Doubt. We’ve been experiencing it since almost the beginning of time. Satan introduces doubt in the Garden of Eden when he said to Eve, “Did God really say…?” WHOA. I know I’ve heard those same words whispered in my ears.
This first conversation recorded in the Bible is a pretty dramatic exchange, and I encourage you to read it in Genesis 3.
There is a lot we could unpack with these passages, but there’s a beautiful story not to be missed here. What did God do once Eve and Adam had sinned and hidden from Him in shame? He went looking for them – not because He couldn’t see them, mind you – He wanted to hear them say what made them hide.
“Where did you go?” is God’s first question to His creation. Oh, how that question presses on so many tender places in my heart. Where has my doubt caused me to hide in my life?
Where has doubt caused you to hide? How is it keeping you from showing up fully?
Because all those years ago when the enemy introduced doubt (and shame, but we’ll get into that later), his goal was not to rob you of your salvation, he can’t touch that. His goal is to make you question God’s plan for you and doubt every promise that’s been made to you.
The enemy wants you to hide away and not share the gifts that have been so graciously ordained for you. God needs your help to tell His story to the world, and you can’t do it when you’re consumed by doubt.
But God won’t leave you there.
We see evidence of that in another beautiful example of God’s response to doubt in the New Testament. You may be familiar with Jesus’ disciple Thomas, aka Doubting Thomas. In the gospels we read that Thomas missed out on seeing Jesus’ return and just couldn’t bring himself to believe the accounts he was hearing. Imagine what he must have felt like when his closest friends rejoiced at having seen their dear friend and Messiah miraculously resurrected – walking the Earth once again! It must have felt crushing and lonely to sit there in his doubt.
What happened just a short time later, though? Jesus came back. Not only that, but He walked straight over to Thomas, acknowledged his doubt and gave him the proof his heart was desperate for. Jesus didn’t leave him in that place of unbelief, He came back to reveal Himself. Incredible!
And let me take you back a week before Jesus’ death when Thomas’ faith was on full display. Before the disciples scattered upon Jesus’ arrest, fearing for their own lives, it was Thomas who said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16)
So you see, doubt is part of a believer's journey. In fact, having doubt means you do believe! The cycle looks a bit like this: we endeavor to lean into Jesus and grow in our faith, we falter, Jesus comes back to lead us out of doubt. Repeat.
Friend, wherever you feel doubt today, God is near. He isn’t afraid of or turned off by your doubt. He wants to meet you right where you are and reveal His Truth to you.
You have a choice to make today. Sit in your doubt and accept the consequences to how that makes you show up in your life, or set your sights on seeking God. I’m going with the latter.
Comments