This last year has been difficult. Illness problems and unexpected expenses have started to put pressure on my faith. The other day, I called out to the Lord because I was feeling anxious about it all. I didn't seem to have faith that God could resolve these problems.
Doubt is not uncommon.
John the Baptist felt like this. He had seen Jesus do all kinds of amazing things, yet he found himself in prison for doing what God told him to do. He was depressed. He said where's God?
He sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"[i]
Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.[ii]
Jesus's words described the things that Jesus had done that fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah so that John's faith would be restored, and so he would not fear the future.
On another occasion, a man brought his son, who had seizures, to Jesus's disciples, and his disciples could not facilitate deliverance. He came to Jesus and said, "Your disciples could not cast off the devil." Jesus's response is fascinating.
"Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has this been with him?" "From childhood," he said. "It often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." If You can?" echoed Jesus. "All things are possible to him who believes!" Immediately, the boy's father cried out, "I do believe; help my unbelief!"[iii]
I can relate to the father's cry," I believe, help my unbelief."
There was a healing evangelist named Willard Cantelon. I heard him speak about his crisis of faith. He was scheduled to conduct a meeting in England and had rented the hall, yet everyone was leaving town and going to the beach. He drove his car out to the beach, went into the bushes, cried to God, and said, "I have no faith."
Homer was honest with God, he was transparent with God about how he felt, and the Lord met him where he was in the bushes and imparted hope into his heart to carry on. Homer then went back to the town and went to the meeting, and he said people came, faith came, and people were healed. The Bible talks about that. Faith comes. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God."[iv] Sometimes, we don't have faith, but faith comes when we are honest with God about how we feel and listen to what He says to us.
Solution to Doubt
I went to the Lord and talked to him about my lack of faith. I asked Him why do I doubt. I felt this was what He said to me.
Son
You doubt because you still see yourself as your provider and not me. I am your provider. All of your life, you have struggled to provide. You have never trusted me to provide. But look around you and see what I have provided. I have provided. Recognise my hand on you, and faith will rise. Faith is not free of unbelief. Faith acknowledges that you don't have perfect faith, but you have faith. You have faith to ask. You continue asking. You declare what I will do for you. Continue to do this. As you do your eyes will lift off your hopelessness to my abilities and strengths.
Love Dad
The Lord listed many things he had done and provided for me. I have not included them here in this blog because they are very personal, but they were very specific and covered all aspects of my life.
I would love to say that even after hearing this word, I started to have faith. But He needed to speak to me a few more times before I started to embrace what He said. I started to do what He told me, and I began to thank Him and declare what He had provided. As I did this, I started to feel the anxiety leave, and then I started to declare what He will do for me in the future.
King David did this same thing in Psalm 21. He listed eight things that the Lord had done for him and then eight things the Lord would do. He also spoke to the Lord directly, like he was speaking to someone sitting across a table from him. He uses words like "You did this" and "You will do this". This was a very direct way of declaring what the Lord had done for him and what he expected the Lord to do. In this Psalm, King David talks about himself in the third person when he talks about the king. He is the king. To simplify that complexity, I have paraphrased what King David said.
- O, LORD, I rejoice in Your strength. How greatly I delight in Your salvation!
- You have granted me my heart's desire and have not withheld the request of my lips.
- You welcomed me with rich blessings;
- You placed on my head a crown of pure gold.
- I asked You for life, and You granted it— length of days, forever and ever.
- You bestow on me splendour and majesty.
- You grant me blessings forever;
- You cheer me with joy in Your presence.
I trust in the LORD; through the loving devotion of the Most High,
- I will not be shaken.
- Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies;
- Your right hand will seize those who hate You.
- You will place them in a fiery furnace at the time of Your appearing.
- In His wrath, the LORD will engulf them, and the fire will consume them.
- You will wipe their descendants from the earth and their offspring from the sons of men.
- Though they intend You harm, the schemes they devise will not prevail.
- You will put them to flight when Your bow is trained upon them.
Close
Anxiety is evidence that we don't have faith. Anxiety is fear, and fear is the opposite of peace. Our Heavenly Father has promised us that we are to have peace that passes all understanding.[v]
When we face severe problems, it is sometimes difficult to have faith. But don't feel you're alone. It happens to most of us. Even great people of the faith have had desperate times of doubt.
I encourage you to make a list of all the things your Heavenly Father has done for you. And to meditate on those things and declare back to your Heavenly Father all the things He has done for you. Then do as King David said and declare what he will do for you. As you do this, you will notice that anxiety leaves and peace comes because you are moving from fear to faith.
Faith will come when you listen to the Lord.
- [i] Luke 7:19
- [ii]Luke7:22
- [iii] Mark 9: 21-24
- [iv] Rom 10:17
- [v] Philippians 4:7
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