Bible Reading: Matthew 8:1-17
Key Verse: Matthew 8:9
"For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When the centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant, he recognized Jesus' authority and placed his faith in Him. As a soldier, the concept of authority was second nature—he saw it in action every day. In the same way, we can all exercise faith if we truly believe that Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
It’s easy to say we believe in Jesus, yet many struggle to trust Him with their problems. But remember, no one is born with great faith. The key to strong faith is knowing God. The more we know Him, the easier it becomes to trust His promises.
Take David, for example—he had no hesitation in facing Goliath, even in a battle he had no business fighting. His confidence came from his deep knowledge of God’s covenant faithfulness, which he developed while tending his father’s sheep.
Knowing God is not something that can simply be transferred from another person; it’s something we must intentionally pursue. If you struggle with trusting God, make a deliberate effort to know Him by spending quality and quantity time in His Word. There are no shortcuts to building this relationship—true intimacy takes time. But in the end, it produces confidence in the One we put our faith in. That’s how faith is nurtured.