Devotionals for the Heart: When you trust Jesus Christ to help you

Trusting Jesus Christ to Help Us Do Impossible Things
A devotional by Sarah Cole

“That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

—Matthew 14:15-16 (NLT)

I was eager to meet people when I moved to my new senior apartment community last summer. No sooner had I finished unpacking than I noticed flyers for book clubs, coffee dates, and board game groups posted on the lobby bulletin board.

As an introvert, I knew that if I joined everything, I would become emotionally unglued. Then God called me to start a women’s devotional group in my building. I’ve taught many Bible studies over the years, but in this case, I had no idea where my neighbors stood spiritually. I felt like an impostor. My thoughts at this time were: Why me, God? Don’t you know I have a voice disorder? Will anyone even show up? What if my message is so dull that nobody returns?

Despite my reservations, I was pleasantly surprised by how well our first meeting went. When I gave my message to our closing prayer, the ladies were unanimous: the group was exactly what they needed.

When Jesus Christ asked His disciples to feed 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish, He knew they had never done anything miraculous. By testing their faith, Jesus forced them to look past their limited experience and trust Him to help them accomplish the impossible.

God calls us to do incredible things. Like the original disciples, we often doubt ourselves and fail to realize our potential. But we must remember that He usually uses the least likely people to accomplish His purposes. So, if the calling on your heart is so big you doubt if it’s really from Him, here are three signs to look for:

Sign #1: When we walk in humility and surrender to God’s plan, He will give us a ‘check’ or warning in our spirits to keep us from going in the wrong direction.

Sign #2: When an opportunity is from God, we’ll experience peace and an inner knowing we can’t explain. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy because anything worth doing for God requires hard work, discipline, and patience.

Sign #3: God’s assignments can’t be accomplished without His help. They’re designed to keep us humble, test our faith, and develop our character and gifts, so we become everything He created us to be.

Friend, you can be confident that, however impossible your dream may seem on the surface, when you put your trust in God, He will equip you to fulfill it. You don’t have to be perfect to accomplish His purposes; you just need to believe.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I admit that I sometimes don’t take advantage of all the opportunities you send me. When I'm afraid of taking risks, give me the courage and confidence to follow where You lead so I can use my gifts to glorify You and make an eternal difference. Thank You for believing in me and faithfully equipping me with everything I need to accomplish Your will. In Jesus’s name, I pray, Amen.

Song of Reflection: “God of the Impossible” by Lincoln Brewster. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Sarah Cole’s passion to follow Jesus Christ is woven throughout her writing. She loves using words to encourage women to embrace their identity in Christ so they can experience victory in every area of their life. 

In 2024, Sarah was a featured speaker in the 28-Day Devotional Challenge. She also launched her new Substack newsletter, "A Peaceful Pace", which inspires her readers to let Jesus Christ set their pace in a world that values speed at all costs.

Sarah’s short stories have appeared in the St. Paul Almanac, and Mysterious Ways by Guideposts. Her latest short story is featured in a new book published by Guideposts, titled Too Amazing For Coincidence.

Her devotionals have appeared in David C. Cook’s The Quiet Hour and Devotions, The Secret Place by Judson Press, and Pray a Word a Day by Guideposts.

Sarah is a dog sitter who lives in Minneapolis with her dachshund Frank. Her hobbies include cooking and vacationing each year on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

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Connect with Sarah:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smittyc65
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@SarahCo45835279
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.cole.52
Substack: https://colebopper58.substack.com/publish/home