Tag: doubt

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Jude

When others fall

Pulling people out of fire

As much as it is important to contend with those who would attack the faith, we must care for those who have been affected by these attacks.

So Jude tells us first of all to be merciful to those who doubt. (Jude 22)

It would be easy to put down or insult people that are starting to have doubts, but we are to reach out to them, speaking the truth in love, and praying that God would open their eyes. (Ephesians 4:15)

We are also to snatch others from the fire and to save them. Some people are headed right into the fire by falling in with false teachers, and they don’t even know it. They think that these are legitimate teachers.

So Jude tells us, “Don’t let them just fall into the fire. Pull them out of there. Warn them of the danger they’re heading into.” (23)

And to those who have fallen captive to these false teachings, we are to show mercy and compassion for them. Even for the false teachers themselves.

We are to lovingly plead that they repent and return to the God who bought them with his own blood.

But at the same time, we are to be careful that we don’t fall into the pit of sin they have fallen into. Instead, we are to hate “even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”

Sin corrupts everything that it touches. Don’t let it corrupt you.

And through all your reaching out, remember that it is by the grace of God alone that you yourself stand. That apart from him, you could be where the doubting, the deceived, and the fallen are.

So don’t look down on them. Rather, give thanks to God as Jude did.

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore. Amen. (24-25)

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Luke Luke 9 Mark Mark 9 Matthew Matthew 17

Where is our faith?

The gospels

Where is my faith?

That’s a question I have to ask myself far too often in the sense of, “Why don’t I trust God more?”

But it’s also a question I need to ask myself in terms of “Where am I putting my trust?”

We see both senses of this question in this passage.

Jesus and his 3 close disciples came down from the mountain, and ran into a huge argument between the rest of his disciples and the teachers of the law. What they were arguing about exactly, I’m not sure.

It could’ve been something like, “Your Jesus is not truly from God. Look, you tried to cast out this demon, and nothing happened.”

Or perhaps they were arguing about whether there was a demon at all in the boy that was brought to the disciples.

When Jesus asked what was going on, the boy’s father explained that a demon was in his son, causing him to go into seizures, and even trying to kill him at times. This father was obviously desperate, as this had been going on since his son was a child, and he pleaded with Jesus,

If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. (Mark 9:22)

Jesus answered,

If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes. (Mark 9:23)

The man replied in a way that I identify with quite well.

I do believe…help me overcome my unbelief! (Mark 9:24)

How did he say that, I wonder? My guess is that he was so desperate that he said he believed just so that Jesus would try to help.

But then Jesus looked into his eyes questioningly, and at his gaze, the father broke down and said, “O Jesus. I want to believe, but this has been going on so long that I find it hard. But you’re my only hope. Help me overcome my unbelief!”

And Jesus healed the boy, casting out the demon.

I find hope in this for all the times that I struggle with unbelief. Because my trickle of belief so often gets overwhelmed by the tidal wave of my unbelief.

That’s how it was with this father. Yet, Jesus showed grace and mercy to this father despite his unbelief, and healed the boy.

I’ve seen this in my own life, at times even questioning God’s goodness. And yet when I cry out, he answers. He shows mercy and grace. And I remember again, he really is good.

Later the disciples asked why they couldn’t cast out the demon. Jesus gives them a lecture about faith, that if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can do anything.

But then he said something very important,

This kind can come out only by prayer. (Mark 9:29)

Remember that up to this point, the disciples had been casting out demons in Jesus’ name. They had gone throughout the country doing so.

But perhaps as time went on, they had forgotten that it was not really them doing the work, but God. And they had stopped putting their faith in God, but put it in their own powers or formulas for casting out demons.

The result? They forgot to pray and were unable to cast out the demon.

And so the question again comes, “Where is my faith?” Is it in my own abilities? My own talents? My own wisdom? Or is it in God? If it’s in God, the faith of a mustard seed can accomplish much. Without God, I can do nothing.

These are things I struggle with every day. Perhaps you do too. If so, will you pray with me now.

Lord Jesus, where is my faith? Too many times, I look at my circumstances and they are beyond me. And I panic because I just can’t see how you could possibly help me.

Lord, forgive my unbelief. Help me to believe in you, to trust you in everything. And give me your peace and joy as you work in my heart and my circumstances.

Where is my faith? Too many times it’s in myself. And because of that I fail. Forgive my self-reliance. My self-trust. Help me to hear your voice. To trust you. To rely on you each day. In your name I pray, amen.

