Got Doubts?

Meditations for Ragamuffins

March 8, 2024

Got Doubts?

He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?

Luke 24:38 

We are just two months into the New Year. Have you doubted your right standing with God yet this year? Have you been unsure of your acceptance by God? Have you questioned if you are indeed a friend of God, His actual beloved child with whom he is delighted and upon whom His favor rests? Why do you suppose it is so hard for us to maintain a consistency of belief? The great enemy of God, our adversary, whom Jesus called a liar, and the father of all lies may have something to do with our struggles in faith. St. Francis said, “The devil never rejoices more than when he robs a servant of God of his peace of heart.”

I have learned to process my doubts through two statements Jesus made from the cross. The first affirms the truth from Hebrews, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). On the cross Jesus revealed his doubts when he called out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). The writer of Hebrews makes clear that doubting is not sinning, so when you struggle with doubts about God’s love and acceptance of you, remember “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

The second statement was made by Jesus just a short while after his first: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46 NRSV). There were no doubts about his Father’s love in that statement. God did something in Jesus between those two statements, and I believe it was the same thing Jesus’ Father did for Peter. After Peter made his confession of faith in Christ, Jesus told him, “. . . for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:17). I believe God responds to our honesty, to our doubts, by gracing us with a revelation of who He is, and how much He loves us.

My Takeaway: Not sure about this? If so, I entrust you to the Apostle Paul’s affirmation: “All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you” (Philippians 3:15). 

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.