We are living in doubtful times. It seems doubtful to many that our economy will be sustained through the next few years. As I listen to friends from my (boomer) generation some are doubtful they will ever have healthy relationships with their millennial children again. Americans seem doubtful about the outcome of the war with Iran or what the long-term relationship with Israel should be because of the war.
No doubt, there are many things to doubt! But the greatest concern to have is so many Christians doubting God; His wisdom, His sovereignty, His grace, His protection from evil, even the validity of obeying His law.
Some doubt seems to come from a lack of knowledge and/or understanding of the Word of God – or God Himself. In Matthew 14 Peter asks Jesus, His Lord, to call Peter out to walk on the water as Jesus approached the disciple’s boat in a storm. But, when Peter’s attention left Jesus and he was more aware of the storm, he started to sink. Jesus’ words were, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:28-31 tells it like this: “And Peter answered Him and said, ’Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ’Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ’Lord, save me!’” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ’O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”
Isn’t that a question that most Christians have to ask from time to time, “Why did I doubt?” Sadly, we’re more like Peter than we know. We get distracted by the hard stuff in front of us and take our eyes off of Christ and “the things above” (Colossians 3). We see the troubles of the world and lose faith, sometimes momentarily, and sometimes for the duration of the crisis in our lives. We doubt God and His promises.
It might be easy to look at Peter and think that he had a distinct advantage – Jesus was right there with Him to put his attention back on Him. But, by the power of the Spirit of God in us from the time we are born again, we too, have a Person to remind us. It may not be audible and visible as Peter experienced, but if we have even a mustard seed sized faith, the Holy Spirit will remind us of all God has done for us in the past and that removes the doubt and increases the faith we have in such a faithful Shepherd as He.
Whether our doubts are about personal things, political things, or economic things – God rules over all. We may not see what He is doing or what He will accomplish but His Word must inform our faith and help us to trust Him and not to doubt Him.
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11
