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Matthew 28:17 – When they saw him, they worshiped him — but some of them doubted! (NLT)
Some made promises, but I doubted that they'd keep them.
No middle-schooler wants to be uprooted and moved hundreds of miles from his friends — but that's what happened when Dad decided to pastor a church in Jackson, Tennessee, USA. Except for the first three months of my life — which I don't recall — I'd never lived anywhere but in South Carolina. All my friends lived there. Now, I'd have to leave family and friends behind for an adventure that I'd never asked to go on.
We'll come see you. We'll keep in touch. We'll write. I heard the promises, but I doubted that any of them would come true. Except for my grandmother, they didn't.
Over the next three years, I made new friends. Then, Dad decided to move back to South Carolina. I heard the promises again from my new friends, but I doubted that they'd come true. I saw several friends on a couple of occasions after we moved, but the friendships were doomed once we'd moved.
Some of Jesus' followers struggled with doubts, too. After His resurrection, Jesus instructed them to meet Him in Galilee. When they saw Him, most believed — but some doubted.
Doubt isn't a fatal sin, unless it keeps me from believing in Jesus as my Saviour — the One Who can forgive my sins and reconcile me with God the Father. In this instance, those who doubted had earlier believed in Jesus as the Messiah and possessed much biblical knowledge.
Doubt accompanies our fallen nature. Even when we are given a new nature by Christ, doubt can linger. We pray for deliverance from a life trial, but we doubt that God will deliver. We pray for healing from a disease, but we doubt God's ability to heal. We pray for God to bring back a wandering spouse or to heal a friendship, but we don't really believe that He can.
God understands our doubts — He knows our nature. Although doubt in the form of unbelief keeps us from a relationship with God and hinders our prayers, God is a loving heavenly Father Who never turns His back on us merely because we struggle with doubts. He wants to transform those doubts into faith so that our spiritual fortitude can grow and so that we'll be prepared for this life of faith travel.
Give your doubts to God. What He does with them will amaze you.
Prayer: Father, we give our doubts to You, and we ask You to form them into faith. Amen.
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Amen to your prayer. This I pray for myself.
Wow, Martin. How true and relevant today. Thank you.
Thanks for your message today. It really spoke to my heart. Blessings.
Thanks Martin, your devotionals are always helpful.
Blessings.
I welcome your stories every day. May God bless you and keep you safe in the palm of His hands.
Amen Martin. Excellent piece.
Thanks for the reminder.
Blessings.
Good morning Martin,
Good words this morning.
Blessings.
I had no doubt it was you when l started reading.
Drive safely today. I am thinking of you.
Blessings.
Dear Martin,
Thank you so much for your meaningful, inspiring devotional… words I needed to hear!
Blessings and Joy,
(Canada)
Thanks, Martin, for today’s good devotion.
Yes, many people have doubts that hinder their faith.
This is the big hill we all have to climb.
Keep up the good faith,
(Quebec)
Greetings Martin,
You have hit the nail on the head with very good advice. “Give your doubts to God”. Yes, that is the best thing for us to do and with our faith in Him we will definitely see the best results. His plans are the right ones for our life.
Blessings for these writings you contribute.
Good Morning –
I enjoyed your devotional today. Doubt is an issue for all of us at one time or another in our lives.
Every one of the Apostles also had moments of doubt. We are not yet perfected, but we can seek to be more than we are, thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit.
Well done!
Hello Martin, Thank You for those encouraging words.
People need to know that God is faithful and can be trusted even in the hardest times. I will be seventy soon and I have never known him to fail. Of course, his result sometimes differs with mine, but he always knows the best course for our lives. Have a wonderful day! My believing friends and I are holding you up in our prayers, we want the rightful winner of your election back where he belongs!
Hello Martin!! How I relate. I was born in ‘24 in a Free Methodist parsonage near Seattle, Daddy was moved every 3-4 years but in the same Western Wash. Conference. That happily came to an end when I graduated from high school and married. The Lord brought my husband-to-be into my life through an invitation to come speak to our young people’s Sunday night programs. He was God’s mold of a perfect Christian, and that is fact.
May you be greatly blessed.
(Ca.)
Martin,
Thank you for your devotional as well as the prayer. It may be that God has answered our prayers, but in His will, not ours.
Really appreciate this Martin. Yes, we pray not expecting.
Over Easter weekend expected to be alone. OK until I had a Covid 19 moment.
Prayed.
Why was I surprised when all sorts of things started to happen?