June 14, 2018

Doubts Are Normal

When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” – Matthew 11:2-3

There are moments of clarity, times when you know what God has called you to do and you step out boldly in faith. Then real life settles in and the doubts start playing with your mind.

Did you really hear God correctly? Is it truly the Holy Spirit leading you or is it Satan telling you what you want to hear? Are these obstacles just another hurdle to overcome or are they sent by God to stop what He hasn’t ordained?

Don’t you wish you could have a clear reading of exactly what God wants you to do? I’ve often joked that I wish God would give me MapQuest directions for my life journey. I want to do His will in all things but sometimes it sure is difficult to drown out the voices of the world and concentrate on what He is telling me.

It consoles me to know that John the Baptist had doubts too. He knew who Jesus was. Listen to this:

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29

John was confident that Jesus was the Messiah. At least, until John found himself sitting in a jail cell. There’s something about being alone with your thoughts that lets the worry seep in. There’s something about idle time that causes you to question what you thought you knew.

John was fortunate that he could send his disciples to Jesus and ask for confirmation. Jesus didn’t brush off the questions. He didn’t seem offended by John’s sudden doubts. Instead, Jesus provided the reassurance John needed to continue his journey toward death.

So how do we get confirmation for our own journey? Ask the Savior. If you truly seek God’s voice, the Holy Spirit will tell you what to do.

The problems come when the world tells us something different. There’s always someone around to say you can’t do what God has called you to do. There’s always someone to point out all the difficulties that lie in your path. There’s always someone to doubt your calling.

But at the end of the day we aren’t meant to follow the world. We are meant to follow Christ. We are to do God’s will, recognizing that He is the God of miracles. He doesn’t call us to something without intending to make it happen.

That doesn’t mean it will be instant. There is frequently a season of waiting. That’s hard. We are an instant people but God sometimes has lessons to teach us as we wait. Ask what the lesson is. Do all you can where you are. Trust that God didn’t call you forward to abandon you before the end.

Everyone has doubts sometimes. The key is to seek reassurance from the One who knows all things. Don’t give up. You may not see the path but trust that it’s there. God knows the way. Your job is to follow Him one step at a time.

April 1, 2018

Just Believe

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

– Luke 24:9-11

They didn’t believe the women. The tomb was empty. Jesus was alive! And they didn’t believe Good News.

Isn’t faith a funny thing? We believe what we can see, we step forward on the path we know, we reach toward what is certain. But a risen Christ?  Who could believe such a thing?

These men had traveled with Jesus for three years. They’d heard His words yet failed to understand. How could they believe in something, in someone, they couldn’t see?

Yet that’s what we ask of unbelievers every day. We offer hope and a better way and they reject what they can’t see. Are we any different? We pray and go through the motions yet expect it all to depend on us. Miracles happen to other people. Maybe. But certainly not to us. For us. No. We can’t believe in that.

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” – John 20:24-25

Are we any different? We claim a faith we don’t live. We want proof. We want to see Him in our midst, to know He is with us. Do we really want Him or do we want what He can give us? Are we looking to Him only for blessings or is it Jesus we truly seek?

We are part of the crowd that welcomed Jesus on His triumphant return to Jerusalem. Yet we are also part of the crowd that abandoned Him as He hung on the cross. We didn’t understand it was all for us. We couldn’t comprehend a love that great, that pure, that perfect. So we walked away, angry and resentful, over what we didn’t get, what He didn’t do.

When life is good and it seems as though Jesus blessed us again and again, we are happy to follow Him. We love the mountaintop. We rejoice in Good News. We proclaim God’s goodness. We are happy, content, arrogant. Because while we tell the world that “God is good” and “We are so blessed” what we really mean is that life is going our way. We have made a way and Jesus has allowed it.

It all changes with the diagnosis. The job loss, the heartbreak, the betrayal, all rip apart what we believed. We either draw closer to the life source or pull away, angry at what He has allowed. We deserve better. We know that deep inside. We are bitter. We no longer believe.

Maybe we never really believed in the first place. Maybe our belief was centered on ourselves and our own abilities. Maybe it was all for our glory rather than His. Maybe, just maybe, we were secretly taking credit for the mountaintop.

He beckons us still.

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” – John 20:27

Believe. Can we believe when life turns dark and we don’t see the way? Can we believe when everything we thought we knew lies shattered at our feet? Can we believe when we don’t see Jesus, can we hold on to hope when we don’t see the way?

Today is Easter. We celebrate the resurrection. We proclaim He is alive. We place flowers on the cross and we joyfully celebrate Jesus. It is easy to see Him when we’re surrounded by the goodness of Easter.

The true test comes when we leave the celebration and begin the journey. Do we hold tight to the Resurrection when rocks cause us to stumble and fall? Can we proclaim the Risen Lord when life gets hard and we can’t seem to find Him in our midst? Can we still believe when the path isn’t of our choosing and our shattered hearts can’t see the way?

Easter isn’t just a day. It’s hope that walked out of a tomb and proclaimed life for all who would believe. Do you see Him? Do you really see Him? Hold tight to that. Jesus is alive! And because He lives, we can walk confidently into the unknown.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Stay Focused On The Savior

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

-- Matthew 14:29b-30

The sky loomed black as night ahead of me but I had no choice but to continue on the interstate toward it. I was a little nervous. The wind had picked up considerably and I was thankful to be in a solid car.

The rain started pelting that solid car. I kept both hands firmly on the steering wheel. The wipers, both front and back, were at top speed. Before long I hit the flashers. So did just about everyone else around me. Two lanes of traffic moved at about 25 mph. The storm lasted for mile after mile. Would it ever end?

I prayed. Again and again, I prayed. Because no matter how solid the car or how good the road, only God can save us. I prayed for my own safety and also for the safety of the two men following closely behind me. Over and over again, I prayed. Focused on the road and on Jesus.

I wish I could have that kind of intense focus every moment of every day. No. I don’t want to drive through too many storms like that one. But I do want to keep my mind and thoughts focused on God. I want to be so intent on following His path that I never veer to the left or right, but rather stay firmly focused on whatever path He’s set out for me.

I certainly didn’t expect to encounter that storm. I though I might see a little rain but nothing serious. I was sure wrong. Isn’t that how life usually works? We expect a few disappointments and even a little heartache. But when a severe storm blackens the sky around us, we can’t see the way out. It would be easy to panic, to give up. We feel alone and afraid. But we’re not alone and there’s no need to be afraid.

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” -- Matthew 14:31

Peter learned a lesson that day on the water: Stay focused on the Savior and you’ll never sink in the storm.