Last week we finished talking about the doubt of Jeremiah in Lamentations. Jeremiah said early in chapter 3 he said that although the nation was destroyed and he had been imprisoned and thrown in a well he knew that God still cared;
Lamentations 3:19-24 (HCSB)19 Remember my affliction and my homelessness, the wormwood and the poison.20 I continually remember ⌊them⌋ and have become depressed.21 Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:22 Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end.23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!24 I say: The LORD is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.
But even knowing this he still had more doubt even to the point he thought all was lost. He was at rock bottom.
Lamentations 3:43-54 (NLT)43 “You have engulfed us with your anger, chased us down, and slaughtered us without mercy.44 You have hidden yourself in a cloud so our prayers cannot reach you.45 You have discarded us as refuse and garbage among the nations.46 “All our enemies have spoken out against us.47 We are filled with fear, for we are trapped, devastated, and ruined.”48 Tears stream from my eyes because of the destruction of my people!49 My tears flow endlessly; they will not stop50 until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.51 My heart is breaking over the fate of all the women of Jerusalem.52 My enemies, whom I have never harmed, hunted me down like a bird.53 They threw me into a pit and dropped stones on me.54 The water rose over my head, and I cried out, “This is the end!”
Then he did what we should do, when we are at our wits end, and cried out to God.
Lamentations 3:55-66 (NLT)55 But I called on your name, LORD, from deep within the pit.56 You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading! Hear my cry for help!”57 Yes, you came when I called; you told me, “Do not fear.”58 Lord, you are my lawyer! Plead my case! For you have redeemed my life.59 You have seen the wrong they have done to me, LORD. Be my judge, and prove me right.60 You have seen the vengeful plots my enemies have laid against me.61 LORD, you have heard the vile names they call me. You know all about the plans they have made.62 My enemies whisper and mutter as they plot against me all day long.63 Look at them! Whether they sit or stand, I am the object of their mocking songs.64 Pay them back, LORD, for all the evil they have done.65 Give them hard and stubborn hearts, and then let your curse fall on them!66 Chase them down in your anger, destroying them beneath the LORD’s heavens.
Doubt and fear usually go hand in hand. When doubt and fear creep in, it is a signal to ask ourselves if we are failing to trust God. Are we failing to truly love Him, are we failing to allow His love to be made perfect in our lives?
The bible says that perfect love, the kind of love that God has for us and that we should have for him casts out fear. With that kind of love we don’t have to doubt or fear the past, present, or future.
1 John 4:17-18 (NLT)17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
Perfect love causes us to have boldness. It is the love which God, who is love, has produced in us through the Holy Spirit. That boldness comes about because we know that we can approach God’s presence boldly, without any shame.
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
If we are bold and not afraid of punishment then we aren’t fearful are we?
If we aren’t fearful of punishment because we love God and seek to glorify Him then we can really say with confidence;
Romans 8:28 (NLT)28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
We serve an incredible, amazing, and powerful God...a God who cares so much that He walks with us every second of the day. He does not sleep and He never takes a break.
Psalm 121:3-5 (NLT)3 He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.5 The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.
He never leaves us or forsakes us.
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
He is never fickle He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 6:10 (NLT)10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.
Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
He truly loves us so very much and He cares about every detail of our lives...nothing is excluded. We serve an all-inclusive God!
Ephesians 3:16-19 (NLT)16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
When we doubt, we are choosing to believe that God doesn't have our best interests at heart. We are doubting His incredible love for us.
Do you realize How great His love is for you?
His love is deeper than the depths of the sea...wider than the entire world...and higher than the heavens!
Psalm 36:5-9 (NLT)5 Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.8 You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights.9 For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.
He loves you so much more than you could ever understand!
Paul prayed that the Ephesians would somehow understand how great that love is. That should be our prayer too.
Ephesians 1:15-23 (NLT)15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,[a] 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom[b] and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
You no longer need to doubt or be afraid. The more you fall in love with God, the less you will fear, worry, or doubt. Love is the anecdote. Taste and see that the Lord IS good! His love is the best!
Psalm 34:8 (NLT)8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
God's Word tells us that when we doubt, God is not obligated in any way to answer our prayers about the situation for which we are asking for help.
Where does it say that?
The Bible describes doubt as being double-minded. In fact, God even says that we should not even expect an answer.
James 1:6-8 (HCSB)6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.8 An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.
James is talking about asking for wisdom which is actually protection against doubt. He had just been talking about trials in verses 2-4 which is quite often when we have doubt.
James 1:2-4 (HCSB)2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials,3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
When you are going through trials you may not be able to see any purpose in it. When that happens we should ask God for wisdom, not theories that we come up with, like God’s trying to tell me something, He may be trying to tell you something, but ask Him for practical insight into the trial. He says when we do ask, without doubt, God will give us insight so that we can endure.
James 1:2-4 (HCSB)2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials,3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
Also always remember the promise to never leave or forsake us.
If we continue to doubt God, and do not take the steps we need to overcome our doubt, it can be a tremendous slap to God's face, His goodness, and His character. We basically are placing Him under us as we think that we know better than God.
God keeps all the world in order. He causes the sun to come up every single morning and the moon to come out every single night. He keeps the entire world, and all of creation, and the seasons, going each and every day without our help or our input.
Nehemiah 9:6 (HCSB) You alone are Yahweh. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the heavenly host worships You.
Psalm 36:6-7 (HCSB)6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments, like the deepest sea. LORD, You preserve man and beast.7 God, Your faithful love is so valuable that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
Doubt makes us believe we would be better off in control. That’s pretty arrogant of us when we think we know better than God.
So what do we do we need to do when we realize that we are doubting and thinking we know best?
Admit it, confess it and ask forgiveness and when we do that sincerely what happens?
1 John 1:9 (HCSB) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Here’s what The Wycliffe Bible Commentary says about that verse. The victorious Christian life is a life of no unconfessed sins; and genuine confession includes forsaking, and thus produces growth.
Psalm 100:5 (HCSB) For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations.
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