Help My Unbelief: How to Overcome Doubt and Increase Faithনমুনা

Day 5: How Does God View Unbelief?

In Scripture, there are many examples of people who faced unbelief, hopelessness, and physical and spiritual exhaustion. But from what I have studied, I see two ways that God reacts to unbelief:

a- It provokes Him to anger or

b- He responds with mercy

Provoked to Anger

In Psalm 78, we see a clear example of how Israel’s unbelief, despite constantly seeing the miraculous deliverance from the Lord, provoked His Anger, resulting in the deaths of thousands.

As we read this powerful psalm, we can feel the sense of desperation in the voice of Asaph, the writer. He’s like, “You guys, He split the sea and the water stood firm like a wall. He fed them the bread of angels! He made water come out of a rock...a rock! He rained meat on them!” But because of their unbelief:

“They spoke against God; they said, 'Can God really spread a table in the wilderness? True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out, streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread? Can he supply meat for his people?' When the Lord heard them, he was furious; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance... In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.” Ps. 78: 19-22, 32

When I read that passage, I tremble. I pray that the attitude of my heart is not of defiant rebellion against God. That instead, when my humanity and forgetfulness affect my ability to trust in Him, I come with a humble heart, like the one shown by the father of the demon-possessed boy Jesus delivered, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

That is the main difference, the attitude of our heart. Look at verses 36-39 of Psalm 78:

“But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.”

The Israelites had witnessed what no other nation had: the Presence of the Living God dwelling with mere mortals. He had done so many wonderful miracles to deliver them from slavery, and all had been eyewitnesses of His Wonders. To top it off, He wanted to dwell with His people and even spoke to them audibly. But they were not able to tolerate it, so they asked Moses to be the one to speak with Him.

To make matters worse, their short-term memory was terrible. They murmured against the Lord and even longed to go back to Egypt for some garlic and onions (Nm.11:5)! But over and over, the Lord provided for all they were craving and demanding. When Moses spent 40 days with God receiving His Commandments, they went as far as creating a golden calf and praising it, thanking the calf for bringing them out of Egypt.

This provoked God to anger because He had displayed His Power to them more than any people had ever seen and yet, they still doubted and rebelled against Him in their hearts. And it brought consequences for the people.

Consequences like the sudden death of many Israelites (Nm.11:33) and, for that generation, wandering around the desert for 40 years, not able to enter the Promised Land, precisely because they doubted they could take possession of Canaan. They believed the word of ten incredulous spies over the words and acts of God and the encouragement of two spies that did believe (Nm.13, 14).

Having a defiant attitude, like the Israelites, “Can God really set a table in the desert?,” will limit me from seeing clearly what God is doing and has done for me. Instead of having an attitude of gratitude and trust, I can fall into anxiety, despair, and anger against God.

Another example of defiant unbelief gone terribly bad is found in 2 Kings 7. I encourage you to read this story and look for similar instances in the Bible that teach us how unbelief impacts our lives. This is an extensive topic with many Bible passages we could reference. However, not all unbelief moved God to anger, some moved Him to mercy. Tomorrow, we’ll look at some examples.

Meditate

• Do I have an attitude of defiant rebellion towards God due to unbelief?
• Have I behaved like the Israelites in Psalm 78?
• Am I entertaining the thought “Can God really set a table in the desert?”
• Do I need to repent of a similar attitude in my life?
• Consider speaking with a trustworthy and wise brother or sister in Christ who can help you pray for any needs or defiant attitudes or unbelief.

Prayer

Father, forgive me when I act like the Israelites in defiant rebellion. Help me distinguish what causes unbelief in my life. My desire is to trust You in good times, as well as in valleys and deserts. Help me remember that You are the One who delivers me from my prisons, that You are the One who provides manna, water, and meat in my desert. That You are still Powerful to deliver me and that I can worship You in difficulties because You never fail. I receive Your Forgiveness, Grace, and Mercy. I rise up with faith to continue my journey, joyful that You love me and cleanse me of all sin through Jesus Christ. Amen.