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The Lord will build Zion; And He will demonstrate His glory. [Psalm 102:16] It applies to the lives of each one of us, as you and I walk in a relationship with God, as the Father whose love has been lavished upon us that you and I should be called the children of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is why you need no longer be in bondage or slavery to fear anymore, no matter what your prevailing condition may be. And it is also very true that if the title of being a child of God does not satisfy you, no other qualification or title that you wish to be the prefix and suffixes of your name, will ever do. Also what will cause you to rise and overcome what comes against you, is the knowledge that you are a child of God. For He is always with you to help you. He has given you the Comforter, the blessed Holy Spirit, to be in you, as your Counselor and Helper, guiding and empowering you into all truth. A Christian is never helpless or hopeless.
The doubt that disturbs you-
Doubts may arise in you concerning the promise of God to you. You need not beat yourself up, for it is the devil’s weapon against every child of God. One does not have to be ungodly in order to be plagued by doubts. But learning from what has been recorded in the scriptures concerning it in the life of Abraham, who is commended as the father of faith, and whose descendants we are by faith, you and I can appropriate the truth in our lives. But he did not doubt or waver in unbelief concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and empowered by faith, giving glory to God. [Romans 4:20] It was not always so, though; for it was a progressive faith that grew in the course of his walk with God; one that had its fair share of upheavals, disappointments and doubts, that led him even o the verge of giving up on the promise of God.The sad practicality of life in a fallen world is that, we doubt what God says, find it difficult to consistently believe the One for whom it is impossible to lie. Yet, it is all too easy to believe what the father of lies, the one who always lies, the evil one cunningly and deceitfully speaks into us. And he has many opportunities, in the circumstances of life.
Doubt comes due to -1] Lack or inability:
So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat, ’What shall we drink’, or ’What shall we wear?’ [Matthew 5:31] The principle underlying the Lord’s counsel applies to doubt that stems from worry regarding any aspect of your life, where something is lacking, or you do not have the ability or means to do what is necessary for a particularly challenging situation. And you can end up doubting the promise of provision that the Father who knows your every need, has given you.
2] Confusion:
And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?’ [Luke 24:38] Seeing the Risen Lord, caused confusion in the hearts and minds of the disciples, leading to doubt what the Lord had already spoken to them about His crucifixion and His resurrection. They knew His teachings and yet doubted. The incident shows how doubt can come in you concerning things that you know, and also what you do not know.
3] Fear-
Fear is a breeding ground for doubt; and it can come in you even when you are in the midst of a miracle, walking on water, so to speak, even as Peter was doing. For, even when things are going well, a fear of the unknown, can bring doubt in you, and you can begin to sink into your situation, even as Peter experienced. But he prayed and called out to the Lord to save him. It is the vital lesson that youand I need to learn, who, if only we had been in Peter’s shoes that day, most probably would not even have got out of the boat! And the merciful and gracious Lord will never let you drown in your sea of difficulties. He reached out His hand to lift Peter up, to then say, ‘O you of little faith; why did you doubt?’. [Matthew 14:31] And the verse prior to it sets forth what brought fear in Peter; it was the wind and the waves, the stormy sea all around him. When life is rugged and filled with negative things happening, one can become filled with fear that leads you to doubt. And it is why God has given you the antidote to the spirit of fear; He has given you the spirit of power, love, and sound mind. It has been said that a small boy fears the dark, but a grown man fears the light, for it would expose the darkness within him! Men loved darkness more than light, for they rejected the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. But this is not your story and mine, as children of God, for the Helper is with you, so that you may overcome the darkness.
4] Grief:
Even in a godly person who has not rejected God, doubt can creep in. It is what the string of questions that come forth from the mouth of the psalmist in psalm 77 reveals, as he expresses his doubt regarding God’s grace and favor still remaining upon him. [vs 7-9] The reason for it all was his grief on thinking that the the right hand of God had changed resulting in His loving kindness being withheld from him. [vs10] And it is the the grace of God that can deal with every grieving spirit, restoring confidence and removing doubt to move forward in His ways.
