But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
Luke 24:37-39
In this passage of Scripture, Jesus reveals Himself to His disciples as the resurrected Savior and Lord. He had promised that He would be resurrected from the dead. Now, they were experiencing the results of this miracle firsthand. Jesus, the one crucified just days earlier, stood before them in all of His resurrection glory.
But, contrary to the evidence in front of them, His disciples still doubted. They were startled and filled with fear. The need for Jesus reassurance was palpable as Christ reintroduced Himself to His followers.
We often struggle with doubt as Christians today. We know what we believe, yet, we have a difficult time appropriating what we believe in the midst of the uncertainties of life. Our difficulties often lead to doubt and, if we don’t deal with it, despair.
What is the answer for doubt? Faith! To overcome doubt we must hold to the truth of God despite all that may come our way. We must continue to believe no matter how bleak the situation looks. We must continue to trust God even when it seems all hope may be lost. We must believe in what has been revealed to us, not what we can merely see. Overcoming doubt requires a strengthening of our faith.
Faith grows as we remember that God is faithful. Faith increases as we recall God’s faithfulness in the past. It doesn’t happen overnight, but, focusing on faith in God will yield results.
Mind you, overcoming doubt is not a simple task. Perhaps we will struggle with doubt for the rest of our lives. However, we don’t have to life in doubt every single moment. We can learn to live in faith and trust. Doubt and fear can be replaced with hope and trust over time.
Dear Christian, let us commit to growing in faith and vanquishing doubt today!
Tony French
mrtonyfrench 