Daughter in Waiting Ministry

Are you trusting God with all your heart in all circumstances?

Or do you have doubts as I do?

Our initial faith in God comes through our salvation. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith in the works Jesus Christ did on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. But once saved, we continue onto this layering of our faith on our walk with God. Faith to live out this Christian life in the midst of what we see around us whether good or bad.

It’s taboo as a Christian to admit to having doubts – to admit to having a lack of faith on our walk with God. Whether it’s in one area of our lives or many, rarely do we acknowledge that the Christian walk is paved with doubts. We compare ourselves to those around us with seemingly great or greater faith or others around us with small enough faith to walk away with the belief that there’s nothing God can do with the little faith they have left.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

What I like about this popular scripture is that it directly reflects how God calls us to have faith but it challenges us in not knowing what faith will actually look like for each of us. We know we are to trust in Him with our whole hearts and to not lean on what we understand. Which means to lean on what we don’t. In Hebrews 11:1, we are further told that faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. The message is clear. Having faith is to trust in the unknown with our whole hearts. Yet many biblical figures didn’t always trust in the unknown.

Abraham, according to Galatians 3:6-9 and Romans 4:11-12, is considered the father of faith. He had such great faith that he was willing to give up his son, Isaac, because he trusted that God would bring him back from the dead. Abraham’s faith led him to obey God’s request despite knowing that this was only a test. He trusted in God’s character and had so much faith that his faith was counted to him as righteousness. The same man who had such great faith in Genesis 22 was filled with doubts just seasons prior – when God confirmed that Abraham and his wife, Sarah, would indeed bore this son named Isaac.

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Genesis 17:17

Those were Abraham’s words back to God when the promise was made. In Genesis 18:12, we are told that Sarah laughed to herself at this promise and was called out by God for it. Both Abraham and Sarah doubted. They had no faith in God’s word so they took matters into their own hands by having Abraham bore another son, Ishmael, with Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar. Abraham’s situation looked so impossible that he didn’t believe that God would give him Isaac with his wife Sarah. Though a few seasons later, he was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The same son, that years prior, he doubted would come. Could it be that God’s not intimidated by our lack of faith and helps us grow it instead?

Moses led the nation of Israel to their promised land. By faith, he led God’s people out of their bondage in Egypt and to cross the Red Sea. Moses was considered a great leader. A great follower of God. A great man of faith. The same man, when called by God, pleaded for God to send someone else. At least three times, Moses begged God to not have him speak to God’s people. Moses doubted God’s ability to use him to preach God’s message.

“Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

Exodus 4:12-13

Each time Moses doubted, God answered his doubt. God gave him reassurance. Until Moses asked for God to use someone else. It is only then that scripture says God became angry with Moses. Could it be that God wants our yes to faith and for us to trust that He’ll help us with the rest?

Abraham and Moses had great faith in the way they led their lives, they communed with God, and persisted. Their names are referred to multiple times to exemplify what it means to have faith as a Christian. Both are listed in what is considered the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11. A chapter that highlights biblical examples of those who walked and lived with impressive faith. They fulfilled their callings and obeyed God by faith. Yet both had moments of doubts. I hope you find it as encouraging as I do to see examples of great faith and examples of great doubt in the same individuals. We see through their stories that God continuously grew their faith past their doubts. But, they had to first acknowledge their doubts.

I list these men as encouragement because they show us what a life of faith looks like. How faith can fluctuate depending on who we are, our seasons, our circumstances, our experiences, even our moods. They show us that doubting is a natural response on our walk of faith. It’s natural to doubt when we are trusting what we do not know, what we do not see, what we cannot possibly imagine. It’s natural to doubt when we’re not the ones making our paths straight. The question is, what do we do with our doubts? Do we hold them in and let them consume us? Do we allow them to tear away at our faith? Or do we acknowledge them to God as Abraham and Moses did? 

The father mentioned below did. In seeking God’s help, he brought his son to be healed by Jesus. He was hopeless and filled with disbelief.

And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Mark 9:21-24

When this man was confronted with his doubt, he immediately asked for God to decrease his doubt and help his unbelief. It was a pure and honest cry that showed, I will not hide behind my doubt, but instead I will use this as an opportunity for God to increase my faith. According to 1 Corinthians 12:9, faith is a gift of the Spirit. It’s something we can ask to receive.

I enjoyed reading this story in Mark 9 and have adopted this attitude in my faith journey. It’s relieving to know that we can release our doubts to God and have him be the one to help our faith. Faith to build an intimate relationship with Him as we see Abraham exemplifying. Faith to trust in His plans and to walk out the works He calls us to as we see Moses exemplifying. Faith to believe in His word. Faith to believe that He hears us and our prayers as we see the father in Mark 9 exemplifying.

Although doubt has a way of crippling us from reaching these various levels of faith, we shouldn’t lose heart. One thing I’ve come to understand about God is that He delights in partnering with us. James 4:8 tells us to draw near to Him and He’ll draw near to us. Knowing this, why should we hide behind our doubts when God Himself is willing to strengthen our faith? When He’s willing to increase the faith we have despite how little or big it may be? I encourage us to always confront our doubts and make the same cry this father did in Mark 9.

And if this post doesn’t resonate, because you find yourself not being able to voice out, you find yourself without the energy to draw near to Him, you find yourself without any faith in God, rest in the knowing that God is also El Roi. He sees. In John 5, at the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus sought a single man out of many to be healed.

Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”

John 5:8

God performed a miracle for this man who had zero faith. Somehow this man had enough hope that he could be healed by coming to the pool but not enough hope to think he could ever actually get healed. He also didn’t know it was God he was speaking to. Despite his complete lack of faith, Jesus healed him. Of all the people there, God went to the one who didn’t know and didn’t believe. He tells a man who couldn’t previously walk to get up and do the impossible. He led the man to a response of faith after being met with the man’s doubts and unbelief. Your doubt or zero faith doesn’t scare God. Jesus still sees you. He seeks you daily. He doesn’t come for the ninety-nine, He comes for the one. If you’re reading this post, despite the faith you may believe you don’t have, you’re here. He sees.

What is it that you lack faith in? Is it a promise from God? Is it a circumstance that won’t change? Is it His direction? Is it your salvation? Is it your future? Is it people? Is it God Himself? Do not feel shame in admitting it to God. Scripture shows us that there’s not a pocket of unbelief that God can’t handle and walk us through. This week, sit in His presence and release a cry of faith.

Lord, help my unbelief. Increase my faith.

Sincerely,

Anne

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Here are some verses you can meditate on with God:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1-2

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 1:16-17

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:3-7

“but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

Hebrews 10:38

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

Hebrews 11:6

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7

“And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”

Matthew 8:26

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.”

Romans 14:1

So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,”[a] for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi;[c] it lies between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

Genesis 16:13-15

“I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Luke 18:8