3 Simple Truths about God and Doubt
Doubt is a process that tends to show up in stages. It is sneaky and slithers into our hearts when we aren’t watching, or sometimes we are watching and feel helpless to stop it.
I doubt. That’s not a difficult thing to admit. We all have something we aren’t sure of or have doubts about. Life, relationships, jobs, children…the list goes on and on and on.
I doubt God’s promises. That one is a little more painful to admit. I get overwhelmed with life and doubt creeps in. Doubt strangles my faith and lets fear into my heart.
I doubt God. Ouch! I become blind to the miracles and blessings already going on in my life. I allow doubt to give me permission to let opportunities to follow God pass me by. “It’s impossible.” “There is no way my dreams will come true.” “This will never work.”
God knows we doubt
I had this mentality that I shouldn't have any more doubt since I committed my life to follow Jesus. Smooth sailing from here folks! Ha! Wouldn't that be nice? If anything there are times when I feel like I’m more full of doubt than before. Thankfully, this faith journey is about learning as we go.
Every time I felt God's prompting followed by my doubt I would be angry with myself. Like I was failing as a follower of Jesus because I couldn't get rid of this feeling of doubt. I would pray and read and pray and read and talk to others and pray and talk to others and read. That little seed of doubt still lingered.
Until the story of Abraham hit me differently one day. I was reading and realized God knew Abraham was going to doubt His promise. God reminded Abraham of His promise of a son several times over decades.
“I will make you into a great nation.” Genesis 12:2
“And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted.” Genesis 13:16
Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own will be your heir.” Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” Genesis 15:4&5
In Chapter 15 of Genesis alone, the word descendants is mentioned 5 times in a conversation between Abram and God. There are only 21 verses in that chapter, so that’s quite a few repeats on the descendant promise.
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God sits with us in our doubt
God called Abraham and laid out what was going to happen in his life right from the beginning. The Lord has said to Abraham, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3
That would be quite a lot to take in all at once. Abram didn’t even hesitate. He did the first task and left his native country behind. He was given a task and he complied. The rest of the promise was more vague and didn’t have a lot of task work behind it. A lot of waiting came with the rest of that promise.
Waiting is not my #1 skill. It’s not even my #20 skill. It’s a hard thing to do and even harder when there is something you want A LOT. But, the good news is, God will sit with us as we wait. From the moment God spoke to Abram for the first time until Abraham died one hundred years later, God was there.
God was there when Abram’s wife Sarai tried to get around God’s timeline and suggested Abram have a baby with her servant. God was there when Abram laughed in disbelief over God’s promise that he would have a son at 100 years old. God initiated a covenant promise to Abram regarding becoming a great nation. God was there when Sarah continued to doubt year after year when the promise remained unfulfilled.
We all have our doubts about where God is leading us. It’s human and normal.
And here comes the best news of all…
Even when we doubt, God keeps His promises
The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened just at the time God said it would. And Abraham named their son Isaac. Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God commanded. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me. Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age! Genesis 21:1-7
God did it! He promised and delivered. Not on the timeline that Sarah and Abraham wanted, but God still fulfilled His promise of a son.
A beautiful baby boy was given to parents who were too old by the world’s standards to have a child. God did what all of us would consider impossible. And from that baby boy, a nation was born.
God’s promises allow us room for doubt because they are amazing and beyond our wildest dreams. They seem impossible to us and they are when we take steps without God. We can’t fulfill the promises God has for us without Him guiding our path.
“And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.”
Where do you see yourself doubting God’s promises for your life?
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The realization that God created each one of us with a purpose and gifts is miraculous. Spend time connecting with God, your Creator, to strengthen your faith.