Life Ministries

Life Preservers – 2 – “In Times of Doubt”
James 1:5-8

    There are times in our lives when faith comes easy. When we have a good job; a good family; a good car; a nice house; a sunny day with the birds singing and the flowers blooming; all our needs are met, and it’s easy to have faith. It is easy to trust God and thank Him for His blessings. However, if we are really honest with ourselves, we would have to say that more often than not; we feel a sense of doubt. We are not really sure – if God exists; if He can heal; if we can really overcome mountains in our life; perhaps there are times when we wonder if we have any faith at all!

    In Matthew 28, Mary and the other Mary were on their way to the tomb when they see an angel. The angel tells them that Jesus has risen from the dead! He tells them to go to Galilee where they will see him…They go and tell the disciples. Then at verse 16 it says “The eleven went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go, and when they saw him they worshipped him; but SOME DOUBTED.”…Really?
    A preacher once said that there are three ways to approach God; Belief, Un-belief, and Doubt. Belief and unbelief are choices. You can choose right now to believe the story I just told or not. But, doubt is an honest expression of emotion. It is possible to feel doubt even when you want to believe.
    I want you to know that the Bible makes a clear distinction between the person who is an unbeliever, and the one who has occasional doubts. Psalm 14:1 condemns the atheist; “a fool says in his heart, there is no God.” Yet, Jesus was patient with the lack of faith in his disciples, and he didn’t condemn them for their doubts. He did not say they had no faith…he said, “O ye of little faith.” Our faith and maturity go hand in hand with experience. The more we experience God the stronger our faith becomes and the less we doubt. It was true of the disciples and it is true of you and I…and we will “no longer be like a wave of the sea, blown here and there tossed by the wind!”
    Many of God’s servants struggled with doubt; one of them was Gideon. You can find the story in Judges (6:12-17)  Because of Israel’s disobedience, God allows a foreign army – the Midianites – to overtake the land. It says in 6:6 “Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help!” God then decides to raise up Gideon. The angel appears to Gideon and says “The Lord is with you mighty warrior.” Gideon is probably thinking; “I doubt it!”…”If the Lord is with us, then why is all this happening to us? And, where are the wonders He used to do?” Do you know that people still ask that question today?

So, #1. Gideon doubts the message of the angel.

#2. Gideon doubts himself. How can I do it? I am the least, the smallest, the youngest. The weakest in my family, and my clan is the weakest in Manasseh! It is too bad that Gideon didn’t have the life preserver from 1 Corinthians 1:27 – “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things to shame the strong!” You see, the reasons for Gideon’s doubt are the very reasons God wants to use him.

#3. Gideon doubts that it is really God. “Give me a sign that it is really you talking to me” says Gideon. That voice in your thoughts; that calling you feel; that decision you have to make; have you found yourself wondering if it was really God? Is it God or Satan or Self? My advise has always been “When in doubt – Don’t!” “Don’t go until you know!” Maybe it’s a good thing to do what Gideon did and ask for confirmation.

#4. Gideon doubts God’s way of doing things. Gideon musters up all the men he can find, but God says “You have too many men!” What? Then God begins to dwindle down his army to a few hundred men. Don’t you think Gideon had a lot of doubts at this point?

    Do you know that we still doubt God’s way of doing things today? How can you give away 10% of your money and make it in today’s economy? How can such a small church make a difference in anyone’s life? And, the questions and doubts go on and on. However, there is a lesson we need to come away with in all this – “A sincere doubt will drive us to a desire to seek truth, which will produce a well grounded faith!”

    God revealed himself to Gideon even in his doubts; and He still does it today. Like Gideon, when we face times of doubts we need to grab hold of God’s life saving Word, and seek solid evidence that God is who He says He is…and God can do what He says He can do! “Seek and you shall find. Ask and it shall be given unto you. Knock and the door will be opened!”  Doubt is an emotion…Faith is a decision!