Issues We Face



DOUBT and UNBELIEF

Do you ever wonder to yourself if God really exists, if He is really all-powerful, if He really speaks to us today? Do you ever find yourself thinking, “what if I’m wrong about the whole ‘God idea’”? Maybe you have trouble believing that God can truly use you or that He will take care of you in every situation. We all have moments of doubt, no mater how strong we think we are. We all have questions, and most of us are pretty cautious about what we will and won’t believe or accept as truth. Questioning is good, because it means that you sincerely want to know and understand whatever it is that you are questioning. But there is such thing as too much questioning, and doubt can be a harmful quality to entertain.

Doubt leaves no room for faith, and faith is an essential key to the whole concept of salvation. Back in the Garden of Eden, the serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say that you could not eat from any of the trees in the garden?” “Did God REALLY say…” With that question, doubt made its first appearance in our world. Since then, doubt and unbelief has been a constant obstacle that has kept many people from accepting the free gift of salvation and God’s plan for their lives. Science and philosophy tells us that there must be proof to warrant any belief in God or creation or miracles etc. Unless they know for certain, it doesn’t mean anything. The doubt over God and the Bible and the whole Christian faith is so great that many choose to just not accept any of it. They ignore it because they can’t explain it. Faith has become “something for the weak”. Though maybe not to that extreme level, a great number of people do struggle with doubt and unbelief. We are so accustomed to being able to see, touch, and hear in order to determine if something is real or not. Faith expects you to believe without any of that.

Was doubt so prevalent in Bible times? Did the people who lived during that time need proof and facts to believe? Yes, some did. In fact, you might be surprised at how many of the signs that God gave His people to help them overcome doubt went unnoticed or quickly became forgotten. It seems that doubt was perhaps just as natural then as it is now.

I’m sure you all have heard the term “doubting Thomas” used before. Thomas was one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus. He followed Jesus, knew His teachings well, and believed He was the Son of God and Savior of all man-kind. But after Jesus had risen from the dead, Thomas needed a sign, he needed proof, that Jesus was really alive and standing before him. He had to touch and feel the place where the soldiers had driven nails through the hands of Jesus. Thomas had doubt and was unable to believe without tangible proof.

I can’t tell you how many times the Israelites doubted God’s power and took for granted the signs and miracles He gave them while they were wandering the desert, looking for the Promised Land. They seemed to lose sight of God’s promise, and would worry about things they knew God was in control of. They kept asking Him to prove Himself and take care of them, but then refused to open their eyes and see God’s hand already on the situation. They lacked faith in God and His plan for them.

When Peter walked on water, it was doubt that crept in and caused him to falter and begin to sink. Doubt and unbelief kept many of the Jews of Jesus’ day from accepting Him as their Savior…their Messiah. The Bible mentions this several times.

I just read today in 2 Kings 7 where Elisha told the people that there would be food sold for a cheap price at their city gate, even though they were in the middle of a famine. One officer in particular doubted this miracle and freely said that it was impossible. His lack of faith and rebellious heart ended up getting him killed. Elisha said this to him, “you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it.”.

There are many other accounts of people with doubt in the Bible, but now let’s take a look at some situations where people overcame doubt and unbelief and displayed unwavering faith.

Noah was asked by God to build a huge ship as shelter for his family and two of every animal (except some species of which he was to take seven of each instead). God told Noah that He was going to flood the whole earth…and Noah had never even seen rain til that point. It would have been easy for him to doubt and question God, but he didn’t. He just did what he was told.

Moses’ mother placed him in a basket and left him in the Nile River, when he was just a few months old, because she knew that God would take care of her son and keep him from harm. David had faith that God would deliver Goliath into his hands when he boldly stepped forward to fight the giant with just a staff and his slingshot. The flip-side to Peter’s walking on the water story is that thought he did fall, he began by stepping out in faith. While he was on the water, his faith wavered some, but Jesus was right there to hold him up and help him regain his footing as well as his belief.

My last example is of Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ earthly parents. When faced with God’s plan for her to be the mother of Jesus, Mary asked only one question. “How will this be since I am a virgin?” Once that was explained, her humble reply was, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” THAT is faith! And though it didn’t “look good” that his fiancé was pregnant, Joseph willingly accepted God’s plan for his family too.

I said earlier that we all have questions-- doubt and uncertainty is a natural human feeling-- but we still don’t have to give in to doubt. For some people, doubt is a struggle…a daily struggle…that is not easy to overcome. But it IS possible if you take it one day at a time. The Bible characters that kept their faith did so by making up their mind that they would just believe NO MATTER WHAT. I’m not saying it was simple for them, but it was important to them that they have complete faith.

A good antidote for doubt is to remind yourself how faithful God is, tell yourself over and over what God has done for you and what His promises are. Don’t let yourself forget the miracles and every-day things that God shows you. Exercise faith regularly. Remember, doubt leaves no room for faith…but faith leaves no room for doubt either. Be like Mary and show God that you are His servant and you trust His judgment for your life. He will never let you down, and He is perfectly able to take care of all your needs and concerns. You just have to take that first step of faith and believe.

-HK



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