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A Little Doubt Goes A Long Way!
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave in the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in ALL (emphasis added) in his ways.”
Oh, my goodness; the first month of this New Year is just about over! Whew, time is still flying by but oh, what a joy it is to learn to live in more of the moments and not be so focused on what lies ahead so as to miss the blessings right in front of us. That’s kind of what doubt does; it steals from our now, our present, and definitely affects our later! Grab your coffee and your strand of faith and let’s go tie some knots as we take a look at the power of doubt!
Have you ever been going through something…for a long time and look up and ask “Why can’t you just make it stop? Why can’t you just heal me? Why do you have to allow this?” And then you read a scripture like James 1: 7-8! Don’t you just want to throw up your hands in frustration? I mean, maybe I’m the only one here, but if I hear one more person say your sinuses are not healed because your faith isn’t strong enough, or you’re doubting, or you’re not praying enough, I think I am going to scream…or get on my broom and take a very long ride! :-) Those spiritual subliminal messages from those who “care” can really do more damage than good, but I’m so glad that His principles and promises are there to guide us to the truth and they are ours for the asking.
So why haven’t I been healed…yet? Could it be that there is a tiny seed of doubt within somewhere that is clogging up the process? I got to thinking about this the other day --after going through days of weeks of yet another sinus infection, this time having to take two rounds of antibiotics PLUS a titrating steroid pack and finally the light turned on: could it be that I am doubting Him as to where the healing is going to take place? Have I been so bound by my terror of surgery that I have demanded my own way of healing…involving no surgery?
As I allowed that conviction to work its way down into my heart, I knew it had to be true for there were no clogs and the conviction landed quite comfortably, making me humbly uncomfortable!
When I read these verses, my heart absorbed their painful truth and I was reminded of what I had learned years ago about a mustard seed of faith, which talks about not just the size but mostly the purity of our faith. (A mustard seed is the only seed that cannot be cross-pollinated!) As that truth collided with these words, I was amazed at how quickly a little doubt could come in and infect our faith. And then to read that if I doubt my God, His sovereignty, His provision and protection in just one area of my life, I am unstable in ALL my ways! Oh, Mylanta, but I don’t want to be considered unstable in any of my ways.
So back to this question of healing: just because it doesn’t look like I think it’s going to look, does that mean He’s withholding that healing? Not only no, but heck no! He has decided to bring me healing through surgery and in that process, He will multi-task and accomplish things for my good and His glory, things like ridding me once and for all of my terror of the sensation that has been a constant companion, that of not being able to breathe through my nose, He will once again refine my faith while loving me through this time in a way I’ve never experienced. It’s going to be one of those free-falling experiences of which I’ve only experienced twice, falls where my faith can only increase and doubt will disappear and He and I, well, our hearts will be entwined and I will be considered stable in all my ways!
How about you? Is there any area of your life that is requiring a doubt-check? Oh, friend, a little doubt can go a long way in inhibiting our faith. May I encourage you to feed your faith and starve your doubts this week…and next…and every tomorrow!
Love,
Evinda
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