Categories
John John 6 Mark Mark 6 Matthew Matthew 14

Doubting Jesus

The gospels

As I was looking through the three gospel accounts of this story, there are a lot of things that struck me.

First, the balance that Jesus kept in his life. That though he would often sacrifice his needs to meet the needs of others, he nevertheless always made time to get alone to be with his Father. If he needed to do that, how much more do we need to?

But as he was up on the mountain, he looked down and saw his disciples struggling out in the ocean. And yet, though he saw, he waited until 3 to 6 a.m. in the morning to go out to them.

In the same way, sometimes, Jesus will let us go through times of struggles. It doesn’t mean he has abandoned us. He’s still watching over us.

But he does allow us to go through times of testing, and I think the reason is to see just how much we trust him, even when we can’t see him.

Jesus had told his disciples, “I’ll see you on the other side.”

Yet how many of his disciples actually believed his words and thought they’d reach the other side when they were struggling out in the ocean?

And then Jesus goes out to them, walking on the water, and even acts as he is about to pass them by. When they see him they’re terrified thinking he is a ghost. But Jesus tells them, “Hey, don’t worry, it’s me.”

Then we have the famous story of Peter going out to Jesus on the water.

But as he looks at the wind and the waves, and starts to sink, so he cries, “Lord, save me!”

And Jesus, in his love and grace, does so, but asks, “Oh, Peter, why did you doubt?”

But at the end of the story, we see that Peter wasn’t the only one who had a problem with doubt. For as Jesus came into the boat, immediately the wind died down, and it says in Mark that the disciples were completely amazed. Why?

For they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:52)

And that last verse is what struck me the most. They had not understood about the loaves. What didn’t they understand about the loaves? Two things.

Number one, that Jesus cared deeply for them. He cared so much that he would take care of their needs.

Number two, that Jesus had the power to take care of their needs.

As Peter walked out onto that water, he was fine until he took his eyes off of Jesus and started looking at the wind and waves.

How often are we the same? We take our eyes off of Jesus, his love for us, and his power to deal with every situation, and we look only at our circumstances. As a result doubt creeps into our minds and we start to sink.

I’ve got to admit, despite all that I’ve seen God do in my life, doubt still creeps in my heart. So this is my prayer.

Lord, I’ve seen you do so much in my life. I’ve seen your goodness to me. I’ve seen your love. I’ve seen your power. Yet I still doubt, somehow.

It’s so stupid, I know. Lord, increase my faith. Soften my hardened heart. And help me to truly understand about the loaves. About your love. And about your power in my life, if I’ll just trust you. In your name I pray, amen.

Categories
Luke Luke 7 Matthew Matthew 11

Struggling with doubt

The gospels

It’s nice to know that the “heroes” of the Bible had struggles too. That they had fears. That they had doubts.

I’m sure that’s exactly what John the Baptist was going through in prison. He had been doing a great work for God, calling the people to repentance, and preparing the way for Jesus. Then suddenly, it was over.

John was arrested by Herod for criticizing him for marrying his brother’s wife, and as a result was thrown into prison.

Perhaps at first, John still felt confident and triumphant. “The Messiah is here! He will save us from people such as this so-called king named Herod.”

But time passed. And while Jesus did many things, political change was not one of them. Herod was still on the throne. Rome was still in charge. And John was still in prison.

Day after day dragged by, and perhaps John’s words became less and less certain. Finally, they may have been completely stilled by his doubts.

“Is Jesus really the one? Have I made a mistake? Maybe I heard God wrong.”

Finally the day came when his disciples came and they told him of all Jesus had been doing.

Perhaps after a moment of silence, he told them, “Please pass him a message. Ask him, ‘Are you the one? Are you the one we’ve been hoping for? Or should we ask for another?'”

I wonder how John’s disciples felt as they came to Jesus. Had doubt crept into their hearts as well because of their master’s misery? But they asked.

How did Jesus respond? He didn’t get angry. He didn’t criticize John for his lack of faith.

Instead, he looked at John’s disciples. Then he looked around at all the hurting people around him. And he started to heal. The blind, the lame, the deaf, the lepers.

And having done all that, he turned to John’s disciples and said,

Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me. (Matthew 11:4-6)

Sometimes we, like John, struggle with doubts. We wonder if Jesus is really there.

