HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 103
page A101
everyone in the congregation uses their gifts to serve, the church becomes a powerful force
for good, a strong witness for Jesus, and a mighty army to combat Satan’s attacks against
God’s people in your community.
Divorce See Marriage
Doubt See also Convictions; Faith; Purpose; Worry
To doubt is to be uncertain or undecided, to hesitate, to consider something unlikely. It
is an inclination not to believe. Doubt comes when we don’t have enough information
to convince us something is true. Doubt can be minor, such as an uncertainty about the
accuracy of a newspaper report, or it can be major, such as a lack of confidence in the
claims of the Bible. Doubt begs resolution, for when we doubt we are without a clear
way, we are at a loss. The process of wrestling with our doubts, however, can be good
for us if we come out the other end with greater conviction of belief.
Is it okay to doubt my faith?
God gives us plenty of evidence to believe in him. Doubt comes when we fail to stop long
enough to observe all the evidence. And when doubt turns to lack of trust, we are in danger
of ignoring God altogether.
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• PSA L M 9 5 :9 | “For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they
saw everything I did.” (See note on page 530.)
Doubt can be healthy or destructive, depending on how we use it.
• G E NE SI S 3 :4 | “You won’t die!” the serpent replied.
One of Satan’s tactics is to get us to doubt God’s goodness. He tries to get us to forget all
God has given us and focus on what we don’t have. If you are spending much of your time
thinking about what you don’t have, you may be slipping into unhealthy doubt.
What happens when I lose confidence in God?
• J O B 2 3 :3 | “If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court.”
When tragedy strikes, our first inclination is to wonder what happened to God. Nagging
doubts cause us to question his care for us. But God’s love and care are endless. Losing
confidence in that fact puts us in danger of falling away from him.
• MAT T H E W 1 1 :2 8 | “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and
I will give you rest.”
When you begin to doubt God, run to him, not away from him. How else will you discover
how much he really loves you?
• J O H N 1 4 :1 -3 | “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. . . . I am going to prepare a place for
you. . . . When everything is ready, I will come and get you.”
Losing confidence in God may cause us to forfeit the eternal blessings he is preparing for us.
• H E B R E W S 1 1 :1 | Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things
we cannot see.
Faith is confident assurance that what you believe is really going to happen. When you
begin to lose confidence in God, go right to his promises in the Bible. As you take confidence from the ones he has already fulfilled, you will develop greater faith that his future
promises will be fulfilled.
Are there things I should never doubt?
• E PH E SI A NS 1 :1 4 | The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he
promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people.
• H E B R E W S 1 3 :5 | For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Never doubt your salvation. Once you become a Christian, Satan cannot snatch you back.
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• J O H N 2 0 :2 7 | “Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” (See note on page 976.)