Doubt is such a common travesty among the Saints of God, starting with Adam and Eve. Take Abraham and Sarah for instance. They waited so long for their child, that they doubted God’s promise. They hatched an alternate plan to the Lord’s arrangement and Ishmael came as a result. They eventually had their own child, but their doubt produced a thorn in his side. To this day the Arab nations want to crucify the Jews (Genesis 17:15-21; Genesis 18:10-14).
John
the Baptist, imprisoned and lacking in faith, doubted that the man Jesus was
actually the Messiah. He sent two of his disciples to question Jesus. The Lord
pointed to the miracles He performed and that He preached the gospel to the
poor as proof that He was certainly the Messiah (Matthew 11:1-7).
Pilate
was torn by doubt. He doubted Jesus’ story; yet, he also doubted the Jews
accusations against Jesus. He finally made up his mind, declaring that he found
no fault in Jesus. However, he was not a man who lived up to his convictions.
He turned Jesus over to the Jews, so they could crucify Him (John
19:1-7).
Everyone
knows about doubting Thomas. He was gone when Jesus appeared to His disciples
after His resurrection. When Thomas heard the babbling excitement of his peers,
he refused to believe their account. He wanted the proof of seeing Jesus with
his own eyes before he would believe in the accounts of the resurrection. Jesus
humored him and appeared in the room without even coming through the door. He
calmed their fears and allowed Thomas to touch His wounds as proof that He
lived again.
Jesus
chastised Thomas for his doubt and told him that those who believe without
seeing are more blessed than those who believe only because they see proof with
their own eyes (John 20:24-29). Unbelievers have this same problem. They refuse to believe
because we cannot prove God to their human senses. How can anyone explain a
spiritual concept with human terms? The two are in different leagues and the
spiritual is much more profound than the earthly (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Jesus
actually proved His resurrection by presenting Himself alive by many infallible
proofs. Over 500 people saw him at one time and many heard Him during the forty
days between His resurrection from the grave and ascension into heaven. He also
hung out with His apostles, cooked for them, spoke about the kingdom of God and
promised to send them the Holy Spirit to comfort and direct them after He
returned to Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:5-8; Acts 1:3-4). However, people today even doubt
the reality of their testimony.
Double minded people are unstable in all of their ways. They are like a wave
driven by the sea and tossed by the wind. They live unbalanced lives and are
plagued with doubts (James 1:5-8). God said that if anyone lacks wisdom, He would
provide it liberally without reproach (James 1:5-7). We do not have to live in crippling
doubt, when we can ask in faith and receive anything from the Lord that is in accorance with His will (John 14:13-14). He will help us with our unbelief, if we make the commitment to believe (Mark 9:24).
Prayer:
Lord
God, you gave us the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in them. You
give us rain and fruitful seasons and the beauty of nature. You fill our hearts
with gladness. You do all of this to prove Your existence (Romans
1:20; Acts 14:15-18). Yet, people persist in rejecting You and denying Your reality. Father,
forgive them, because they are blinded by the god of this age (2
Corinthians 4:4). Please remove Satan’s deception from their lives and set them free to
believe in Your majesty and power.
Thought for the Day:
God have mercy on those who doubt. –
Jude 1:22