God created us as sovereign beings. We have a choice. We can believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and that he died on the cross to forgive our sins. Or, we can doubt, question, and not believe. It is our choice.
I have been challenged to understand how we have the opportunity to make our own choices and wonder how God’s “intervention” leads to His will being fulfilled. When can we know God’s intentions for our lives and how do we make sure we follow His guidance?
Our world can be a sad and depressing place. If there is a God, then why are bad things allowed to happen (natural disasters, diseases, pain and tragedies, death, etc.)?
At the beginning of chapter 11 verse 16, Jesus said “What shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying, ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.’”
Jesus affirms in Matthew the rejection of Him during His time on earth. He rebuked several cities and their people for their lack of trust and belief that He was the Messiah. He showed His presence in the form of healing the sick and deaf, raising people from the dead, and preaching the gospel to the poor. Even after all of these acts and documented eye witness accounts of His miracles and works, people of His time still doubted that he was the Messiah.
If we do not see something with our own eyes, do we believe what we are told? Do we question and wonder why? Are we influenced positively or negatively by the people and voices around us and what we believe?
This verse speaks to me and says, stop overthinking and allowing doubt and uncertainty in our minds and trust in Christ. The world we live in is filled with unhappiness, focused on material possessions, is full of failed marriages and relationships, and is filled with sin and death. Yes, it is easy to question God’s presence in our sinful world. The doubting person in us can question the presence of Christ and pull us away from His word. We are not able to comprehend and understand God’s will, all the time, based on our understanding of what we see on Earth. God’s purpose is so much greater than we are capable of understanding. Our minds are not built to comprehend how what we see and know can be of benefit to us, and trust that in all times.
Matthew 11:25 speaks to me in this way. Stop doubting and overthinking God’s existence and presence with our Earthly minds. God is present always, in charge always, and fulfilling His purpose for our lives to bring about His perfect goals. Even when we don’t like what is happening to us or around us, we must trust in Him.
Scripture tells us over and over that God is in control and He “works in all things according to the counsel of His will.” (Ephesians 1:11) We also learn that His “dominion is over all things (Proverbs 21:1, Daniel 4:25), and the times and places where we live (Acts 17:26).
Our minds push us to focus on self-preservation and survival. We think thoughts that prevent us from pain or hurt. We prevent ourselves from believing so we won’t be disappointed. We overthink it. We self-sabotage relationships or situations so when it doesn’t work out, we won’t experience sadness. Our thoughts create our feelings, and our feelings create the results in our life. My prayer is that we guard our thoughts. Guard our thoughts against overthinking what God’s will is for us, study scripture and patiently evaluate what He intends for our lives.
Jesus, Please help us to focus on your goodness, your presence in our lives, and be thankful for the blessings you have provided us. I thank you for loving us, even when we don’t deserve it. Thank you for your goodness and your forgiveness of our sins. Amen.
