Help My Unbelief: How to Overcome Doubt and Increase FaithПримерок

Day 4: Why Do We Doubt?

We Forget

Another reason we doubt is simply because we forget. Often, I feel like my short-term memory with the Lord is embarrassing. I can go from praise to desperation in a matter of minutes. The Lord has proven Himself faithful in my life over and over, yet as deadlines loom, as I wait for a diagnosis, as unwanted loneliness becomes part of my life, as anxiety and tensions mount and the waiting periods stretch, my knees shake, my eyes become water fountains, and the world becomes a scary place about to swallow me up. Jesus tells me to not be afraid, that He has overcome the world, but what I tell myself is that the world is certainly overcoming me.

Because the Lord knows this about us, He constantly urges us through Scripture to remember. In Psalm 78, the first few verses talk about the importance of sharing stories of deliverance and provision from the Lord with our children and future generations:

“...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.” v.4-7

In Joshua 4, when the Lord stopped the flow of the Jordan River so the Israelites could cross on dry land, He told Joshua to have twelve men, one from each tribe, gather 12 stones from the river, from the place where the priest had stood with the Ark of the Covenant, and set them up in the middle of their camp. These stones were to be memorial to remind them how God had stopped the flow of water so they could cross on dry land.

That was not the first time God had made a way through a body of water. With Moses, it was the waters of the Red Sea (Ex.14), which was bigger than the Jordan, and they had quickly forgotten that! This time God wanted to ensure they had a visible reminder of the miracle since He knows our problem with short-term memory.

God gave them the instructions to gather the stones from the middle of the river, where the Ark of the Covenant stood, which represented God’s Presence. He did not tell them, “When you cross the river, pick up a few stones for a little project I have for you later.” The Red Sea had proven they had a poor memory (I can definitely relate), so He did not allow them to rely on it for the Jordan.

In those instructions there is an important lesson for our lives: we must make provision for our future doubt when we are living the miracle, in the place where we encountered the Presence of God. The best moment to lift reminders is when God answers a prayer, speaks to us, or does a miracle. Doubts and fears will try to undermine our confidence in God’s Faithfulness. We must have visual reminders ready when that happens, reminders that must be built in times of provision and faith.

Did you pray for a job for three years and finally found one? Glory to God! Choose a stone. Were you praying for a spouse and God brought someone amazing? Wonderful, choose a stone. Your latest medical test was negative? Hallelujah! Another stone. These “stones” are real articles that help you remember how God answered your prayers. It can be an offer for employment that you print and keep by your bed, a photo you took, a negative lab result, a verse that strengthened you in the waiting, or any other article that helps you remember the moment because it’s certain that in the future you will have another request or situation and doubt will surface once more.

I need to add reminders or memorials about miracles and ways God has taken care of me and my children. I do that primarily with a yearly photo book I print for my girls. I add notes about how God blessed us and include other memorabilia to go along with it. I also have a few pieces of jewelry that remind me of specific words God has given me. When I wear them, I think about those Promises in Scripture and my experiences with the Lord and feel encouraged. I am not talking about lucky charms or trinkets, just things that help me remember, like the 12 stones for the Israelites.

I am a visual learner and I use art as a form of expression and as a reminder of God’s Care. I encourage you to use your creativity! Maybe you can gather stones from a creek and paint or write on them when you have an answered prayer or victory. You can collect them in a remembrance box that you revisit whenever you experience doubt. You can make it a family activity; there’s no limit to what you can do. It could be as simple as notes on little strips of paper that you add to a jar. This is a practical way to nurture your faith and be prepared to face difficult situations.

Tomorrow we will talk about how God responds to unbelief and why it’s important to recognize if there is unbelief in our lives.

Meditate

• Have I forgotten to frequently remember how God has previously worked in my life?
• When was the last time I shared testimonies of God’s Faithfulness in my life with my family or friends?
• Have I made provision for my future doubts with remembrance stones?
• Consider creating a list or project this week to document ways God has worked in your life.

Prayer

Father, thank You for teaching us how important it is to remember Your Wonders and Power. Thank You because even if I don’t have a story as dramatic as the crossing of the Jordan, I have the Greatest Story in Christ’s Cross and Resurrection. Help me constantly remember Your Works, share with others what You have done, and worship You for Your mercy and provision. Thank You for giving me life. Thank You that I have You, the God of the Universe on my side, that You are for me, and that You fight my battles. Help me remember I am not alone, that You are always with me, and that Your Power still parts the waters and raises the dead. Thank You for caring for me. Holy Spirit, remind me of Your Faithfulness when doubts want to dominate my thoughts. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.