5] Contradictions:
When what is happening in your life, does not toe the line with the revelation of God to you, but rather seems to be entirely contradictory, doubt is the uninvited guest that enters in. And a classic example of it is John the Baptist who came proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah, the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world, only to doubt his own prophecy concerning the Lord, when he was imprisoned and was facing death. It shows how powerful an enemy doubt can be when it crops up in a negative and contradictory circumstance. But the Lord helped him out of it, and today, having been perfected He is the source of eternal salvation in your life and mine, even as we choose to obey Him. [Hebrews 5:5] It also shows that even the strongest people of God can have doubts, as seen when the apostle Paul himself, became enveloped with doubt concerning his fate, together with his fellow passengers, to come to a point of giving up all hope in the course of a stormy voyage. And it was at that very point, that the Lord intervened, to stand with him, giving encouragement and strength to overcome his doubt. The Lord never gives up on you, even if your faith sometimes seems non-existent, or, is as small as a mustard seed; for a bruised reed He never breaks, and a dimly burning wick, He never snuffs out. He lifts you up to get you seated with Him in the heavenly realms, to be aflame for His glory.
6] Rebellion:
Doubt can come in you, when you choose to rebel against the word of God, to walk away from His protection, and a relationship with God, only to walk into the pitfall of a life in which everything seems doubtful. In fact, your very life seems to hang in doubt. [Deuteronomy 28:66,67] It is why the word of God counsels you and me, to not let go of God, and His word, when things seem to be going well in life. [Deuteronomy 8:11] For, a person will be indecisive and unsettled all His life, when he leans on His own understanding, instead of trusting in the word of God. At sunrise, he will long for sunset, and at sunset, he will long for sunrise. But with God in your life, you have hope; and sunrise and sunset, both would be beautiful! And if doubt or double-mindedness is lurking within you God wants to help you, bring you out of a life of frustration. A double-minded person is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind, unstable in all he does, and without faith cannot expect to receive anything from God. [James 1:6] In fact double-mindedness in a person, is always the hand of the devil at work. He loves to divide and rule! It is when you hear the word of God and also obey it, that your life would be like a house built upon the rock that stands strong, weathering the stormy challenges that life throws at you.
To God be the glory!-
Doubt is the lie of the enemy; and it can be overcome only by the truth of God, His word, in the power of His Spirit, to grow strong in faith, declaring the glory of God. It was how Abraham grew in faith, and did not doubt or waver concerning the promise of God. [Romans 4:14] And it is where to do the one thing, which is seeking God on your own, and in communion, in corporate worship, to hear from God and be encouraged in the gathering of saints becomes vitally necessary in order to overthrow the devil who always tries to divide your mind that you may end up in doubt. The devil is a deceiver; when strange teachings that subvert the word of God abound, it is sticking to the the pure word of God, that will keep you safe. [Ephesians 4:14]
Doubts overcome by the Spirit of Truth:
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. [Acts 2:3,4] Speaking what the Spirit of God puts on your tongue, the word from God, every time a doubt comes, is how you take overcome, rendering it useless. Cretans and Arabs, we hear them speaking in our own tongues, declaring the mighty deeds of God. [vs 11] Doubting people received salvation on that glorious day in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit came upon them, giving them words to declare, bringing clarity and driving away doubt. And, even in you, He will put the word of truth upon your tongue, that even as you open your mouth to declare it in your situation, every doubt concerning it would flee, leaving you joyful and free.
You have a Helper – the Spirit of truth:
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance, all that I have said to you. [John 14:26] They are the words of the Lord, who has defeated the devil, the father of lies that breed doubt in you on the Cross of Calvary. Yes, there may be problems even now in your life that cause you to be troubled, and doubtful. But, there is God; and there is hope. For, He has given you His word, His Spirit, His truth. And when you open your mouth to declare it, to speak it out, He will make you stand, as He helps you to overcome every doubt that threatens to derail you, even as He builds you up as a demonstration of His glory. Lord, we thank Thee, for your grace, that in the midst of our troubles and doubts that threaten to drown us, You are there, and the Holy Spirit is going to put His truth upon our tongue that we may overcome. Help us to do the one thing that is necessary, give no room for the devil, our hearts to be united, focusing on Thee alone, chasing every >doubt away. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
