This psalm starts with Asaph stating that his feet had almost slipped because he had envied the wicked and their prosperity. Doubt was creeping in concerning the value of serving God. Those who did not serve seemed to be in a better position than he did. But Asaph did not let that doubt fester and cause him to fall.
Instead, he went into the temple Psalm , bringing his troubled thoughts before God. And, when he did, he came to understand the destiny of the wicked. Their prosperity was only temporary, and it would end with destruction. Their life might be good now, but it would not last. In the end, Asaph was drawn nearer to God.
His doubt had led him to the brink. But he had taken it to God. And the Lord had helped him to see that God was sufficient for him. And he was strengthened by that insight. His doubt actually helped him to grow in his faith. Doubting Thomas. In John , the story of Thomas, his doubts about the resurrection of Jesus, and its outcome is found. Thomas was one of the 12 who had followed Jesus for three years.
Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus first appeared to them after his resurrection, so he found it hard to believe that Jesus was alive. After all, he had seen Jesus die. The thought that he was now alive was just too much to believe. But Thomas did not leave and return home.
He stayed with the other disciples. As well as talking about his appearance to them. I suspect Thomas wanted to believe but just found it to be difficult. And he might not have been any different from any of the others in that respect.
Except that they had already experienced the risen Jesus. Thomas was in the midst of working out his doubt when Jesus appeared again, and this time specifically to Thomas, challenging him to believe. He is not chastened for his doubt. But he was challenged to believe. As mentioned above, doubt is natural.
It comes to all of us periodically. Bring your doubts to God like Asaph. Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns. Doubt is not the enemy and not something that needs to be fought. It needs to be understood, expressed, and used. Throw at him your grief, your anger, your doubt, your bitterness, your betrayal, your disappointment—he can absorb them all.
As often as not, spiritual giants of the Bible are shown contending with God. The Bible is full of stories of doubting people. Rather they earned their title because they had faith WITH doubt. At the same time, there are also plenty of stories where doubt led to trouble. The book of James points toward doubt—laden prayers not being answered and Jesus told his followers to pray with confidence.
I could go on, but the point is the Bible is full of people that doubted. And not just people, but the main characters. Doubt can keep us from following God. Or it can increase our faith. What made the stories of doubt in the Bible great was that they acted in faith despite their doubt. Doubt and disbelief are two separate issues. In contrast, doubt is often portrayed as a sin within the church.
Doubt is a sign of weak faith. God is interested in our hearts, not some phony relationship. He wants to restore and redeem us. But that can only happen when we open our hearts to him. Doubt is the fire through which it passes. But when it has been tried, it will come forth as gold. A common misconception is that doubt is damaging to our faith. However, God can use our doubts to produce in us a richer faith. I once heard doubt compared to getting an immunization.
That way your body can build up the antibodies that will fight off the virus. This makes your body stronger and healthier. The same can be said of doubt. When you are infected with doubt it forces you to seek answers to your questions. If you let it, ultimately, doubt can make you stronger because your faith has been confirmed. When you actually sit down and think about your beliefs very few are verifiably true. Hi Cheryl, Praising God that the Lord used this post at just the right time.
You are so very welcome! All Glory to God for His leading in writing this post. You are such a precious encouragement to me dear friend in writing and in my Christian walk. I continue to pray for you and your family. Sending you much love and gratitude,. Thank you! Thank you so much for posting! Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements! Hi Patsy, You are very welcome! Always enjoy linking up at InstaEncouragements.
Hi Susan, Thank you so much for stopping by. I think we doubt God because we doubt people-and we should, because they are imperfect. We all make mistakes, and can be unforgiving of ourselves and others. Believing that God acts otherwise is a big step of faith. Thanks for these reminders that is is true.
Hello Dr. Oglesby, Very true. You are very welcome! Thanks for stopping by. Really struck by the truth of God's great love for us as I read your post. Just as it would hurt my feelings if my kids doubted my commitment to them or my faithfulness or my intentions towawrd them, I'm sure God feels our doubt intensely. Great analogy that truly puts our doubts into perspective.
Thank you for sharing and thanks so much for stopping by. Such good reminders to think about when we doubt God. I am reminded of this quote from Madeleine L'Engle: "Those who believe they believe in God, but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself.
Hello, I read a book by Madeleine L'Engle when I was homeschooling my children many years ago, and even though I don't remember the title, I remember it was a very impactful book. Thank you for sharing that quote. And thanks so much for stopping by. Thank you so much for your encouraging words I'm thankful for His grace and patience with me! Hi Laura, You are very welcome. Thanks so much for stopping by.
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