Morning Devotional

July 23, 2004

"Trust Fall (Part 2)"

by Don Emmitte

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But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ told you, that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to enjoy themselves in every evil way imaginable. Now they are here, and they are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They live by natural instinct because they do not have God's Spirit living in them. But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit. Live in such a way that God's love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren't contaminated by their sins. (Jude 17-23 NLT).

Yesterday we looked at the life of Peter, how that even a man of such great faith could have periods of doubt. Today we share another verse about doubt. It is very important to realize that doubt, by itself, is not a sin. Often we make that mistake and add the problem of false guilt to our wavering faith. It is one of the devil’s best weapons!

In our reading this morning, we are told to be merciful to those who doubt. God does provide mercy to doubters. Remember the storm and Peter’s experience yesterday of walking on the water to Jesus? When Jesus reached out His hand to Peter, He didn't scold Peter. He certainly didn't take away Peter's salvation. He gently reminded him that everything was going to be okay.

Doubting by the believer is a part of our human nature. We are still battling the flesh. We still witness the storms of life and they sometimes seem bigger than we can handle. Which is the point exactly, because they usually are! Christ didn't criticize Peter, because it gave Him the perfect opportunity to once again demonstrate His grace to Peter. As He reached out His hand to grab Peter, and they returned to the boat, Peter and the other disciples declared, "Truly this is the Son of God"!

It is true that God does want our faith. He wants us to decrease our doubts. Hebrews 11:6 says "without faith it is impossible to please God". We can't just always doubt and never grow in our faith. And, most importantly, the one who never gets beyond their doubt and always questions Christ could not, in my opinion, be truly saved. But, our doubts are a part of growing in the knowledge of the Lord. As we become more and more like Christ we will doubt less and less. Until then we continue to place our faith daily in Christ and Him alone, weathering the storms of life, not by ourselves, but by the hand of the Living God. Perhaps today you can exchange your doubts for a stronger faith in God, knowing that He is always with you, wherever you go. Once again, I say to you, God is in control! Trust Him!