All in Doubt
Second only to fear, doubt causes us to hesitate in our faith more than anything else. When God asks us to step out for Him, we may be reluctant to because we are afraid, but almost as likely as the feeling of fear, what freezes us in our tracks is doubt. When we are uncertain if He will act and see us through our tough spots it is very hard to take those bold steps of faith. Trusting in God requires that we defeat the doubt that is crippling us.
Even when things are going our way, and the Lord God is blessing us at every turn, we can experience doubt. This is one of the most frustrating challenges to our faith, and the sharpest tool that Satan has at his disposal. When doubt confronts us do we allow it rattle our belief, or do we face it with the resolve that God is true to His Word, and of unwavering character?
Have you ever questioned the ability of God, or Jesus Christ? Before you say “No”, with some amount of emphasis, think about it further. Was there ever a time when you said to God in prayer “If you can do this”, or perhaps said to a friend “if God sees fit to do this for me, then...”? Well, as we speak and pray there are many applications of the word “if” made in our prayers and conversations regarding God, but we should be very careful because that word reveals our doubt.
Affirmation is something we all need from time to time. Do you ever find that you begin to question something that you once felt so certain about? Do you need some time alone with your spouse so that you can rekindle your love, or maybe you feel that the profession you once thought was so perfect for you, might not be after all... you just don’t know? Well, how about your faith; are there times of questioning it as well?
Do you want to improve your prayer life, to pray in joy, to pray without ceasing, or to find the ear of God with your words... but try as you might you fall short of during your attempts? Do you find yourself going through the motions as you retreat to your prayer closet only to return empty and unsatisfied? Perhaps the problem isn’t in your praying at all... perhaps it is in your faith.
Has God asked you to do something hard? Did you answer “Yes Father”, and now you find yourself at that place where He has called? You are close now, and are facing the reality, and terror of it. This is the moment of fear, and this is the time when we must pray as though we were in Gethsemane. When God reveals the fullness of what He has asked of us, and suddenly we find that the nobleness of saying “Yeah” has worn off, we must ultimately face our fear and doubt. It is in this moment that we realize we cannot face this alone, but that even so, it must be done.