"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." ~ Jesus
Want Christ's overcoming nature to overcome through you? Please don't interpret the Lord in the light of your tragedy. Interpret your tragedy in the light of the Lord.
Have bad things happened to you and now you wonder why God let you down? Hey Buckeroo, after JB was incarcerated, yeah, arrested, grabbed, imprisoned for doing right, he sent word to Jesus, asking, "Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?" Matt. 11:3 nlt
Having some doubt from time to time ain't so bad. In relating to God, having doubt is different than having unbelief inside, cuz the latter takes an inferior choice of the will. It's true. Hear me out.
No, no! "Doubt" ain't always a bad thing to have. Mr. Oswald Chambers said that doubt is not always a sign that a man is off-base or wrong; it may be a sign that he is thinking! The world says: Don't think, feel, but God wants us to use our heads.
Heard that "skepticism" is the first step toward walkin' in truth. My former Frisco pastor, Chuck Swindoll said, "It is the right of every believer to go through halls of doubt on their way to rooms of truth."
There is a difference between doubt, skepticism, and outright unbelief.
* Skepticism really is "can't believe." Unbelief is "won't believe."
* Skepticism really is honesty. Unbelief is stubbornness.
* Skepticism really is looking for light. Unbelief is content with darkness.
Many an unbeliever sadly has no intention of changing or believing. Many will stubbornly offer up a well-worn excuse, but the fact of the matter is that, even when confronted with real solid evidence to refute their nonbelief, they will reject it out of hand. The honest at heart kinda skeptic will turn n change.. when presented with the facts. That is because they have had truthful and heartfelt questions about God and His love letter to you - the Bible (His Word).
Remember how so-called doubting Thomas "said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.' A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" (Tumblr)
There are benefits for expressing biblical faith, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of of those who diligently seek Him. The Bible says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (T)
“I talk to God but the sky seems empty.” ~ Sylvia Plaath
"Faith goes up the stairs that love has built and looks out the window which hope has opened" ~ Charles Spurgeon
“Doubt is an uncomfortable condition, but certainty is a ridiculous one.” ~ Voltaire
I say doubt your doubts and fickle changing feelings that yell "God ditched you" or "The Lord is dead" cuz he didn't and ain't.. and then believe your biblical beliefs. Sometimes we have to proceed through the foyer of doubt to enter into the sanctuary of certainty.
Have you suffered some injustices? How did you recover? Got some regrets, or really hard-core-doubts inside. Perhaps you've had some painful thorns so to speak.. from betrayal, or deep disappointment, or from some false accusations aimed at you. Are you now full of accusations, or have you forgiven? Got some bitterness of soul and mind? The saddest words of tongue and pen are it coulda, shoulda, oughta.. it might have been.
Hey, God can haddle it all. Nothing is too big or hard for Him. Get real, get respectfully candid with Him.
"Only he who believes is obedient. Only he who is obedient, believes." ~ Deitrich Bonhoeffer
"The point of having an open mind, like having an open mouth, is to close it on something solid." ~ G.K. Chesterton
"It is so hard to believe because it is so hard to obey." ~ Soren Kierkegaard
If people ..if anyone really.. will simply turn and seek Him with their whole heart, God sincerely wants to, "comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations; and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations." Isa. 61:3-4
So put off and lay down your garments of sorrow and anger at God .. who's done you no wrong. You know, the stink of the skunk mites smell like Chanel number 5 to him. No matter what other adults choose to do around you there's hope. Be tenderhearted forgiving one another. You can have a bright future cuz.. Jesus Christ came to this earth to heal, to restore, to deliver, to save, and to repair the devastatingly irreparable.
Run to Jesus first with your doubts, hurts, reversals and tragedies.. not away from Him. Bring friends, family.. some other people with issues along with you to Him.
"By all means rid yourself of an impoverished faith." ~ George MacDonald
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidience of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1
"Faith is the refusal to panic." ~ David Martyn Lloyd-Jones
"Faith is the master, and reason the maid-servant." ~ Martin Luther
Run towards a healthy Bible teaching church and towards a born again spiritual pastor ..a feeder of the sheep, not some fleecer of the sheep. Yes, run to him with whatever burdens you may have, not away from him. Go towards him even if you have no doubt or burden or trouble. In fact bring some others with or without that stuff ..along with you. Let the Holy Spirit guide and empower you. kurtwvs.tumblr.com
