admin
02-22-2008, 02:47 AM
"Dealing with Doubt"
“Do you believe this?” — John 11:26b NIV
Mary and Martha were dear friends of Jesus. Martha believed in Jesus' power to heal, but Jesus wanted her complete faith, so he questioned her until she was finally able to say, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world" (vs. 27). It took the tragedy of her brother's death to bring her to complete dependence on Jesus. Many of us come to real closeness with the Lord through trial or tragedy. But some of us, in our grief or anxiety, become angry and turn our backs on God. He has given us the magnificent but dangerous gift of freedom of choice.
Despite her grief and the fact that Jesus had not arrived in time to heal her brother, Martha decided to completely trust in Jesus, declaring him "Christ, the Son of God." It was then that she saw the glory of God through Jesus' actions.
We may not at this time have the privilege of meeting our Savior face to face, but when we completely surrender our lives to him and believe his promises, he will strengthen us to meet our trials and tragedies with faith and confidence. Oswald Chambers wrote, "When once a saint puts his (or her) confidence in the election of God, no tribulation or affliction can ever touch that confidence. When we realize that there is no hope of deliverance in human wisdom, or in human rectitude, or in anything that we can do -- this is the finest cure for spiritual degeneration or spiritual sulks."
Do you have complete faith in Jesus? Put your doubts aside and lean on him. He will carry you through whatever storm you face.
Lord, forgive me when doubts creep into my mind. I do believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God. Amen.
“Prayerful Living”
“Do you believe this?” — John 11:26b NIV
Mary and Martha were dear friends of Jesus. Martha believed in Jesus' power to heal, but Jesus wanted her complete faith, so he questioned her until she was finally able to say, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world" (vs. 27). It took the tragedy of her brother's death to bring her to complete dependence on Jesus. Many of us come to real closeness with the Lord through trial or tragedy. But some of us, in our grief or anxiety, become angry and turn our backs on God. He has given us the magnificent but dangerous gift of freedom of choice.
Despite her grief and the fact that Jesus had not arrived in time to heal her brother, Martha decided to completely trust in Jesus, declaring him "Christ, the Son of God." It was then that she saw the glory of God through Jesus' actions.
We may not at this time have the privilege of meeting our Savior face to face, but when we completely surrender our lives to him and believe his promises, he will strengthen us to meet our trials and tragedies with faith and confidence. Oswald Chambers wrote, "When once a saint puts his (or her) confidence in the election of God, no tribulation or affliction can ever touch that confidence. When we realize that there is no hope of deliverance in human wisdom, or in human rectitude, or in anything that we can do -- this is the finest cure for spiritual degeneration or spiritual sulks."
Do you have complete faith in Jesus? Put your doubts aside and lean on him. He will carry you through whatever storm you face.
Lord, forgive me when doubts creep into my mind. I do believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God. Amen.
“Prayerful Living”