Teach Me Not to Fear the Doubt

Day 35 of Lenten Devotional Series
  


Matthew 21:18-21

18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 

"If you have faith and do not doubt..." Jesus had told his disciples. In our efforts to have that kind of doubtless faith, many of us feel guilty for experiencing  questions or uncertainty, and try to hurriedly push those thoughts away.

But before Moses led the Israelites out of slavery, he experienced doubt when God assigned him the job. Before Abraham became the father of many nations, he doubted God would provide an heir. When the father of a sick boy asked Jesus for healing, the father not only cried, "I believe," but also, "please help my unbelief."

For myself, I can't imagine eradicating every trace of doubt while living on this earth. Instead, I try to consider my doubt an opportunity, an avenue, a starting point. When we struggle with doubt, we are in the same place that those with some of the greatest faith began.

Teach Me Not To Fear the Doubt

Teach me, Lord, not to fear the doubt that floods my soul.
Remind me that my questioning can cause my faith to grow.

Let me see that faith and doubt are not so far apart.

Where chaos and confusion roll, true faith can find its start.

I’ll never know the answer to each question that I face.

But stumbling through my doubt, I often fall into your grace.

So much in this world my human mind can’t comprehend.

Sometimes I doubt this broken place will see you enter in.

But you don’t despise my doubts; you don’t turn your face away,

nor disappear because I fear and flounder when I pray.

You know I’m weak and human, doubt will surely flood my mind.

At times my confidence will sway, despite how hard I strive.

So come into the questions that leave my heart so low.

Help me trust your certain eyes when doubt is all I know.

In my unsure desperation, send a calm and peaceful haven.

From my doubt built a foundation where my faith can thrive and grow.