A Couple More Thoughts on Doubt
Luke Borton finished a series called Four People who Doubted God and the Lessons they can teach us on Sunday, April 28. If you missed any of the four messages click here.
Allow me to provide two more thoughts about doubt.
#1: There are many more than four people who doubted God. Check out these names: Abraham doubted that he would be a father considering how old he was. Same goes for Sarah his wife. Moses doubted God despite staring at a bush that burned but was not consumed.
He doubted God’s message to go to Egypt and free the Israelites. Gideon doubted the angel of the Lord’s message that he would do what he said he would do. Gideon doubted that God could use him as a judge and a leader. I’ll add one more. ME! I have doubted God on several occasions. Most times it was because I did not get what I wanted.
Here’s a second thought on doubt.
#2: When it comes to John Ortberg’s book “Faith and Doubt” the most important word in that book title is the word “and.”
Faith and doubt go together like peanut butter and jelly. I don’t believe you can have one without the other, even though a peanut butter sandwich is still good 😊 Here’s what I mean. God never asks us to have blind faith. When you are trying to persuade someone to follow Jesus or be convinced the Word of God is true gone are the days when you say, “God said it so just believe it.” I think it’s healthy to give people reasons why Jesus said what he said or did what he did. I am not encouraging you to doubt in a way that leads to toxic thoughts. That’s where doubt becomes sin. Saying something like, I refuse to believe in Jesus because I cannot wrap my head around where heaven really is. Where it is doesn’t concern
me. Who will be there is what excites me. Does it excite you?
I am all for heaven. I can’t wait until heaven comes to this earth but I doubt heaven will be what I think it is. Heaven will be better but no one knows until it happens. Speaking of heaven and doubt, when Dr. Billy Graham was in his 90’s, he was asked if he thinks God will say to him, “Well done good and faithful servant.” Do you know how he answered? “I hope so.” Billy Graham was hoping that God would speak those precious words to him. That’s seems crazy to me but that’s why faith and doubt go together.
Let me close this blog with one of my favorite quotes from John Ortberg’s book Faith & Doubt. He too is talking about heaven.
“There is a part of me that, after I die, if it all turns out to be true – the angels are singing, death is defeated, the roll is called up yonder and there I am - there is a part of me that will be surprised. What do you know? It’s true after all. I had my doubts. Is it possible – maybe even rational – to have faith in the presence of doubt?
That’s a big YES in my book.