By Rev. RUSTY WELLER
A tourist lost his footing at the edge of
the Grand Canyon and slid down a steep
slope, scratching & clawing. Just before
falling off into space, he grabbed a bush,
which slowly began to pull loose.
Filled with terror, he called out to heaven:
"Is anyone up there?"
"Yes," replied a calm voice from on high.
"Can you help me?" the tourist pleaded.
"Yes, I probably can," replied the voice.
"What's your problem?"
"I fell over a cliff and I'm dangling in space, hanging onto this
little bush that's about to pull loose. Please help me!"
"I'll try," answered the voice from above. "Do you believe?"
"Yes," said the tourist, "I believe!"
"Do you have faith?" asked the voice from above.
"Yes, I have faith, beyond a doubt," the tourist said.
"Then let go of the bush. Everything will be fine," the voice said.
There was a tense pause as the doubting tourist hesitated.
"Is there anyone else up there?" he asked.
That's funny until you realize far too many "believers" seek
a
second opinion over God when they're in trouble. Spurgeon
liked to tell of a farmer who, when tempted by Satan, at first
tried to argue with the devil. But Satan was just too slick.
"What do you really want from me?" the farmer finally asked.
"Why, your soul, of course," replied the devil.
"Oh, well, that's no business of mine," the farmer said flatly.
"I have given my soul over into the hand of Christ. I have
transferred everything to Him. If you want an answer to your
doubts and questions, you must talk to my Heavenly Advocate,
my Councilor."
Now that's confidence, certainty, reliance, faith, trust, belief.
How quickly we can send the devil packing in we refuse to
entertain doubts! Don't let little demon doubts trip you up --
even when storms hit, when you begin to sink beneath the
waves of troubles. Let's see what it means to doubt ... and to
NOT doubt when one of life's storms hits with full fury.
When a storm lashes into us, and we begin to doubt, we often
lose our peace of mind, don't eat and can't sleep. That's
what happened in Acts chapter 27, when for 14 days the crew
and passengers of Paul's tempest-tossed ship had gone without
food or rest.
Paul had warned of impending disaster if the ship set sail after
the Day of Atonement. But the crew, not wanting to winter in
Fair Havens, doubted his word. Their doubts in God as Master
of all circumstances allowed them to take a chance and sailed
straight into a hurricane. Quickly their doubts of disaster
became doubts of survival.
An angel appeared to Paul, pledging everyone would be safe if
they didn't doubt. Paul told of the angel's message and
witnessed to the glory of God who graciously promised to spare
their lives. "So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in
God that it will happen just as he told me," Paul said in verse 25.
Some still doubted and tried to escape, but the centurion and
soldiers believed Paul and stopped them. As a result, the 276
men were saved from the storm.
The moral is easy to see: Trust God and be safe no matter how
bad the circumstances. Doubt God and perish.
Don't you know, as the wind and waves lashed the ship, Paul
shared Proverbs 3:5-6 with the crew: "Trust in the Lord with
all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths
straight."
In other words, DON'T DOUBT GOD! You can't trust with all
your heart if you harbor any doubts!
Remember Matthew 21, verses 21-22, where Jesus says: If you
have faith and do not doubt, ask and it will be done. "If you
believe," our Lord promises, "you will receive whatever you ask
for in prayer."
In Mark 11:24, Jesus also promises -- if we don't doubt --
"Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received
it, and it will be yours."
Isaiah 26:3-4 promises: "You will keep in perfect peace him
whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust
in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock
eternal."
And Jeremiah says in 17:7-8: "Blessed is the man who trusts in
the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree
planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It
does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It
has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
So, as Hebrews 4:13-16 urges us: "Therefore, since we have a
great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the
Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we
do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every
way just as we are-- yet was without sin. Let us then approach
the throne of grace with confidence, (the opposite of doubt) so
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time
of need."
In closing I want to share with you the encouraging words of
Bob Hartman, perhaps my favorite poet. It's entitled "No Doubt:"
There are times when you feel like you can't go on.
- There are times when you feel like giving in.
- And there are times when you feel like you can't try any more.
- There are times of trouble in believing.
This test of your faith will last
- as long as it takes to pass...
- until you have no more doubt you'll endure
- and your faith will emerge true and pure.
No doubt -- it'll be all right.
- With God it'll all work together for good.
- No doubt -- in the end it will be understood.
No doubt -- it'll all work out.
- With faith He can move any mountain for us.
- No doubt -- in the power of Jesus.
And after all is done we find out:
- All we really need to have is no doubt!
There's a time to take a reckless leap of faith.
- There's a time to be cautious and to wait.
- And there's a way of learning from the past
- that this time of trouble won't last.
And sometimes we want to think we know
- the ways He chooses to make us grow.
- But it's never the way of our choosing,
- and we can't always see what He's using.
There will be winters in the seasons of our soul
- with a cold and bitter wind that chills our lives.
But our faith can be building a fire
- that will warm us until springtime arrives.
No doubt -- it'll be all right.
- With God it'll all work together for good.
- No doubt -- in the end it will be understood.
No doubt -- it'll all work out.
- With faith He can move any mountain for us.
- No doubt -- in the power of Jesus.
And after all is done we find out:
- All we really need to have is no doubt!
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The WRITE ANSWER:
IN HIS STEPS
By Rev. RUSTY WELLER
