Tempted to Doubt

Today's Reading: Hosea 6:1-6 & Hebrews 3

Scripture:

"Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God." Hebrews 3:12

Observation:

Press on. Hold fast. Stand firm. Be confident. These are some of the common phrases that I have heard in this morning's reading. God knew in advance that of all the temptations His church would face the temptation to doubt Him or faith in Christ would be the most devastating.

Application:

As I read through these verses today I see a few things that will help me hold on through seasons of doubt. First, I have to decide on the front end that I will not fall. There are many times that there is a question in my own heart as to whether I will make it or not. There are days when I wake up, pray over a matter, and then leave without being certain that things will work out. There are days that I seek God's movement, but leave my expectations low out of fear that I will be disappointed.

What rubbish. I have to sell out on the front end, not to my personal interpretations of the scripture, but to the truth of God's nature. He is faithful. He is just. He never leaves me. He never forsakes me. His word is never void. His love is unending. His mercy is long. His patience is long suffering. He alone is my deliverer. He alone is my strength. He alone is worthy of my praise. There are times when life becomes tough enough that I am tempted heavily to doubt God's nature. I have to sell out on the frontend that I will die before I allow the temporary circumstances of earth to rattle my beliefs in an eternal God.

Second, I have to establish confidence in my beliefs. This is where it gets tricky. It is not enough to believe, I have to act on my beliefs. I have to become vocal. I have a responsibility to take steps forward with my beliefs and join God in redeeming this fallen world. Many times I am tempted to use what I know of God to protect what is mine. God is always going to be pressing me to leave what is mine and to pursue what is His.

Finally, I have to be honest with others. The encouragement from Hebrews is to encourage one another. The hard part of this is that people have to first know I am discouraged before they can be there to encourage me. My pride causes me to put up a false front. I pretend that my house is in order but reality often is that I am a wreck. I try to hide my messiness until one day it grows to the point it is no longer able to be hidden. That is how great men and women fall. They hide their junk until it overtakes them. It is much easier to confess a temptation that it is to repair a failure.

Prayer:

I fear failure. I fear disappointment. I fear looking like a fool. I fear being wrong. I fear to much. Fear makes me feel weak and useless. It makes me defensive and cautious. It causes me to stay in a zone of comfort. It robs me of life and I am sick of it.

Confidence is not one of my strengths. I doubt everything about myself; including You. I confess that to You this morning and pray that You help my unbelief. Teach me to walk in the word You have given to me this morning. Instill inside of me a unrelenting pursuit of Your heart for my life.