April 10, 2015

So I am veering off from Proverbs for a blog because I have had something weighing on my heart, and that is regards to doubting.  If you haven’t noticed from the past blogs, I like putting the actual definition of a word in here because it can really open your eyes to what words truly mean.  Doubt in the dictionary is to be undecided or skeptical about, to tend to disbelieve or distrust, and to regard as unlikely.  Now what this is leading to is doubting God and also doubting salvation.

I know that for me, when I was around the age of thirteen I struggled with doubting my salvation…a lot.  Doubting makes you miserable and it takes away from the joy and happiness that you should be filled with from God and that you should be sharing with the people around you.  I came across an article talking about a believers assurance, it listed some reasons that someone may be shaken, then I read the second reason.  It was titled guilt, and what it went on to say was that people, myself, feel like they can’t be forgiven and that they can’t accept forgiveness.  I know that I struggle with accepting free gifts, and that is exactly what forgiveness and salvation is, it’s a free gift and no one can earn forgiveness, it is given to us through the love of God and the grace and mercy He shows us.  Ephesians 2:8-9 read this, God saved you by His grace when you believed.  And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

A few verses that stand out to involve the Apostle Thomas, or doubting Thomas, its in the book of John and Jesus is talking to them letting them know that He is going to prepare a place for them and He goes on to say that we know the way to where He is going.  Thomas says in verse 5, No, we don’t know, Lord, We have no idea where you are going, do how can we know the way?  Now, this makes me stop nad think, if I was there and Jesus told me something like this would I doubt Him?  Most of us would probably say no, but would we really, because I know that for me I think it’d be hard.  I like to every detail about what is going on or what I am doing, and if Jesus told me that I know the way, but yet He didn’t tell me, I think that I would say I don’t know.  This is exactly where faith comes in to play.  Hebrews 11:1 says, now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Jesus went on to tell the disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through Me.”

Later on in the book of John it talks about how some of the disciples had seen Jesus after the Resurrection and then when they saw Thomas, they told him.  Thomas however, did not believe them, he had so much doubt, that he said unless he placed his fingers into the marks in Jesus’s hand and placed his hand into the wound on His side that he would not believe.  The Bible says eight days later Thomas finally sees and meets up with Jesus, the Lord says see Thomas, feel my hands and my side.  Jesus went on and said do not disbelieve, but believe.  Thomas answered Him, my Lord and my God.  Another instance of doubt is when Peter walked on water with Jesus.  Now these passages just grab my heart and makes me really question how strong my faith is.  Matthew 14:27 starts out, But Jesus spoke to them at once.  “Dont be afraid,” He said.  “Take courage.  I am here.”  Then Peter called to Him, “Lord, if it’s really You, tell me to come to You, walking on the water.”  “Yes, come,”  Jesus said.  So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.  But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink.  Save me, Lord.”  he shouted.  Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him.  “You have so little faith,”  Jesus said.  “Why did you doubt Me?”  Having faith in God is what I want, it should be what any follower of God wants to have.  I want enough faith to be able to just get out of the boat, if that was me, I would be doubting, I would be scared, and I wouldn’t have enough faith to get out.  That should be our prayer everyday, that God give us faith, give faith so that we can go out nad tell the world of Jesus and what He has done and what He is going to do.

Matthew 21:21, one of my favorite verses reads this, Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.”