worry now, I challenge you to refer to Matthew 6:25-34 and see what Jesus said. After all, He walked as a man, He died as a savior, and He rose as King. He mastered it all, including worry.
