We all have doubts. We wonder if an illness will ever be healed, if a relationship will mend, and if the future is really full of hope. We can read the Bible every day and still struggle to believe its promises. Although a lot of us have doubts, the thought of bringing them to God is scary. What would he want with them? Wouldn't he be disappointed in our lack of faith?
Well, after reading Psalm 77, I would say that bringing our doubts to God is the first thing we should do because he has the key to conquering them.
Psalm 77: 7-10
"'Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?' Then I thought, 'To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.'"
The author of the Psalm asks 6 questions doubting God’s love, promises, mercy, and compassion. But, because he cried out to God, he realized something: God is not scared of our doubts because he has already conquered them. He has performed miracles, displayed his power, and demonstrated his love. Our doubts don’t hold a flame to the reality of who God is, we just have to remember.
The author of this Psalm combats the lies in his head with truth. He says his appeal to doubt is remembering what God has already done. He does this in verses 11 through 15. He remembers the deeds of the Lord, his miracles, his displays of power, and how he redeemed his people. He remembers that God has proved himself worthy of our faith over and over again and then he lifts up his praise.
When we are in hard seasons of life, it’s easy to only see the current trial and forget about all of the ones God has delivered us from. In the Old Testament, that was the story of Israel. Every time God was faithful, the Israelites would forget and turn away. Lies would creep into their minds because they forgot who they serve and why they serve him.
We must be intentional about remembering the good God has done, the love he has shown, and the promises he has kept. That is how we combat doubt in our hearts and minds.
Here are a couple of things I thought might be helpful in fighting doubt and clinging to faith:
Practice gratitude when doubt comes knocking.
Instead of dwelling on the lies, thank God for all that he has done in your life. Remembering some specific acts of faithfulness God has done will help you trust that he will do it again.
Put reminders where you will see them.
A verse on your lock screen, sticky note on your dashboard, or a reminder at 2:00 p.m. every day to pray are just simple things that can prompt a needed renewal of your mind throughout the day.
We will all doubt at some point, but we don’t have to sit in those lies. God is offering his hand to pull us out. Bring your doubts to God, because he is the one who conquers them. He has already done more than enough to prove he is who he says he is, we just have to remember.
God,
Thank you for not being scared of my doubts, but giving me the key to defeating them. Help me to remember all that you have done in my life, keeping my eyes on you and not the lies that run through my mind. Remind me of your goodness throughout each day. Increase my faith and forgive me when it falters. I believe you are who you say you are.
Amen.
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