Doubt

I think we all have periods in which we doubt ourselves, others, and maybe even God. Doubt is a normal human emotion. We all know that Thomas was a doubter, which led to his famous name of Doubting Thomas. But even John the Baptist doubted while he was in prison, and Jesus called him the greatest man to ever be born. John asked a messenger to go to Jesus and ask Him if He was indeed the Messiah. Our Lord is a very loving and caring Lord. He does not wait for us to have moments of doubt and then pounce on us like a lion. No, Our Lord and Savior knows we all have serious limitations. He still loves us!

Maybe you are doubting something right now that you have been praying about. Maybe it seems that God has put you on "hold" and you are starting to doubt that He even cares. That is a normal feeling; Don't beat yourself up about it. Just keep on praying and hoping in the Lord. He will not let you down. I know sometimes it seems like the whole world is caving in around us. But God has it completely under control. Don't give up! For all we know, God's help may already be on the way!

Mark 9:23 says, "All things are possible if you can believe".

Father, please forgive us when we doubt ourselves and maybe even You. Help us to keep the faith. We can do all things through You. In Jesus name, Amen.

"I Question If there Is A God"

I watched a couple episodes of Untold Stories of the ER this weekend and a doctor made a statement that stuck with me. He said that although being a doctor is rewarding when you know you've helped somebody, the fact that so many young people die, some a very horrifying death, makes him question if there is a God. On the surface, it may appear from his statement that he does not have enough faith in God. But if we are honest with ourselves, I'm sure we all have questioned the existence of God too, especially in the midst of tragedy. In the doctor's line of work, I can see how it could be very hard sometimes to keep the faith. God chooses to extend some lives but not others. Why?

My grandfather taught me to never question God. He said, "That's the Lord's work, and we may never know why He does what He does. But He is God." I believe that even before we are born, God has assigned x-amount of days to our lives. We may grow to a nice, old age or be cut down in our youth. But God makes those decisions. I know it can be very hard to handle difficult circumstances in our lives, and I'm sure God understands when we lose a little faith. But don't forget, He does not make mistakes! On the Saturday before Christ was resurrected, His disciples were questioning if he was even real. They all believed He was dead and that was the end of that. If the ones closest to Christ can occasionally have doubts, don't you think God expects we will too? Every single one of us is closer to the day we get called home than we have ever been before. We must make what days we have left, count. Life is too short to be sad, dejected, heartbroken. I know it can be very hard sometimes. But don't give up! NEVER stop praying! And spend as much time with your friends and family as you can.

Psalm 90:12 says, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

Father, please help us to accept that You are Lord and that sometimes bad things happen to us. Help us to make the time we do have with our loved ones count for good. In Jesus name, Amen.

Restless Night

It is 2:45 in the morning, and I can't sleep. We all have restless nights from time to time. Mine is because of the recent tragedy of Samson and Geneva, and of some other sad, personal situations that have transpired in the past 24 hours. What is bothering me tonight may have also bothered you in the past. I am bothered by my unbelief in God. I don't mean I don't believe in Him, I mean I have occasional unbelief in how He can allow certain things to happen. If God wants the best for us, and if the Bible says He protects us, then why do bad things happen to good people? I know He gives man free will, and I know we live in a sinful, fallen world. I also know He could stop such tragedies like the ones that have happened this week. I'm pretty sure He stops some things from happening that we are not even aware of. But why does He allow such horrible things to happen such as a toddler being shot point-blank by a mad man?

Maybe you are struggling with this same issue as I am. Maybe you find yourself questioning if He is even real. I have searched the Scriptures since around 11 o clock tonight and have found comfort in a few things that I want to share. First of all, every single one of us sins. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is full of Scriptures that remind of us that we are sinful. But the Bible also comforts us in the fact that there is no sin too great for God to forgive. In fact, if you have trusted Jesus as your personal savior, then all your sins are washed away, past, present, and future! The only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. But that does not mean an occasional unbelief in Him or in the Bible. The only unforgivable sin is the sin of never believing in Jesus all the way until death. If you have already accepted Christ, then you can not commit the unforgivable sin. Haven't you ever questioned if God exists sometimes, especially in the face of horrific tragedies? If we are honest with ourselves, perhaps we all have had the occasional unbelief. I think God chose Thomas as one of His disciples for this very reason. Known as "doubting Thomas", he was constantly in a state of unbelief. But the Bible is so clear that Jesus forgave him every time. And what about Peter? If some of His disciples can doubt Jesus, then obviously God expects we will occasionally doubt Him too. But don't let that worry you that you have lost your salvation. No matter what sin we commit, once we are saved by the blood of Jesus, we will always be saved. The key is to not beat ourselves up. Instead, we should ask Him to forgive us and ask Him to help us repent and mature spiritually from the experience. Maybe "unbelief" is too strong of a word. Perhaps "questioning" about what has happened is a better one. So please, if your heart is heavy with unbelief or questioning tonight like mine due to personal tragedies, remember that God will see us through it! Don't ever give up on Him! Hope is an amazing thing. But His assurance is even more amazing!

Romans 8: 1-2 says, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the Law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." (emphasis added)

Father, forgive us for our unbelieving or questioning moments. Please restore our faith and give us peace when we fail You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Why Pray?

It is a little past midnight, and as usual, I am experiencing another episode of insomnia. But this is not the normal insomnia that strikes from time to time. I can't sleep because I am deeply troubled by something that I just can not get out of my mind. I wanted to share it with you because perhaps you have been troubled by the same thing too. It is a question I have pondered over and over concerning prayer. I have heard explanations from preachers and Bible teachers, but I guess I have never been completely satisfied by their explanations. What troubles me is that I get different explanations almost every time I ask the question. The question is what good does it do to ask God for things? I believe that God's will is perfect, and His will will be done. So if His will is set, why should I ask for anything? Will God really change His mind for me? Further, if it is already His will, won't it happen whether I ask for it or not?

I know the explanations about unanswered prayer. I, just as you, have asked God for some things, yet did not receive them. Later, we found out that not getting what we wanted was actually a good thing. But how many times have we prayed for someone who may have been sick or in a car crash, and asked God to heal them. Sometimes He does, but sometimes He does not. I am not questioning His wisdom, but I do question the meaning of a few Bible verses. Jesus says in John 15:7, "Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you". He also said in Matthew 7:8, "Everyone who asks receives." In Matthew 21:22, Jesus said, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer". John 14:14 records Jesus saying, "Ask anything in my name, and I will do it." Psalms 37:4 says, "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." I am a true warrior for Christ, but I have to admit that my faith has been seriously shaken lately. I am on the verge of not writing anymore devotions. Have you ever been to that point before? You know, the point where you seem to question things about faith in God? I am just lost!

Father, forgive me for not understanding. Please strengthen my faith. I know You created me, and You certainly know what is going on inside my heart. Is it too much to ask for a personal miracle? I have asked for it in Your name, You know it is my heart's desire, and I have believed that it will happen. But my asking has not lead to my receiving. Lord, my heart is crying out to You right now. In Jesus name, Amen.