Doubt

A Few weeks ago I was listening to a podcast that was broadcasting a story about a man who had grown up in an evangelical Christian home and went to a Christian college for religious studies. He states that from the first lesson in his scholarly class, his faith began to crumble and it eventually was gone altogether. From that point on, he felt the need to go back to his family and prove to them that their faith was wrong. He goes on to discuss a conversation he had with his brother-in-law regarding the passage describing how God made the sun and the moon stand still.

"And the sun stood still and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel." Joshua 10:13-14

Joshua and Israel were in a war and Joshua cried out for the Lord to help and so He did, by stopping the sun and the moon.

So this man on the podcast continues on to discuss with his brother-in-law this passage. He poses the question of how this could scientifically be possible...gravity would have to stop...the planet would have to stop and so on. This man goes on persistently asking his brother-in-law if he really believes that God would do such a thing. He states he debated his point for over 7 hours. And then it happens. The brother-in-law states it is a weird thing and he wished it wasn't in there but then he retaliates with this statement: if I doubt that, where do I stop?

As soon as I heard that statement, it was lodged in my mind.

"If I doubt that, where do I stop?" If I doubt that God, who spoke the sun and the moon into existence, could stop or pause them for just one day, then what else would I doubt? Would I doubt that Jesus died on the cross as a payment for my sins? Would I doubt that He is "the way, the truth and the life?" Would I doubt God's love for me? Would I doubt His very Word?

Where would the doubt stop and who says where it stops?

Well, let me address this topic this way: doubt does exist. In order to fight against our doubt, we need to increase and strengthen our faith. To do that, we must dive deep into the Word of God. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17

Allow me to use Peter as an example of doubt. Matthew 14:31 shows us Jesus calling Peter out on his doubt. "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, 'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

Let's set the stage here a bit and describe the happenings of the day that led up to that statement.

This statement came as Peter and Christ were walking on water. That's right - Peter was WALKING ON WATER towards Jesus Christ and yet, when the winds blew boisterous, he doubted. If Peter can doubt while walking on top of water, then boy, how much more susceptible are we to doubt.

But hours before this midnight stroll, Peter saw Christ do some miraculous things. That evening for dinner, Peter watched as Christ took 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes and fed over 5,000 hungry, traveling people, and they even had left-overs!!

So after dinner, Peter and the others went aboard and set sail. The Bible then tells us that at the 4th watch, which I believe would be around 3 a.m., Jesus began approaching the boat, which was in the midst of the sea. The men on the boat feared it was a spirit but once they realized who it was, Peter requested Christ to bid him come. So Christ did and the next thing you know, Peter is out there...walking on water!! Then. All of a sudden. The wind begins to pick up. Peter became afraid. He began to sink. He cried, "Lord, save me."

"And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, 'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Matthew 14:31

"And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." Matthew 14:32

Peter got distracted by the winds and it caused him to doubt. Even though Christ was standing right there in front of him, physically, right there, he still doubted, feared and cried out.

Christian, we too will be distracted and something (a trial, a struggle) will cause us to take our eyes off Christ. It will cause us to doubt, to question, to fear. But hopefully, we will cry out to God in those moments because He is there. He is always there. He caught Peter, He will catch you, too.

Personally, when I fear and doubt and struggle with really, fully trusting God, I think back to my "moments on the water". Moments when I got paid and still had no money - God provided - provided in a way that was impossible to man but only possible with God. When I got bit by a spider and couldn't walk - God was there and healed me up when doctors wrote me off. When I prayed for a friend's child and God was there, listening and answering the prayer. He is always there. The more you trust Him with, the more He proves Himself to you. When you reach that moment of doubt, think back to a time in your life when God worked. He worked it all out then, He will work it all out now and He will always work it out.

Doubt does exist. The line of doubt, well, that is drawn by you. You have the choice of how much trust you give to God.

I believe God made the sun and moon stand still that day. I believe that there was no day before that day and there has been no day like it since. I choose to believe God can do that. I choose to serve the Lord God that did that!