We look at the world around us. We look at our own circumstances. And we wonder, “Is my faith in Jesus just a farce? Or is there real substance behind it? Have I been wasting my life following Jesus? Or is it really worth it?”

I think the nice thing is that Jesus doesn’t blast us for our doubts.

But he does remind us, “Look at what I’ve done. Look how I’ve helped you in the past. Look at the healing I’ve brought to your life. I’m still here. I’m still working.”

But beyond looking at these things, let us look to the cross. Look at what Jesus did there. Because in the cross, we have the ultimate proof of his love for us.

And in the resurrection, we have the ultimate proof that he has the power to help us right here, right now.

May we never stumble because of Jesus. Rather let us stand on him. For he is a sure foundation that will never crumble beneath us.

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Jeremiah

For our good

Jeremiah

In this passage, Jerusalem is still under siege, and for that matter, Jeremiah is still in prison.

Still, God told him, “When your cousin comes here to tell you about an opportunity to buy land from him, buy it.”

Under normal circumstances, it might seem like a good thing to do.

But with the land under siege and no guarantee that Jeremiah would actually be able to keep the land for any length of time, it seemed like a foolish purchase. Yet God told him to buy it, saying,

Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land. (Jeremiah 32:15)

In other words, Jeremiah’s purchase was to be a sign to the people of Israel’s future restoration.

It’s hard to tell whether Jeremiah’s response to God in verses 16–25 were a prayer of faith or one of questioning whether God would really restore Israel or not. Maybe it was both.

How often are we like the man who came to Jesus asking him to heal his son, and who, when Jesus challenged his faith, said, “I believe… Lord help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)

That’s what Jeremiah seems to be doing here.

“Lord, all things are possible with you. Nothing is impossible for you. Look! You said that the Babylonians would come and lay siege to this city, and here they are. It’s just as you said. I believe!

“But now you’re saying that I should buy land because Jerusalem will be restored. Really? Is this really a wise investment? Will it really be restored?”

Perhaps Jeremiah was not questioning God’s power to do so as much as he was questioning the people’s willingness to repent and turn back to him.

They certainly had shown no such willingness when hearing Jeremiah’s warnings.

God answered by basically repeating back to Jeremiah what he had prayed. But after proclaiming judgment on the people, he added,

I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them.

I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.

I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul. (Jeremiah 32:37–41)

In short, God once again promised to bring the people back.

But just as he promised in chapter 31, the restoration of the people’s hearts would be by his work, not their own. He would be the one that would turn their hearts back to him. And as they did, he promised blessing in their lives.

What can we get from all of this?

First, remember in our times of doubt, that God is looking out for our good.

He wants to do good in our lives. He rejoices in doing good in our lives. If only we could remember that and believe that, it would be so much easier to trust him and obey him.

Second, God is constantly working within us to change us and make us the people he wants us to be. A people he can bless.

All we have to do is cooperate with him. To say yes to him. And as we do, we’ll find blessing.

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Isaiah

Judgment and redemption

Isaiah

Judgment and redemption.

These two ideas are seen throughout scripture and they are very evident here in these two chapters.

First, God metes out judgment against the nations in chapter 34 as all those who come against his people Israel shall be judged and destroyed.

And then in chapter 35, we see the redemption of his people.

How does it come? Through Jesus Christ.

Isaiah encouraged the people saying,

Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” (Isaiah 35:3–4)

“Your God will come.”

In the short term, God came and brought judgment against the Assyrians and then the Babylonians. But not only did he bring judgment, he brought salvation. He says in verses 5–6,

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. (Isaiah 35:5–6)

When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he really was the Messiah. Jesus answered them,

“Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:4–5)

I can’t help but think that this passage in Isaiah is what Jesus was referring to when he sent his message.

He was saying, “Do you remember what Isaiah said about God coming and the blind seeing, the lame walking, and the deaf hearing? Well that’s what’s happening now.

“So strengthen your feeble hands, John. Steady your knees that are giving way. Be strong. I, the Messiah, have come. Do not be afraid, and do not lose hope.”

We, like John, may have times of doubt. Our faith seems dry, and we start to wonder if God’s really there. If he really cares. If our redemption is really coming.

But as Jesus told John, don’t give in to doubt. Cling instead to our Savior. He has come and he will come to you. And in time,

Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground bubbling springs. (Isaiah 35:6–7)

And always remember that the day will come when you enter Zion with singing, and everlasting joy will crown your head.

Gladness and joy will overtake you, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (10)