The Israelites in the wilderness did not doubt in God’s existence. They had seen His glory on Mt. Sinai. They ate manna from His hand each morning. They followed the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. But when they got to the Promised Land, they doubted God could overcome the big challenges they saw there. Their doubt kept them receiving God’s promise.
The author of Hebrews warned his readers not to fall prey to the same kind of doubt. The persecution they were suffering tempted them to doubt that God was great enough to carry them through it. Christians today face the same temptation to doubt God. The author’s warning to the first century Jewish Christians is also his warning to us: “Let us be careful… , Do not harden your hearts… , Make every effort… , Hold firmly to the faith you profess.”
In what kind of situations are you tempted to doubt in the power and faithfulness of God to do what He’s promised?
What attributes of God do you find it hardest to depend on?
I find that in the big things, I need to conciously remind myself to trust God…and to believe Him. I will argue with myself thinking that I’m not hearing Him correctly. I fear, that if I don’t hear Him correctly, I’ll do the wrong thing. But, I have found that when I first pray about a situation, and then open His word and read, His true answer will be right there staring at me. When I then release my worry to Him, I feel at peace. But, for me, I need to constantly practice believing Him in each new situation that comes my way. What I have learned, though, is that God is always faithful!!! His way is always the best.
Learning, Joan
What do you doubt? I think trusting God with your deepest hurts, the ones you can’t imagine ever healing. The ones you cannot understand even happening to you in the first place. Truly trusting him to work all things to good for those who love him, and trusting his good is not temporary or circumstantial, but eternal and internal.
Joan, I love that you signed your comment “learning.” That’s what we should all be doing: Learning to trust God, learning to be more like Jesus.
Jeanette, I too have deep hurts that are still a little sore. I think sometimes God chooses to heal those things a little at a time. Or is it that we only let Him heal those hurts a little at a time?