1 Simple Way Doubt Can Lead to Faith
Today, I am delighted to welcome my wise friend, Sarah, to encourage us to expel doubt as we pray: “Lord, help me be still and know You are God.”
One day in the middle of March my life shifted. Have you ever had one of those moments you look back on and think, “Yes, that’s when life become completely different.” It was March 9, 2015. You might think I’m crazy to remember a certain date like that, but my life truly changed after we were handed our daughter in a government office in downtown ZhengZhou, China. At first, it seemed God had completely knocked us down. My husband and I realized right away that our newly adopted daughter with “minor” special needs would have “major” special needs. Suddenly, the future I pictured in my mind was filled with fears and doubts.
What would long-time care look like? Would she ever talk? Walk? Interact with us? We were stunned to say the least, but as the weeks and months went by, we stayed above the waters, barely. God was with us, but He wasn’t speaking. God was near, but we couldn’t always feel His presence. For me, I felt my faith shift because suddenly life was hard. The future I had carefully planned for myself was clouded. My faith was suddenly filled with questions.
As I took my questions to God, but He didn’t also have the Sunday school answers I had grown up hearing in church. Do you have questions today that fill you mind with doubt? Hannah Whitall Smith said, “They are not your doubts until you adopt them as your own.” In other words, doubts can own us, but we don’t have to let them. Do you believe that your faith and doubt can live side by side?
I had faith that God had led us to adopt our sweet girl, but I had so many doubts about how I would be able to mother her or take care of her long-term. I didn’t realize that having doubts doesn’t mean we don’t have faith. In Psalm 46:1-2 the psalmist makes some pretty contradictory statements as well:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
How could the Psalmist say the mountains are crumbling and the waters are rising, but he will not fear? During the first year home with our daughter I truly felt as if my world was falling apart. And at first, I was very afraid. I didn’t know how to reconcile a loving, kind God who would allow my daughter to suffer so. Psalm 46:2 described my life perfectly. I was drowning in my doubts.
Friend, if you are feeling the weight of the water of suffering pressing you down, I pray you will look up and see a hand above the waves. That hand is God, and He is found in the Word. How do we conquer doubts? We rest. At first I tried to rationalize or explain away my doubts. There came a point about a year after we adopted our daughter when I just cried out to God in anger, fear, and frustration. I confessed my lack of faith and asked for answers.
God’s answer to me was Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Be still. Stop striving. Stop trying to fix things. Just be still and know. Get to know the God who is the Lord of hosts and God of Jacob (Psalm 46:11). This God whom the psalmist wrote about in Psalm 46 is a God who was both powerful and personal.
In those moments when doubt clouds my thinking, I look instead to who God is. Life will not tell me who God is. People will not tell me. Only God’s Word and through prayer can I see this Powerful and Personal God who rescues me from my doubts. A daily reading of God’s Word is the only way to expel the doubts from my mind.
My doubts remain even now. I don’t have the answers, but I do have faith. I have faith because I had doubts. God used that time in my life to reveal that faith can overcome doubt. Take your questions and doubts to the Creator and Sustainer of life, and you will find the faith needed to rise above the pain. You’ll discover the kindness and goodness of God!
Lord, help me be still and know You are God.
Meet Sarah:
Sarah E. Frazer is a writer and Bible study mentor at sarahefrazer.com. Sarah is the wife of Jason and mother of five. She and her family serve as full-time missionaries in Honduras. Her passion is to encourage women to start today with a Bible reading and prayer habit. Sarah is the author of several self-published Bible study resources for women. She shares tools and encouragement for Bible and prayer study at sarahefrazer.com. Follow her on Instagram and download her FREE Prayer Planner here!
The Pray Big Sisterhood
Every morning, I wake up and lift my heart to God in prayer.
I praise Him for His glory and goodness.
I surrender my agenda and expectations to His greater kingdom purposes.
I yield my desires to do His will.
And, then I ask for Him to move a mountain.
I cry out to Him for that mountain to crumble.
I believe that God is bigger than any obstacle or stronghold.
Yet, my mountain remains — immovable and unyielding.
Do you have a mountain? I bet you do.
Like me, you may be discouraged by the darkness that looms large in your view.
You aren’t alone. If we sat down today in my kitchen and shared our stories, I bet we would see similarities.
Together, we would ask God to move two mountains.
With worshipful hearts, let’s keep crying out to the Lord for those mountains to crumble.
Let’s pray big!
Let’s ask God to help us have an expectant heart that is not overwhelmed by all the negativity in this world. Let’s pray big and believe God is bigger than the obstacles we are facing. Our Mighty God is going to do more than we can ask, think, or imagine as we pray with hope.
I was to also invite you to join a private “Pray Big” Facebook group for sisters to share our stories and surrender them to our mountain-moving God in prayer. Let’s lift up holy hands together and pray big in community.
To help you get started, I’m sharing a copy of My Pray Big Prayer Calendar with you. Join the Wildfire Faith Community and grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library. Print out your copy and start each morning inviting God to strengthen your step and breathe fresh wind into your weary spirit.
If you are visiting from Sarah’s today,
welcome to my little space on the web!
Here you will find fuel for a wildfire faith to help you
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- LOVE DEEP: Fervently extend God’s kindness and grace to pesky people.
- PRAY BIG: Go down fighting on your knees with fire in your bones.
- HOPE FULL: Stay tethered to a confident anticipation that keeps your heart ablaze.
- STAND STRONG: Rest courageously on God’s promises with red-hot resolve.
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Challenge:
BEGIN EACH DAY THIS WEEK BY PRAYING: Lord, help me be still and know You are God.
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“A daily reading of God’s Word is the only way to expel the doubts from my mind.” Amen. So often we want an explanation or visible evidence of what God is doing. Instead, He shows us Himself. And the more we get to know Him, the more we trust Him even when we don’t see the answers. We can trust what we do know for what we don’t know.
Barbara: Your last sentence packs a powerful punch. We know the One who knows. Lord, help me rest in You.
Sarah: Wow, friend! Thank you for your encouragement this week. I so needed your words. HUGS
Having just read Psalm 46 yesterday, I was amazed to take note that in the midst of mountains crumbling into the sea, waters roaring, and mountains shaking, we can be still and know that He alone is God. The chaos will be all around us but need not be in us. Beautiful and encouraging post, Sarah and Lyli!
Love how He whispers while the word roars.
Love your affirmation that having doubt doesn’t mean we don’t have faith.
Faith knows where to go with those doubts!
I think we all have doubts! The problem is when we let our doubt consume us and define our response. I love the wisdom that Sarah shared with us about sitting at HIs feet. He alone can quiet the crazy voices in our head.
Doubts can own us, but we don’t have to let them. That’ll preach.
Agreed! Such a good word. 🙂