Faith And Doubt

Sometimes we find it hard to believe the promises of the Bible. We think that if we only had a supernatural experience with God—like Moses at the burning bush or the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace or Peter walking on the water—we would believe. But the truth is that our hearts are, as the song says, “Prone to wander.” The issue is not a lack of God’s faithfulness, but our lack of belief.

When Gabriel appeared to Zacharias in the temple and told him that in his old age he and Elisabeth would finally have the son they had prayed for all those years, Zacharias should have been thrilled. He should have rejoiced and given thanks that his prayers had been answered. But after such a long time waiting, he did not have confidence in the message he received, even though it was delivered in person by an angel of God. As a result of his unbelief, Zacharias was not able to speak again until John was born.

Even people in the Bible who had supernatural experiences with God—such as Zacharias—did not always have supernatural faith. We do not need more evidence that God is faithful or some new revelation—we need to act on what He has already told us. God does not work on our schedule, but that does not mean He is not working. In His timing, we will see the fullness of His promises fulfilled.

Today’s Discipleship Principle: Though we will never have perfect faith, we should always follow the faith we have, rather than listening to our doubts and fears.