The subtitle for this chapter could be “The High Cost of Doubting God.” There are lots of examples of people in the Bible who didn’t immediately believe that God would do the impossible thing He had promised. From Sarah, to Moses, who mirrored the response of the father in Mark 9:23-25: “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!”
We need to cry out the same way. But the first step is in recognizing that seed of unbelief. Where has God made a promise that you are doubting? Is it that He will provide for all your needs? Is it that He will work all things out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, that we might be conformed to the image of His Son? Is it that He loves us and our sins really, truly are put away as far as the East is from the West? Is it that He will return with the shout of an archangel and we shall be caught up to meet with Him in the air? Is it that we shall worship around His throne with every tribe and every tongue in beautiful diversity yet perfect harmony?
Lift those doubting thoughts before Him and cry, “LORD, HELP MY UNBELIEF!”
Because the cost of unbelief is high. The cost of doubting His provision is lack of faith enough to give generously. It denies us the opportunity to partner with God in the work that He wants to do through us because “we can’t afford it.” Yet, whose resources are they? And doesn’t He own it ALL? So if He’s calling you to give, GIVE. Trust that He will meet your needs.
The cost of doubting that He is working for your good (which will also be for HIS GLORY) is that our testimony before unbelievers is damaged. If we can’t catch a glimpse of some purpose in the pain God may be allowing in our lives, how can we proclaim His greatness to those watching so closely to see how we will weather this trial? Cry out, “Lord, I don’t see it! Open my eyes!”
If we doubt that our sins are really done away with, we will be constantly at war with ourselves. Trying, oh, trying so very hard to overcome sin because we believe that each time we fail, we are separated again from God. That we must repent and try harder to work our way back into God’s grace. But that is no grace at all! That is all works! Instead, when we believe deeply in God’s Word that our sin is forever washed away by Christ’s sacrifice, we live in peaceful joy, in the rest Jesus promised, in the knowledge that nothing we have done will make Him love us any less, and nothing we can do will make Him love us any more.
The officer who heard the promise of God to provide abundantly for the people of Samaria who’d been under siege doubted God’s ability, even with the abundance of heaven, to provide. Because he doubted, he didn’t experience that abundance. What am I missing out on today because of my doubts?
We need to cry out the same way. But the first step is in recognizing that seed of unbelief. Where has God made a promise that you are doubting? Is it that He will provide for all your needs? Is it that He will work all things out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, that we might be conformed to the image of His Son? Is it that He loves us and our sins really, truly are put away as far as the East is from the West? Is it that He will return with the shout of an archangel and we shall be caught up to meet with Him in the air? Is it that we shall worship around His throne with every tribe and every tongue in beautiful diversity yet perfect harmony?
Lift those doubting thoughts before Him and cry, “LORD, HELP MY UNBELIEF!”
Because the cost of unbelief is high. The cost of doubting His provision is lack of faith enough to give generously. It denies us the opportunity to partner with God in the work that He wants to do through us because “we can’t afford it.” Yet, whose resources are they? And doesn’t He own it ALL? So if He’s calling you to give, GIVE. Trust that He will meet your needs.
The cost of doubting that He is working for your good (which will also be for HIS GLORY) is that our testimony before unbelievers is damaged. If we can’t catch a glimpse of some purpose in the pain God may be allowing in our lives, how can we proclaim His greatness to those watching so closely to see how we will weather this trial? Cry out, “Lord, I don’t see it! Open my eyes!”
If we doubt that our sins are really done away with, we will be constantly at war with ourselves. Trying, oh, trying so very hard to overcome sin because we believe that each time we fail, we are separated again from God. That we must repent and try harder to work our way back into God’s grace. But that is no grace at all! That is all works! Instead, when we believe deeply in God’s Word that our sin is forever washed away by Christ’s sacrifice, we live in peaceful joy, in the rest Jesus promised, in the knowledge that nothing we have done will make Him love us any less, and nothing we can do will make Him love us any more.
The officer who heard the promise of God to provide abundantly for the people of Samaria who’d been under siege doubted God’s ability, even with the abundance of heaven, to provide. Because he doubted, he didn’t experience that abundance. What am I missing out on today because of my doubts?
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