Doubt
Easter 24 - Doubt
*Watch or listen to the corresponding message here.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, on this day we give you all praise. We thank you for the gift of Jesus, and the miracle of the resurrection. We thank you that you celebrate us and want us to come to you. You know our innermost thoughts and doubts and you love us still. Help us in our unbelief, give us strength for this day, let your mercy wash over us.
Theme Passage - Matthew 28:1-6 (ESV)
1-Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2-And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3-His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4-And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5-But the angel said to the women, ‘do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6-He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.’
Culturally speaking, it is quite natural to visit the deceased. Some bring flowers, or gifts, or prayers, or all of the above. But no one goes to the grave site expecting the deceased not to be there. In fact, even though Jesus told his followers numerous times that he would rise again, here were 2 ladies who expected to find the stone in place, and they would pay their respects through their visit and a prayer for the dead. They heard what Jesus had told them, but they doubted such a thing was possible.
Think back in your life to a time when you doubted someone would do as they said they would. In some cases, those doubts were realized, because this is the nature of humanity. We have all fallen short. Perhaps you were the person someone doubted and you proved them right by not doing or saying what you said you would do.
Have you ever doubted God? Have you considered your relationship with God, and has he ever given you a reason not to trust him wholeheartedly? Do you struggle in your faith sometimes?
Why do you doubt?
We all have questions we can’t answer, but some are much deeper than others. Why did that person close to me have to die so young? Why did my relationship fall apart? How do I make sense of my brokenness? These hard questions cause us to doubt a lot of things, and sometimes we doubt God in the process.
We have all heard the phrase ‘life isn’t fair’ but it doesn’t make it any easier to hear. How come I didn’t get promoted but that other person did? Why can’t I get ahead when it seems like all these other people get everything they want? It’s true, life is not fair, but Jesus gives us hope (John 16:33).
The hurts in our lives are never easy, and sometimes we carry them around like badges. Those hurts you are experiencing, like lost love, broken relationships with family, unfulfilled dreams, are all very real. Some are very heavy. Jesus offers us a chance to lay them down (Matthew 11:28-30).
Faith is a journey, not a destination. Faith doesn’t mean that you never doubt. It is in those moments you doubt, when faith has a chance to grow. As your faith grows you become more aware of how God answers those hard questions, makes sense of why things happens, and helps to heal you from your hurts.
Read John 20:24-25. Thomas had obvious doubts. He spoke them out loud to all the disciples. He went so far as to say that if he didn’t see the wounds and touch the holes, he would not believe that Jesus was really risen. Thomas doubted everything from the death to the resurrection. And then Jesus appeared, told Thomas to touch the wounds, and to believe. We are often like Thomas.
Oswald Chambers said “doubt is not always a sign that a man is wrong, it may be a sign that he is thinking.”
If you’re plagued with doubt today, it’s ok. Doubt happens. It doesn’t mean you’re wrong. Instead, Jesus is asking you to come to him, and doubt no more. Bring your hurts, your questions, your fears, and be honest with him. He wants to celebrate you. He loves you.
*Watch or listen to the corresponding message here.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, on this day we give you all praise. We thank you for the gift of Jesus, and the miracle of the resurrection. We thank you that you celebrate us and want us to come to you. You know our innermost thoughts and doubts and you love us still. Help us in our unbelief, give us strength for this day, let your mercy wash over us.
Theme Passage - Matthew 28:1-6 (ESV)
1-Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2-And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3-His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4-And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5-But the angel said to the women, ‘do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6-He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.’
Culturally speaking, it is quite natural to visit the deceased. Some bring flowers, or gifts, or prayers, or all of the above. But no one goes to the grave site expecting the deceased not to be there. In fact, even though Jesus told his followers numerous times that he would rise again, here were 2 ladies who expected to find the stone in place, and they would pay their respects through their visit and a prayer for the dead. They heard what Jesus had told them, but they doubted such a thing was possible.
Think back in your life to a time when you doubted someone would do as they said they would. In some cases, those doubts were realized, because this is the nature of humanity. We have all fallen short. Perhaps you were the person someone doubted and you proved them right by not doing or saying what you said you would do.
Have you ever doubted God? Have you considered your relationship with God, and has he ever given you a reason not to trust him wholeheartedly? Do you struggle in your faith sometimes?
Why do you doubt?
- Questions you can’t answer
- Situations that seem unfair
- Hurts you can’t resolve
We have all heard the phrase ‘life isn’t fair’ but it doesn’t make it any easier to hear. How come I didn’t get promoted but that other person did? Why can’t I get ahead when it seems like all these other people get everything they want? It’s true, life is not fair, but Jesus gives us hope (John 16:33).
The hurts in our lives are never easy, and sometimes we carry them around like badges. Those hurts you are experiencing, like lost love, broken relationships with family, unfulfilled dreams, are all very real. Some are very heavy. Jesus offers us a chance to lay them down (Matthew 11:28-30).
Faith is a journey, not a destination. Faith doesn’t mean that you never doubt. It is in those moments you doubt, when faith has a chance to grow. As your faith grows you become more aware of how God answers those hard questions, makes sense of why things happens, and helps to heal you from your hurts.
Read John 20:24-25. Thomas had obvious doubts. He spoke them out loud to all the disciples. He went so far as to say that if he didn’t see the wounds and touch the holes, he would not believe that Jesus was really risen. Thomas doubted everything from the death to the resurrection. And then Jesus appeared, told Thomas to touch the wounds, and to believe. We are often like Thomas.
Oswald Chambers said “doubt is not always a sign that a man is wrong, it may be a sign that he is thinking.”
If you’re plagued with doubt today, it’s ok. Doubt happens. It doesn’t mean you’re wrong. Instead, Jesus is asking you to come to him, and doubt no more. Bring your hurts, your questions, your fears, and be honest with him. He wants to celebrate you. He loves you.
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