Faith

Earlier this week, I prayed about something that was heavy on my heart.

And God answered.

Not only did He answer, but the answer came in a way that was even better than I had imagined.

I was so thankful.

And then...I shared it with someone.

The questions came.

The doubts started creeping in.

And before long, I found myself wondering:

Was this really God?

How do I know this was not just a coincidence?

Isn't it interesting how quickly that can happen?

We can pray and pray for God to move. We can ask Him to open a door, provide an answer, make a way, give us clarity—and then when something finally happens, we start analyzing it.

At least I did.

This morning, while I was thinking about the blessing and questioning what had happened, my mind went to the Israelites.

God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. He had done what they could never have done for themselves. Yet once they were in the wilderness, they became so focused on what they did not have that they struggled to trust the God who had already shown Himself faithful.

And still, God provided.

He gave them manna.

They had not asked Him specifically for manna. They did not even know what manna was.

But God knew what they needed.

That stopped me.

Because I realized I was doing something similar.

I had asked God for help.

He answered.

I thanked Him.

And then I started questioning the very thing I had just thanked Him for.

My doubt was making me suspicious of my own blessing because I could not completely explain how it had happened.

I even caught myself wondering whether God might somehow take the blessing back because I had allowed doubt to creep in.

Our minds can take us to some interesting places, can't they?

But thankfully, God is far more gracious than our fears.

Sometimes we become so concerned with figuring out how God answered that we forget to simply say:

Thank You.

There is certainly a place for discernment. Not every open door is necessarily God's direction, and Scripture tells us to seek wisdom.

But discernment and doubt are not the same thing.

Discernment asks, “God, is this You? Help me follow Your direction.”

Doubt can keep asking questions long after God has given us reason to trust Him.

And that is what I am learning.

I want to trust God while I am waiting.

But I also want to trust Him after the answer comes.

📖 This Week’s Scripture

“Give us today our daily bread.”
Matthew 6:11

Such a short prayer.

But there is so much trust in it.

Give us what we need today.

Not necessarily what we expected.

Not always in the way we imagined.

Not with every detail explained beforehand.

Just the confidence that our Father knows what we need.

Today’s MOMENT

Think about something you have been praying about—or something God has already provided.

Then ask yourself:

Am I receiving what God has given me with gratitude, or am I allowing fear and overthinking to steal the joy from it?

Maybe today you do not need another explanation.

Maybe you simply need to say:

Thank You, Lord. I trust You with this.

🙏 MOMENT Prayer

Father,

Thank You for hearing me when I pray.

Help me trust You not only while I am waiting for an answer, but also when the answer comes.

Give me wisdom to discern Your direction without allowing fear to make me question every good thing You place in my life.

When You provide differently than I expected, help me recognize Your hand.

When I cannot explain everything, remind me that I do not have to understand everything in order to trust You.

And when doubt starts getting louder than gratitude, bring me back to what I already know:

You are faithful.

Help me receive Your gifts with an open and grateful heart, trusting that You know what I need even before I ask.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

🌿 This Week’s MOMENT Challenge

This week, notice one answered prayer or unexpected provision that you might normally overlook.

It does not have to be something big.

Maybe someone calls at exactly the right time.

Maybe an opportunity appears.

Maybe something you were worried about works itself out.

Maybe God simply gives you peace about something that has been troubling you.

Before you analyze it, explain it away, or call it coincidence—

pause and thank God.

You can ask questions later.

But first, practice gratitude.

💛 Before You Go...

Faith is not only trusting God when you are waiting for the blessing.

Sometimes faith is trusting Him enough to receive the blessing when it comes.

You may not understand every detail of how God is working.

You do not have to.

Remember the manna.

The Israelites did not know what it was when they first saw it.

But God did.

He knew what they needed.

And He knows what you need, too.

Pause. Pray. Reflect. Grow.

Every moment matters—even the ones that remind us to simply say thank You.

— Monica Lynne Wilkins
Founder, MOMENT Moms